We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Sika deer (Cervus nippon) velvet antler ameliorates 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis-like clinical signs in a rodent model.
- Authors
Choi, Young-Jin; Fan, Meiqi; Yu, Yonghai; Wang, Xiaoli; Tang, Yujiao; Kim, Eun-Kyung
- Abstract
Context: Deer velvet is a rarely used component in traditional Chinese medicine and has beneficial effects against several diseases. As a substance that covers the bone and cartilage of immature antlers, deer velvet is a natural cytokine 'storeroom' that is rich in protein and proteoglycans. Recently, proteoglycans have been shown to have beneficial effects against inflammation. Aims: To determine whether antler extract possesses therapeutic effects in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis (AD) and to explore the underlying mechanisms of action. Methods: BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the following groups: control, AD, and AD + antler groups. We established an in vivo AD model by repeatedly exposing the ears of mice to Dermatophagoides farinae extract (house dust-mite extract) and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene once per week for 4 weeks. On the day after induction, ear thickness was measured. Antler extract (100 mg/kg) was administered orally once a day for 26 days. After 4 weeks of treatment with antler extract, the epidermal and dermal ear thickness, mast-cell infiltration, spleen weight, and lymph-node weight were measured. In addition, the mRNA levels of several pathogenic cytokines in the ears were measured. The concentrations of IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-31 and IL-17 mRNA in the skin lesions of each group were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Key results: Epidermal and dermal ear thickness, mast-cell infiltration, lymph-node weight, and gene expression levels of pathogenic cytokines in ear tissue were diminished following oral administration of antler extract, unlike in the control group. Conclusions: The results of the present study strongly suggest that antler extract exhibits therapeutic activity against atopic dermatitis via regulation of inflammatory response. Implications: Further exploration of the mechanisms of action of antler extract will be important for clinical application. Deer velvet, which is derived from growing deer antlers, is a rarely used ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, and it has multiple beneficial effects against skin diseases. In the present study, we determined whether bioactive substances derived from deer antlers possessed inhibitory effects against atopic dermatitis in a mouse model and explored the underlying mechanisms of action. The study strongly suggests that antler extract exhibits therapeutic effects against atopic dermatitis by regulating inflammatory response.
- Subjects
DERMATOPHAGOIDES; SIKA deer; ANTLERS; SYMPTOMS; TREATMENT effectiveness; CHINESE medicine; EAR
- Publication
Animal Production Science, 2020, Vol 60, Issue 10, p1357
- ISSN
1836-0939
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1071/AN19500