Open Access

ARTICLE

Allyl Isothiocyanate Ameliorates Allergic Contact Dermatitis and Food Allergy via Inhibition of Mast Cells

Luyao Sun^#, Ronghao Zhang^#, Kexin Su, Mengjie Wang, Kai Wang, Xiaoyu Wang^*

Experiment Center for Science and Technology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China

* Corresponding Author: Xiaoyu Wang. Email:
# These authors contributed equally to this work

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Phytochemicals and Bioactive Monomers from Herbal Medicine: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms)

BIOCELL 2025, 49(11), 2217-2237. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2025.068450

Received 29 May 2025; Accepted 11 October 2025; Issue published 24 November 2025

Abstract

Objectives: An allergy is an exaggerated immune response, and mast cells play central roles in allergic pathologies. Allyl isothiocyanate can suppress inflammatory responses; however, whether allyl isothiocyanate has a suppressive effect on allergic pathologies remains unclear. Methods: 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzen or ovalbumin was used to establish a mouse model of allergic contact dermatitis or food allergy, respectively. The mRNA level of cytokines was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. To examine the effects of allyl isothiocyanate on mast cells, degranulation and intracellular calcium measurement, RNA sequencing, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting were performed. Results: Allyl isothiocyanate ameliorated allergic contact dermatitis and food allergy. Allyl isothiocyanate decreased the mRNA levels of cytokines and degranulated mast cells in the allergic contact dermatitis model. Furthermore, allyl isothiocyanate decreased the mRNA levels of cytokines and the mast cell marker mMCP-1 in the food allergy model. Moreover, allyl isothiocyanate inhibited immunoglobulin E/antigen-induced -hexosaminidase release in murine bone marrow-derived mast cells and RBL-2H3 cells. Allyl isothiocyanate also decreased the increase in intracellular calcium levels induced by immunoglobulin E/antigen in mast cells. In addition, allyl isothiocyanate suppressed calcium ionophore A23187-induced mast cell degranulation. Furthermore, allyl isothiocyanate reduced A23187 or compound 48/80-induced human mast cells degranulation. RNA-sequencing data revealed that immunoglobulin E/antigen induced the expression of activating transcription factor 3 in murine bone marrow-derived mast cells; however, allyl isothiocyanate downregulated activating transcription factor 3 levels. Additionally, allyl isothiocyanate inhibited endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that allyl isothiocyanate ameliorated allergic contact dermatitis and food allergy via inhibition of mast cells.

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material File

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