Dietary pulverized konjac glucomannan suppresses scratching behavior and skin inflammatory immune responses in NC/Nga mice.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Feeding with pulverized konjac glucomannan (PKGM) suppresses the development of eczema and hyper-IgE production in NC/Nga mice, a model of atopic dermatitis. This study aimed to examine the effects of PKGM on scratching behavior and skin inflammatory immune responses in NC/Nga mice.

METHODS:

Four-week-old NC/Nga mice were maintained for 8 or 9 weeks on diet containing PKGM. Scratching behavior and clinical symptoms were evaluated every 2 weeks. Effects of PKGM on cutaneous inflammation were evaluated by histopathological analysis. Local expression levels of substance P and proinflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA.

RESULTS:

An increase in scratching behavior was evident from 6 weeks of age in control mice, but this symptom was dose-dependently inhibited in PKGM-fed mice. Continuous PKGM feeding then significantly inhibited eczematous skin lesions including hyperkeratosis, dermal mastocytosis and eosinophilia. Concomitantly, cutaneous overproductions of substance P, IL-10, IL-4, and TNF-alpha were all suppressed in PKGM-fed mice.

CONCLUSIONS:

PKGM feeding markedly suppressed development of scratching behavior, substance P expression with mastocytosis, and skin inflammatory immune responses in NC/Nga mice.

• Authors: Nobukazu Onishi, Seiji Kawamoto, Hidenori Suzuki, Hiroyuki Santo, Tsunehiro Aki, Seiko Shigeta, Kunihiko Hashimoto, Michihiro Hide, Kazuhisa Ono
• Journal: International archives of allergy and immunology (Int Arch Allergy Immunol) Vol. 144 Issue 2 Pg. 95-104 ( 2007) ISSN: 1423-0097 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 17536217 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

Chemical References

• Dietary Carbohydrates
• Immunoglobulin G
• Interferon-alpha
• Mannans
• Interleukin-10
• Interleukin-4
• Substance P
• (1-6)-alpha-glucomannan
• Immunoglobulin E

Topics

• Animals
• Dermatitis, Atopic (drug therapy)
• Dietary Carbohydrates (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Ear (pathology)
• Eosinophilia (immunology)
• Immunoglobulin E (blood)
• Immunoglobulin G (blood)
• Interferon-alpha (metabolism)
• Interleukin-10 (metabolism)
• Interleukin-4 (metabolism)
• Keratosis (drug therapy, immunology, pathology)
• Male
• Mannans (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Mastocytosis, Cutaneous (drug therapy, immunology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred Strains
• Pruritus (drug therapy, immunology, pathology)
• Skin (immunology, pathology)
• Substance P (metabolism)