Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by elevated immunoglobulin\nE (IgE), mast cell infiltration and skin lesions including pruritus, erythema and eczema.\nCudrania tricuspidata extracts have been clinically administered for a long time in the East Asia\nincluding Korean and China as a home-remedy to diminish the inflammation of gastritis and hepatitis.\nTo examine whether it works on AD or not, an AD-like animal model was experimented in\nthis study. AD was induced by applying Dermatophagoides farinae (D. farinae) extract to the backs\nof 9-week old NC/Nga mice for 21 days. Following this, an ethanol extract of C. tricuspidata stems\n(EECT) was applied topically for 14 days to the sensitized skin, while distilled water was used as a\ncontrol (EECT0 mice). Anti-AD effects of EECT were evaluated using scores for AD-like skin lesions,\nserum IgE levels and mast cell counts in the skin dermal layers to assess inflammation. Topically\napplied ethanol extract of Cudrania tricuspidata stems (EECT 7.5, 25 and 75 mg/mL) markedly\nreduced AD-like skin lesions after 4 days (by 30.1%, 31.4% and 38.5%, respectively) and also after 14 days (by 63.6%, 66.1% and 49.6%, respectively), while distilled water improved AD by 17.8%\nand 38.7%, respectively (p < 0.05). Serum IgE production was reduced in the EECT7.5, EECT25 and\nEECT75 groups after 4 days (by 57.6%, 65.9% and 59.3%, respectively) and after 14 days of the\ntreatment (by 82.0%, 79.6% and 75.3%, respectively), while distilled water decreased it by 38.8%\nand 62.3% (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0001, respectively). Mast cell counts increased after sensitization\nby D. farinae extract (p = 0.003) and EECT attenuated the mast cell overproduction, and reduced\nmast cell degranulation markedly. Attenuation was most obvious in the early stage of EECT treatment\nwhen the AD was most acute.
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