Suppressive effect of glycyrrhizin on murine contact hypersensitivity / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To study the suppressive effect of glycyrrhizin (GL), a Chinese medicine, on DNFB-induced contact hypersensitivity in mice. METHODS: BALB/c mice were divided into 5 groups according to different medication: GL 1 (11 mg/kg) group; GL 2 (22 mg/kg) group; GL 3 (44 mg/kg) group; dexamethasone (DXM, 0.75 mg/kg) group; and normal saline group. For induction of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) to DNFB, mice were sensitized to abdomen and challenged to right ear by epicutaneously DNFB. Each mouse was administrated intraperitoneally on day 1 to day 5 with different medication. The suppression of mice CHS by different medication were evaluated 24 hours after elicited, according to ear thickness difference, ear weight difference and pathological change of challenged ear section. Thymus index and spleen index were calculated to see the effect on mouse immune system to CHS. RESULTS: Compared with normal saline group, the ear thickness difference and ear weight difference were both significantly reduced in GL1, GL2, GL3 and DXM groups (P