Effect of “HuChou San” on ABCC11 mRNA levels and MRP8 protein expression in skin tissue from bilateral axilla of axillary osmidrosis patients

Purpose: To investigate the effect of “HuChou San” on axillary osmidrosis (AO) by measuring ABCC11 mRNA levels and MRP8 protein expression in axillary skin tissues from “HuChou San”-treated AO patients.Methods: Forty AO patients undergoing treatment at Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital were enrolled in the study. Tissues from axillary regions were initially treated for 10 min with a solution of copper sulphate and zinc sulphate, followed by treatment with gentle application of “HuChou San” once daily for 3 months. Ten healthy individuals served as untreated control. Axillary skin tissue was surgically collected at 0, 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment. The expressions of ABCC11 mRNA and MRP8 protein in axillary skin samples were determined using qPCR and Western blot, respectively.Results: The qPCR and Western blot results showed higher levels of ABCC11 mRNA and MRP8 protein in AO patient tissues than in healthy controls. However, “HuChou San” treatment markedly reduced tissue levels of ABCC11 mRNA and MRP8 protein (p < 0.05), when compared to tissues extracted prior to treatment. These effects were time-dependent and increased as treatment duration increased (p < 0.05).Conclusion: “HuChou San” powder significantly and time-dependently reduced ABCC11 mRNA and MRP8 protein expressions in AO axillary tissue of AO patients. It is known that ABCC11 mRNA and MRP8 protein are two important indices of AO. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that“HuChou San” has potentials for use as a novel alternative therapy for AO. Keywords: ABCC11 mRNA, MRP8 protein, Axillary osmidrosis, HuChou San

Soy Isoflavone Genistein Inhibits an Axillary Osmidrosis Risk Factor ABCC11: In Vitro Screening and Fractional Approach for ABCC11-Inhibitory Activities in Plant Extracts and Dietary Flavonoids

Axillary osmidrosis (AO) is a common chronic skin condition characterized by unpleasant body odors emanating from the armpits, and its aetiology is not fully understood. AO can seriously impair the psychosocial well-being of the affected individuals; however, no causal therapy has been established for it other than surgical treatment. Recent studies have revealed that human ATP-binding cassette transporter C11 (ABCC11) is an AO risk factor when it is expressed in the axillary apocrine glands—the sources of the offensive odors. Hence, identifying safe ways to inhibit ABCC11 may offer a breakthrough in treating AO. We herein screened for ABCC11-inhibitory activities in 34 natural products derived from plants cultivated for human consumption using an in vitro assay system to measure the ABCC11-mediated transport of radiolabeled dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S—an ABCC11 substrate). The water extract of soybean (Glycine max) was found to exhibit the strongest transport inhibition. From this extract, via a fractionation approach, we successfully isolated and identified genistein, a soy isoflavone, as a novel ABCC11 inhibitor with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration value of 61.5 μM. Furthermore, we examined the effects of other dietary flavonoids on the ABCC11-mediated DHEA-S transport to uncover the effects of these phytochemicals on ABCC11 function. While further human studies are needed, our findings here about the natural compounds will help develop a non-surgical therapy for AO.