Abstract: Objective To investigate the indirect effects of extracts from seven kinds of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)on melanocyte proliferation and melanogenesis by interaction with keratinocytes, and to study their possible mechanism in the treatment of vitiligo.Methods Seven kinds of TCM,including No.l,a mixture of equal amount oftougucao and fuping,No.2,a mixture of equal amount of baizhi and shechuangzi,No.3,buguzhi,No.4,heihujiao,No.5,a mixture of equal amount of heihujiao and buguzhi, No.6,nüzhenzi,No.7,a mixture of quchongbanjiuju,buguzhi,heshouwu,danggui,fangfeng,shechuangzi, baixianpi,wumei,baijieji,dingxiang,were selected and extracted by alcohol.HaCaT cells were cultured in vitro and treated with the above extracts,respectively,for 24 h.Then,the supernatants in the culture of these treated HaCaT cells were used to treat B10BR cells.The concentrations of endothelin-1(ET-1)and basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)in the supernanant of HaCaT cells treated with TCM were determined by ELISA.MTT method,DOPA-oxidation and NaOH-assay were applied to detect the proliferation,tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis of B10BR,respectively.Results The level of ET-1 in the supernatants of HaCaT cells was significantly increased with the treatment of TCM No.2 and 5(P<0.01,P<0.05,respectively). TCM No.3,4 and 7 significantly elevated the concentration of bFGF in the supernatant of HaCaT cells(P<0.01,P<0.05,P<0.05,respectively).The proliferation of B10BR was significantly enhanced by the supernatant of cultured HaCaT cells treated with TCM No.3 and 6(both P<0.01).All the supernatants in the HaCaT cells treated with TCM No.1,2 and 3 could significantly improve the activity of tyrosinase(all P<0.01),and those treated with No.1,2,6 and 7 could promote the melanogenesis of B10BR(P<0.01, P<0.01,P<0.05,P<0.01,respectively).Conclusion s Our results suggest that the efficacy of some TCM in the treatment of vitiligo may be related to their involvement in the secretion of cytokines and alteration of epidermal microenvironment by keratinocytes.

Key words: Drugs,Chinese herbal, Keratinocytes, Melanocytes, Vitiligo