2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
The neurosteroid allopregnanolone as a new target for treatment of itch in atopic dermatitis
Project/Area Number |
25870894
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Research Field |
Pharmacology in pharmacy
Pain science
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Research Institution | Kyoto Pharmaceutical University |
Principal Investigator |
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Project Period (FY) |
2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
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Keywords | 痒み / 脳ニューロステロイド / アトピー性皮膚炎 |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
This study aimed to clarify the relation between the neurosteroid allopregnanolone (ALLO) and itch in atopic dermatitis (AD), and to provide a new therapeutic target for AD itch. ALLO administration significantly increased scratching behavior in AD model mice, but not in normal ones. Pharmacological analysis showed that GABAA receptor activation in the brain contributes to ALLO-induced scratching in AD mice. It has been reported that ethanol increases ALLO in the brain. Pretreatment with a synthetic inhibitor of ALLO, finasteride, suppressed ethanol-induced scratching in AD mice. Therefore, our findings indicate that endogenously produced ALLO may be involved in itch under AD conditions.
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Free Research Field |
薬理系薬学/疼痛学
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