RESUMO
AIM OF THE STUDY: Chelidonium majus (CM) has traditionally been used for treatment of various inflammatory diseases including atopic dermatitis (AD). However its action on atopic dermatitis (AD) is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effect of CM on AD using NC/Nga mice as an AD model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effect of CM on 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB) induced NC/Nga mice was evaluated by examining skin symptom severity, itching behavior, ear thickness, levels of serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interlukin-4 (IL-4), skin histology. RESULTS: The CM significantly reduced the total clinical severity score, itching behavior, ear thickness and the level of serum IgE in AD mouse model. CM not only decreased TNF-α but also IL-4. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that CM may be a potential therapeutic modality for AD.