Journal Article

Attenuation of Allergic Contact Dermatitis Through the Endocannabinoid System

Buettner, Reinhard, Di Marzo, Vincenzo, Wang-Eckhardt, Lihua, Karsak, Meliha, Date, Rahul, Tüting, Thomas, Schlicker, Eberhard, Steuder, Regina, Gaffal, Evelyn, Zimmer, Andreas, Petrosino, Stefania, Starowicz, Katarzyna, Werner, Sabine, Cravatt, Benjamin, Rehnelt, Jennifer, Mechoulam, Raphael

2007

Overview

Allergic contact dermatitis affects about 5% of men and 11% of women in industrialized countries and is one of the leading causes for occupational diseases. In an animal model for cutaneous contact hypersensitivity, we show that mice lacking both known cannabinoid receptors display exacerbated allergic inflammation. In contrast, fatty acid amide hydrolase-deficient mice, which have increased levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide, displayed reduced allergic responses in the skin. Cannabinoid receptor antagonists exacerbated allergic inflammation, whereas receptor agonists attenuated inflammation. These results demonstrate a protective role of the endocannabinoid system in contact allergy in the skin and suggest a target for therapeutic intervention.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science,The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Agonists / Allergic contact dermatitis / Allergic diseases / Allergies / Animal diseases / Animal models / Animals / antagonists / Arachidonic Acids - metabolism / Biological and medical sciences / Bornanes - administration & dosage / Bornanes - pharmacology / Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators - physiology / Cannabinoid receptors / Cannabinoids - administration & dosage / Cannabinoids - pharmacology / Chemokines - physiology / Contact dermatitis / Dermatitis, Allergic Contact - pathology / Dermatitis, Allergic Contact - physiopathology / developed countries / Dinitrofluorobenzene / Disease Models, Animal / Down-Regulation / Dronabinol - administration & dosage / Dronabinol - pharmacology / Endocannabinoids / fatty acids / Female / Glycerides - metabolism / Hypersensitivity / Immunopathology / Inflammation / Inflammatory diseases / Medical sciences / men / Mice / Mice, Inbred C57BL / Mice, Knockout / Neurosciences / Occupational diseases / Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Piperidines - administration & dosage / Piperidines - pharmacology / Polyunsaturated Alkamides - metabolism / protective effect / Pyrazoles - administration & dosage / Pyrazoles - pharmacology / Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 - agonists / Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 - antagonists & inhibitors / Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 - genetics / Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 - physiology / Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 - agonists / Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 - antagonists & inhibitors / Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 - genetics / Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 - physiology / Receptors / Rodents / Skin / Skin - metabolism / Skin - pathology / Skin allergic diseases. Stinging insect allergies / Skin diseases / Swelling / Up-Regulation / women