Silk Fibroin Works as a Treatment-Accelerating for Atopic Dermatitis Induced by an Extract of Dermatophagoides farinae in NC/Nga Mice

抄録

Aim: We examined the effectiveness of silk fibroin (SFB) on atopic dermatitis (AD) using an NC/Nga AD model mice as subjects, with the aim of evaluating the effects of SFB when applied to the skin.
Methods: AD-like skin lesions were induced in NC/Nga mice using Dermatophagoides farinae extract (DFE) ointment. 1.0% SFB was topically applied on the AD-like dorsal surfaces for one week. Mice were divided into three groups (n = 5 per group) as follows: (1) Normal group, (2) DFE group, (3) DFE + SFB group. All mice were sacrificed to obtain blood, spleen, skin tissue samples for checking blood test about IgE levels and histophathologic examination of skin tissues.
Results: The assessment scores on the skin lesions of SFB group were significantly lower than DFE group, the plasma IgE levels in the SFB group were slightly lower than those in the DFE group. Histological analysis of the skin revealed that hyperplasia of the epidermal and dermal layers and infiltration of inflammatory cells (cell infiltration in corium tissues) were slightly suppressed by SFB. And periostin deposition was observed in the skin tissue obtained from the DFE group. Moreover, increasing the spleen/body weight ratio was reduced in the SFB group compared with the DFE group.
Conclusion: The results indicated that SFB reduces the AD-like symptoms.