title: The excimer lamp induces cutaneous nerve degeneration and reduces scratching in a dry-skin mouse model.
abstract: Epidermal hyperinnervation, which is thought to underlie intractable pruritus, has been observed in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). The epidermal expression of axonal guidance molecules has been reported to regulate epidermal hyperinnervation. Previously, we showed that the excimer lamp has antihyperinnervative effects in nonpruritic dry-skin model mice, although epidermal expression of axonal guidance molecules was unchanged. Therefore, we investigated the antipruritic effects of excimer lamp irradiation and its mechanism of action. A single irradiation of AD model mice significantly inhibited itch-related behavior 1 day later, following improvement in the dermatitis score. In addition, irradiation of nerve fibers formed by cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons increased bleb formation and decreased nerve fiber expression of nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 2, suggesting degenerative changes in these fibers. We also analyzed whether attaching a cutoff excimer filter (COF) to the lamp, thus decreasing cytotoxic wavelengths, altered hyperinnervation and the production of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD), a DNA damage marker, in dry-skin model mice. Irradiation with COF decreased CPD production in keratinocytes, as well as having an antihyperinnervative effect, indicating that the antipruritic effects of excimer lamp irradiation with COF are due to induction of epidermal nerve degeneration and reduced DNA damage.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental and Gender Specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan; Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Tokai University, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamo
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental and Gender Specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsutoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental and Gender Specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Yayoi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamata
authors.affiliation: Ushio Inc., Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental and Gender Specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyi C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental and Gender Specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Utako
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental and Gender Specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideoki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental and Gender Specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan; Department of Dermatology, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan. Electronic address: ktakamor@juntendo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takamori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000528:radiation effects; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000528:radiation effects; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000209:etiology*; D009612:Nicotinamide-Nucleotide Adenylyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D011537:Pruritus / Q000209:etiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011740:Pyrimidine Dimers / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D011740:Pyrimidine Dimers; D009612:Nicotinamide-Nucleotide Adenylyltransferase