1. Dietary apigenin attenuates the development of atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice.
- Author
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Yano S, Umeda D, Yamashita S, Yamada K, and Tachibana H
- Subjects
- Animals, Dermatitis, Atopic chemically induced, Dermatitis, Atopic drug therapy, Interferon-gamma genetics, Interleukin-4 antagonists & inhibitors, Male, Mice, Phosphorylation drug effects, Picryl Chloride, STAT6 Transcription Factor antagonists & inhibitors, Apigenin therapeutic use, Dermatitis, Atopic diet therapy
- Abstract
One of the flavones, apigenin has various physiological functions including anti-inflammatory activities. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronically relapsing inflammatory disorder that is characterized by pruritic and eczematous skin lesions. To evaluate the anti-allergic effect of apigenin in vivo, we examined the effect of dietary apigenin on picrylchloride (PiCl)-induced AD-like pathology in NC/Nga mice. NC/Nga mice were fed experimental diets containing apigenin from Day 18 after sensitized with PiCl for 4 weeks. Dietary apigenin significantly alleviated the development of skin lesions, accompanied by lower serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 and IgE levels in NC/Nga mice. Interferon (IFN)-gamma mRNA expression level in spleen cells from NC/Nga mice was reduced by apigenin feeding. Moreover, interleukin 4-induced signal transducers and activators of transcription 6 phosphorylation in primary spleen cells from BALB/c mice was inhibited by treatment with apigenin. These results suggest that apigenin attenuates exacerbation of AD-like symptoms in part through the reduction of serum IgE level and IFN-gamma expression in NC/Nga mice.
- Published
- 2009
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