title: Sanpao herbs inhibit development of atopic dermatitis in Balb/c mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effects of SANPAOCAO (SPC), a compound traditional Chinese folk medicine, on chronic dermatitis/eczema in mice induced by 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three Balb/c mice were randomly divided into a negative control group, a positive control group, a prednisolone treatment group, an SPC ethanol extract treatment group, a Cardiospermum halicacabum ethanol extract treatment group, a Physalis minima ethanol extract treatment group, and a Jussiaea repens ethanol extract treatment group. Mice in the six treatment groups had twenty-five microliters of 0.1% DNCB in acetone/olive oil (3: 1) applied to each side of their right ears and dorsal skin three times a week, over a 5 week period. They were treated with prednisolone or the various kinds of ethanol extract after each challenge. The weight difference between the two ears, pathological changes in the right ears, dermal inflammatory cell numbers, and total serum Ig E levels were used to assess the effects of the drugs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  after the 5 weeks of challenges, the weight differences of the ears in the SPC group and the prednisolone group were significantly less than those in the other groups. There was evidence of significant suppression of the development of dermatitis, as determined by a histological examination and the serum Ig E levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SPC has beneficial effects when used in the treatment of chronic dermatitis-eczema in mice.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Song-lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Guang-hong
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Feng-yin
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying-ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shuang-lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D020405:Dermis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007073:Immunoglobulin E