Role of antioxidants in itch treatment: lessons learned from pain management

Abstract

Chronic pain and chronic pruritus are both debilitating conditions that cause a significant burden to patients. Oxidative stressdriven by an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidants-has been shown to play a role both in pain disorders and conditions in which chronic itch is a prominent symptom. Antioxidants can be useful in treating oxidative stress-driven diseases and have shown promise in treating chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. However, their role in treating pruritus and pruritic conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis remains unclear. Many of the current treatments for chronic itch are costly, associated with side effects, and have limited efficacy. Therefore, further controlled studies exploring antioxidants as a potential therapeutic option for chronic pruritus are warranted.

Pyromeconic acid-enriched Erigeron annuus water extract as a cosmetic ingredient for itch relief and anti-inflammatory activity

“…Antioxidants play a crucial role in managing skin diseases by neutralizing oxidative stress, which can lead to skin cell damage and inhibit mast cell degranulation, triggering histamine release and allergic reaction 21 , 22 . To establish an in vitro model of H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress, HaCaT cells were exposed to H 2 O 2 at concentrations ranging from 50 to 500 µM.…”

Itch: from the skin to the brain – peripheral and central neural sensitization in chronic itch

“…Furthermore, flavonoids have been reported to inhibit MRGPRX2-mediated mast cell activation in mouse model studies. MRGPRX2 plays an important role in many chronic itch conditions including AD, urticaria, and chronic prurigo ( Soares et al, 2023 ). Collectively, these effects help to decrease peripheral itch sensitization, and potentially central itch sensitization by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation.…”

Skin Bioimpedance Analysis to Determine Cellular Integrity by Phase Angle in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…ROS are highly reactive molecules that can induce oxidative stress and damage cells and tissues. Evidence suggests that in fibromyalgia mitochondrial dysfunction and increased ROS production might contribute to peripheral and central sensitization, interference with pain processing, and development of painful peripheral neuropathies [8], leading to decreased pain threshold, which is a characteristic symptom [9]. Furthermore, a relationship has been established between the imbalance of oxidative products, antioxidant defenses, and the severity of the symptoms.…”