Anti-Inflammatory Efficacy of a Functional Shampoo Mixed With 0.063% Artemether for Seborrheic Dermatitis.

BACKGROUND

Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Artemisinin and its derivatives have been applied in the treatment of various skin diseases, but they have not yet been used in the treatment of SD.

AIMS: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and anti-inflammatory effect of 0.063% artemether shampoo on SD through a guinea pig model.

METHOD: Fifty SD-induced guinea pigs were randomized into control, ketoconazole (2%), matrix, and artemether (0.063%) groups (n = 10/group). Treatments were applied twice weekly for 2 weeks. Erythema and scaling were scored pre-/posttreatment. Lesional IL-1β, IL-8, IL-17, NF-κB, and histamine H1 levels were quantified via immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Artemether group demonstrated lower scores versus control and matrix group (both p < 0.05), comparable to ketoconazole group (p > 0.05). Artemether group reduced IL-1β, IL-8, NF-κB, and histamine H1 vs. control group(p < 0.05), with IL-8 suppression exceeding ketoconazole and matrix group (p < 0.05; p < 0.001). No intergroup differences in IL-17 were observed (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The 0.063% artemether shampoo has comparable clinical efficacy to the 2% ketoconazole shampoo in the treatment of SD, and may exhibit stronger anti-inflammatory effects.