• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.314-319
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• 2012

Itching is one of the major diagnostic criteria of atopic dermatitis (AD) and one of its most troublesome symptoms that provokes the desire to scratch. Effective control of itching is believed to be one of the basic approaches in controlling AD. The purpose of this study was undertaken to investigate the antipruritic effect of ethanol extracts from Perillae Japonicae Semen leaves (PJSL) and Chaenomelis Fructus (CF) on the scratching behavior induced by pruritogen such as compound 48/80 or substance P in hairless mice. PJSL or CF treatment inhibited histamine release in HMC-1 stimulated compound 48/80 or substance P in a dose-dependant manner. In particularly, co-treatment PJSL ($50{\mu}g/mL$) plus CF ($100{\mu}g/mL$) significantly inhibited histamine release in HMC-1 stimulated compound 48/80 or substance P. PJSL, CF or PJSL plus CF was administered orally for 2 h and then compound 48/80 ($50{\mu}g/site$) or substance P ($100{\mu}g/site$) was injected into rostral back, and scratching of the injected site by the hind paw was counted for 1 h. PJSL or CF administration reduced the scratching behavior induced by compound 48/80 as well as substance P in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, co-administration of PJSL and CF markedly suppressed the scratching behavior induced by compound 48/80 as well as substance P. These suppressive effects were synergistically increased by their combination. From the preliminary observations, we considered that ethanol extracts from PJSL and CF could be an effective natural materials for itching treatment.