Effect of Picrorrhiza Rhizoma on Dinitrofluorobenzene-induced Contact Dermatitis (Type I allergy)

Abstract

−The effect of Picrorrhiza Rhizoma (PR) aqueous extracts were evaluated on 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced contact dermatitis, type I allergic model. Contact dermatitis was induced by sensitization with dinitrophenyl-derivatized ovalbumin (DNP-OVA) and DNFB challenge as antigen. Three different concentrations of PR extracts (300, 150 and 75mg/kg) were orally administered to DNP-OVA sensitization mice once a day for 7 days with reference materials; dexamethasone (15mg/kg, intraperitoneal treatment). End of 7 days oral administration of PR extracts or intraperitoneal treatment of dexamethasone, the changes on the edematous changes and scratching behavior were measured. Immediate after DNFB challenge on ear or paw of DNP-OVA sensitized mice, increases of ear and paw thicknesses and weights were detected with anterior ear skin (dermis to epidermis) thickness and paw scratching behavior increases. However, these DNFB-induced increases on ear and paw thicknesses, weights and scratching behaviors were decreased by treatment of all three different dosages of PR extracts and dexamethasone, respectively. In addition, the increases of anterior skin thicknesses were also dramatically inhibited by treatment of all three different dosages of PR extracts and dexamethasone at histopathological observations. The results obtained in this study suggest that oral treatment of PR extracts also has relatively favorable effects on allergic dermatitis.

Micronucleus Test of Picrorrhiza Rhizoma Aqueous Extract in Bone Marrow Cells of Male ICR Mice

“…A traditional Korean herbal medicine, Picrorrhiza Rhizoma (PR) is a dried root and stem of Picrorrhiza kurroa , and has been traditionally used as hepatoprotective agents such as jaundice (Lee and Ku, 2008a) . Until now, the nitric oxide scavenging activity (Jagetia and Baliga, 2004) , cardioprotective effect (Senthil Kumar et al , 2001) , anti-cancer effect (Joy et al , 2000) , anti-diabetic activity (Joy and Kuttan, 1999) , anti-viral effect (Mehortra et al , 1990) , immunostimulatory or immunomodulatory effects (Sharma et al , 1994) , hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective effects (Lee et al , 2008) , nephroprotective effects (Lee and Ku, 2008a) , anti-inflammatory effects (Lee and Ku, 2008b ; Park et al , 2008) of PR extracts have been evaluated with single mouse oral dose toxicity (Lee et al , 2006) . However, there are no reports dealing the potential genotoxicity of PR extract upon our knowledge.…”

Effects of Magnetic Infrared Laser on Dinitrofluorobenzene-induced Contact Dermatitis in Mice

“…Representative sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) for light microscopic examination and the histological profiles of individual ears were evaluated. The thicknesses of anterior skin parts, from epidermis to dermis (ear cartilages were excluded), were measured using an automated CCD image analyzer (DMI-300 Image Processing; DMI, Korea) at 100× magnification (Nikkon, Japan) at regions of the ear as described in a previous report 22) .…”

“…This irritation would lessen as the allergic dermatitis improves together with anti-inflammatory activity 20,21) . In the present study, the effects of MIL on DNFB-induced contact dermatitis were monitored and compared with 15 mg/kg dexamethasone, intraperitoneal treatment, according to previous methods 22) .…”