An Altered Skin and Gut Microbiota Are Involved in the Modulation of Itch in Atopic Dermatitis.

Skin and gut microbiota play an important role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). An alteration of the microbiota diversity modulates the development and course of AD, e.g.

The Pathology of Type 2 Inflammation-Associated Itch in Atopic Dermatitis.

Accumulated evidence on type 2 inflammation-associated itch in atopic dermatitis has recently been reported. Crosstalk between the immune and nervous systems (neuroimmune interactions) is prominent in atopic dermatitis research, particularly regarding itch and inflammation. A comprehensive understanding of bidirectional neuroimmune interactions will provide insights into the pathogenesis of itch and its treatment.

Regulatory T Cells Exhibit Interleukin-33-Dependent Migratory Behavior during Skin Barrier Disruption.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress immune responses and maintain immunological self-tolerance and homeostasis. We currently investigated relationships between skin barrier condition and Treg behavior using skin barrier-disrupted mice. Skin barrier disruption was induced by repeated topical application of 4% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on mice.

Calcium-Inducible MAPK/AP-1 Signaling Drives Semaphorin 3A Expression in Normal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes.

Epidermal keratinocytes are primarily involved in the expression of semaphorin (Sema) 3A, which is involved in the regulation of cutaneous innervation. However, the mechanisms underlying the intracellular signaling of Sema3A expression in keratinocytes remain unknown. We herein investigated the signaling mechanisms for the induction of Sema3A expression in normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs).

Mechanisms and Management of Itch in Dry Skin.

Chronic itch is a burdensome clinical problem that often accompanies pathological dry skin-based conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, and systemic disorders, such as kidney diseases, with an unclear pathomechanism and treatments. One of the basic mouse models to investigate mechanisms of itch associated with dry skin is a mixture of acetone and ether followed by water. Animal studies using the acetone and ether followed by water model have revealed that many mediators and receptors, e.

Involvement of NADPH oxidase 1 in UVB-induced cell signaling and cytotoxicity in human keratinocytes.

Members of NADPH oxidase (Nox) enzyme family are important sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and are known to be involved in several physiological functions in response to various stimuli including UV irradiation. UVB-induced ROS have been associated with inflammation, cytotoxicity, cell death, or DNA damage in human keratinocytes. However, the source and the role of UVB-induced ROS remain undefined.

Acidification of stratum corneum prevents the progression from atopic dermatitis to respiratory allergy.

The presence of congenitally impaired skin barrier followed by atopic dermatitis (AD) is an initial step in the atopic march. The maintenance of acidic pH in the stratum corneum (SC) has been suggested as a therapeutic or preventive strategy for barrier impairment caused by skin inflammation. To determine whether an AD murine model, flaky tail mice, with inherited filaggrin deficiency could develop airway inflammation by repeated topical application followed by nasal inhalation of house dust mite (HDM) antigen (defined as a novel "atopic march animal model"), and whether maintenance of an acidic SC environment by continuous application of acidic cream could interrupt the following atopic march.

Aquaporin-9 facilitates membrane transport of hydrogen peroxide in mammalian cells.

Aquaporin (AQP) 9, a member of the transmembrane water channel family, is defined as a water/glycerol transporting protein. Some AQPs including AQP3 and AQP8 have been recently found to transport hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Here we show that AQP9 facilitates the membrane transport of H2O2 in human and mice cells.

Aquaporin-9-expressing neutrophils are required for the establishment of contact hypersensitivity.

Aquaporin-9 (AQP9), a water/glycerol channel protein, is expressed in several immune cells including neutrophils; however, its role in immune response remains unknown. Here we show the involvement of AQP9 in hapten-induced contact hypersensitivity (CHS), as a murine model of skin allergic contact dermatitis, using AQP9 knockout (AQP9(-/-)) mice. First, the CHS response to hapten dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) was impaired in AQP9(-/-) mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice.

Hepatic stellate cells relay inflammation signaling from sinusoids to parenchyma in mouse models of immune-mediated hepatitis.

Unlabelled: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) constitute the liver sinusoid with Kupffer cells and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. While the sinusoid functions as the gateway to liver inflammation, whether HSCs contribute to liver inflammation and, if so, how they exert such functions remain elusive. Here, we found that mouse as well as human HSCs expressed DP1 receptor for prostaglandin D2 selectively in the liver.

IL-17A as an inducer for Th2 immune responses in murine atopic dermatitis models.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is generally regarded as a type 2 helper T (Th2)-mediated inflammatory skin disease. Although the number of IL-17A-producing cells is increased in the peripheral blood and in acute skin lesion of AD patients, the role of IL-17A in the pathogenesis of AD remains unclear. To clarify this issue, we used murine AD models in an IL-17A-deficient condition.

Protease activity enhances production of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and basophil accumulation in flaky tail mice.

Epidermal barrier abnormality due to filaggrin deficiency is an important predisposing factor in the development of atopic dermatitis (AD). In addition, the expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in keratinocytes (KCs), induced by barrier disruption, can promote type 2 helper T-cell polarization. Protease activity, including protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2), is also known to be involved in epidermal barrier function in AD.

Filaggrin in atopic dermatitis: flaky tail mice as a novel model for developing drug targets in atopic dermatitis.

The barrier abnormality, a loss-of-function mutation in the gene encoding filaggrin (FLG), which is linked to the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD), is a recently discovered but important factor in the pathogenesis of AD. To investigate this issue in greater detail, mice that have a genetic defect (FLG) in barrier function will provide a model of AD closer to the human disease. Flaky tail (Flg(ft)) mice, essentially deficient in filaggrin, recently have been introduced to investigate the role of filaggrin on AD.

Rho-mDia1 pathway is required for adhesion, migration, and T-cell stimulation in dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are essential for the initiation of acquired immune responses through antigen acquisition, migration, maturation, and T-cell stimulation. One of the critical mechanisms in this response is the process actin nucleation and polymerization, which is mediated by several groups of proteins, including mammalian Diaphanous-related formins (mDia). However, the role of mDia in DCs remains unknown.

Prostaglandin I2-IP signaling promotes Th1 differentiation in a mouse model of contact hypersensitivity.

PGI(2), which exerts its actions via its specific Gs-coupled I prostanoid receptor (IP), is known to be present in the lymph nodes, but its roles in acquired cutaneous immune responses remain unclear. To investigate the role of PGI(2)-IP signaling in cutaneous immune responses, we applied IP-deficient (Ptgir(-/-)) mice to contact hypersensitivity as a model of acquired immune response and found that Ptgir(-/-) mice exhibited a significantly decreased contact hypersensitivity response. Lymph node cells from sensitized Ptgir(-/-) mice exhibited decreased IFN-gamma production and a smaller T-bet(+) subset compared with control mice.

Flaky tail mouse denotes human atopic dermatitis in the steady state and by topical application with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract.

The barrier abnormality, a loss-of-function mutation in the gene encoding filaggrin (FLG), which is linked to the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD), is a recently discovered but important factor in the pathogenesis of AD. Flaky tail (Flg(ft)) mice, essentially deficient in filaggrin, have been used to investigate the role of filaggrin on AD. However, the relevancy of Flg(ft) mice to human AD needs to be determined further.