Characterizations of sphingosylphosphorylcholine-induced scratching responses in ICR mice using naltrexon, capsaicin, ketotifen and Y-27632

Hyoung June Kim, Hyuk Kim, Eun Sil Han, Sun Mi Park, Jae Young Koh, Kwang Mi Kim, Min Soo Noh, Jung Ju Kim, Chang Hoon Lee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) is upregulated in the stratum corneum of atopic dermatitis patients by sphingomyelin deacylase. We conducted an investigation, both to confirm that intradermal injection of SPC elicits scratching in mice, and to elucidate the detailed mechanism of the SPC-induced itch-scratch response. Intradermal administration of SPC increased the incidence of scratching behavior in a dose-dependent manner. SPC-induced scratching could be suppressed, significantly, by the μ-opoid receptor antagonist, naltrexon, the vaniloid receptor agonist, capsaicin, and the histamine H1 receptor antagonist ketotifen. d-erythro SPC, one of the SPC stereotypes, could elicit the scratch response, but not l-threo SPC. Y-27632 (1 mg/kg, an inhibitor of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK)), was found to suppress SPC-induced scratching. Both the stereospecificity of SPC and the involvement of the Rho/ROCK pathway suggested that SPC-induced scratching is related to the receptor.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)92-96
Number of pages5
JournalEuropean Journal of Pharmacology
Volume583
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 31 Mar 2008

Keywords

  • d-erythro SPC
  • Itch
  • Rho-associated protein kinase
  • Scratching
  • SPC [sphingosylphosphorylcholine]

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