• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.357-364
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• 2006

This study was undertaken to develop a reliable mice model demonstrating similar immunologic phenomena as human atopic dermatitis characterized with predominance of type-2 immune response. BALB/C mice and NC/Nga mice were sensitized twice with $100{\mu}l$ of 1% 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) or vehicle (acetone : olive oil=4:1 mixture) in a week and challenged twice with $100{\mu}l$ of 0.2% DNCB or the vehicle at the following week. Mice were sacrificed at 19 days following the second DNCB or vehicle challenge for NC/Nga mice and at 28 days following the second DNCB or vehicle challenge for BALB/c mice. Upregulation of plasma 1gE, a hallmark of atopic dermatitis occurrence, was evident in the plasma obtained 4 day after the second DNCB challenge from BALB/c mice (approximately 4-fold) and NC/Nga mice (approximately 6-fold) treated with DNCB in comparison with that of the vehicle treated-control mice, and remain higher $3{\sim}4$ week after the second challenge. Ratio of plasma IgG1 versus IgG2a concentration was significantly higher in the mice treated with DNCB than the control mice, which also implies the skewed type-2 reactivity in vivo. Ratio of interleukin-4 versus interferon gamma produced in the splenic T cell culture supernatants was approximately 3-fold higher in the both strains of mice treated with DNCB than their control mice, respectively. The DNCB-treated mice demonstrated atopic dermatitis-like skin legions characterized with erythma, scaling, and hemorrhage, which was not observed with the control mice. Scratching on face or dorsal area was significantly more frequent (approximately 25-fold) in the DNCB-treated mice than the control at next day of the second DNCB challenge, and scratching frequency remains higher (approximately 4-fold) in the mice treated with DNCB than the control at 14 day following the second DNCB challenge. Overall, the mice model developed through sensitization and challenge with DNCB may be useful for research on atopic dermatitis and development of treatment materials for atopic dermatitis.