RESUMO
The present study examined the efficacy of the topical 15dPGJ2poloxamer 407 hydrogel in an atopic dermatitis (AD) animal model. The 15dPGJ2 hydrogel was prepared and characterized. The examined rats possessed ADLike cutaneous lesions, which were induced using 2,4dinitrochlorobenzene, the rats were then treated with a hydrogel vehicle, 15dPGJ2 hydrogel or tacrolimus for 14 days. The rats were sacrificed and blood samples were collected to quantify the IgE levels. Subsequently, skin biopsies were stained with toluidine blue to identify mast cells and immunohistochemistry was performed for RORγt and TNFα. Histological analyses demonstrated that 15dPGJ2 hydrogel significantly decreased mast cell infiltration (P<0.05) when compared with the ADgroup. Tacrolimus at 0.1% exhibited decreased mast cell infiltration; however, this difference was not statistically significant from the ADgroup. Topical 15dPGJ2 hydrogel and Tacrolimus 0.1% significantly reduced the serum levels of IgE (P<0.05) compared with the ADgroup. Immunohistochemistry revealed a significant decrease in RORγt and TNFα positive cell expression (P<0.05) in the 15dPGJ2 hydrogel group compared with the ADgroup. In summary, topical administration of 15dPGJ2 hydrogel had a beneficial effect on AD symptoms, suggesting that this formulation may be a useful strategy for the treatment of AD.