Establishment of Mouse Models of Psoriasis with Blood Stasis Syndrome Complicated with Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders

Abstract

Background. Psoriasis has been reported as a high-risk factor for quality of life and survival rate in patients with metabolic disorder. However, there is no animal model for studying this disease. This study aimed to establish and evaluate mouse models of psoriasis with blood stasis syndrome (which is a key to psoriasis pathogenesis, according to Chinese Medicine) complicated with metabolic disorders. Method. Forty-five C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the blank control (Control), psoriasis (Imiquimod (IMQ)), psoriasis with metabolic disorders (IMQ + streptozotocin (STZ)), psoriasis with blood stasis syndrome (BSS) (IMQ + BSS), and psoriasis with blood stasis syndrome complicated with metabolic disorders (IMQ + STZ + BSS) groups (n = 9 mice/group). Psoriasis lesions were induced using IMQ cream (on both the ears and back, except in the Control group). Mice of the IMQ + BSS group were fed a half-fat, high-sugar diet and stimulated with ice-water swimming every day. Mice of the IMQ + STZ group were fed a half-fat, high-sugar diet and injected with STZ. Mice of the IMQ + STZ + BSS group were subjected to the same treatments as the IMQ + STZ and IMQ + BSS groups. After induction, the mice in each group were observed for vital signs, ear thickness, body weight, and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score. The mice were fasted for 12 h before determination of related laboratory serum indexes. Dorsal skin lesions, aortic arch pathology sections, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were examined by H&E staining and immunohistochemistry. Results. Laboratory indexes in the four model groups were significantly different from those in the Control group (p<0.01); indicators of the IMQ + STZ, IMQ + BSS, and IMQ + STZ + BSS groups showed varying degrees of difference from those of the IMQ group. Conclusions. The established mouse models of psoriasis blood stasis syndrome complicated with glucose and lipid metabolism disorders met the clinical and Chinese Medicine characteristics, and thus they could be used as animal models in future studies of psoriasis complicated with glucose and lipid metabolism disorders.