title: Escin inhibits type I allergic dermatitis in a novel porcine model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current standard medications for the treatment of allergic inflammation consist primarily of glucocorticoids and anti-histamines, but adverse side effects or insufficient responsiveness by patient subpopulations illustrate the need for safe and novel alternatives. Thus, there is a demand to develop a porcine model that is able to mimic mast cell-mediated type I hypersensitivity. Previously, we found that escin, a pharmacologically active mix of triterpene saponins from horse chestnut extracts, exerts anti-allergic effects in murine models and merits further investigation as an anti-allergic therapeutic.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a new porcine model of allergic dermatitis based on a clinical prick test protocol. Histamine clearly provoked erythema and swelling at the prick site, whereas the mast cell-degranulating compound 48/80 even more pronounced caused wheal and flare reactions known from the human prick response. This model was used to test the anti-allergic efficacy of orally applied escin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral pretreatment of animals with escin strongly inhibited the allergic skin response induced by compound 48/80 in a dose-dependent manner. Additional in vitro data from murine mast cells indicate an engagement of the glucocorticoid receptor pathway upon treatment with escin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This model provides a valuable and easy-to-set-up tool for preclinical studies of mast cell-inhibiting compounds. The successful implementation of this model supports the development of oral escin applications as a novel anti-allergic therapy.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department for Farm Animals, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. wolfgang.sipos@vetmeduni.ac.at
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sipos
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reutterer
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grassauer
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prieschl-Grassauer
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Doerfler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004928:Escin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006632:Histamine / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012882:Skin Tests; D013552:Swine; D003189:p-Methoxy-N-methylphenethylamine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D003189:p-Methoxy-N-methylphenethylamine; D004928:Escin; D006632:Histamine