title: Role of scratch-induced cutaneous prostaglandin D production on atopic-like scratching behaviour in mice.
abstract: NC/Nga mice are known to develop scratching dermatitis akin to atopic dermatitis, under conventional (Conv), but not under the specific-pathogen-free (SPF) condition. In this study, we examined the effects of mechanical-scratching on the spontaneous scratching counts (sign of itching), in relation to the cutaneous prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) levels in NC/Nga or BALB/c mice. Mechanical-scratching increased the cutaneous barrier damage and PGD2 levels in both strain mice under the SPF condition. By 4 weeks of cohabitation with the skin-lesioned NC/Nga mice, both the increase in the spontaneous scratching and development of dermatitis score were higher in the Conv-NC/Nga than in the Conv-BALB/c mice. At this time-point, the cutaneous PGD2 level induced by mechanical-scratching was significantly lower in the Conv-NC/Nga when compared with that in the SPF-NC/Nga mice, and that in the Conv-BALB/c was almost equal to that in the SPF-BALB/c mice. With mechanical scratches, the cohabitation-induced scratching was suppressed in the Conv-BALB/c, but not in the Conv-NC/Nga mice. These results suggest that the scratch-induced cutaneous PGD2 inhibits scratching and the subsequent development of dermatitis in BALB/c, while the impaired scratch-induced cutaneous PGD2 production in the NC/Nga mice resulted in no suppression of scratching, and aggravated the dermatitis.
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Pharmacology Laboratory, Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Saitama, Japan. a.takaoka@po.rd.taisho.co.jp
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takaoka
authors.forename: Iwao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Nobuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Futaki
authors.forename: Takanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Honma
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakaike
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D015153:Blotting, Western; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D054834:Lipocalins; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D015230:Prostaglandin D2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000473:pathology*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D054834:Lipocalins; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C022466:prostaglandin R2 D-isomerase; D015230:Prostaglandin D2