The untreated leprosy skin takes on a waxy appearance & feel full. Thickening is most marked over the face, which starts to devolp into folds, hanging down to produce the classical lion-like facies. The deep folds in disease state change to the numerous compacted shallow wrinkle with less elasticity of the skin. To correct these wrinkles of the patients healed from the leprosy, we tried the stone-VK formula application to the 14 patients, who are men 10 & women 4 in the age distribution of 55~78 years old. The use of the phenol & croton oil chemical peeling this method is more effective than other chemical & conventional surgical method to remove facial wrinkle. We need more experience of this peeling. In preliminaxy report, our superior results in removing facial wrinkle is presented.
Age Distribution ; Croton Oil ; Elasticity ; Facies ; Female ; Humans ; Leprosy* ; Male ; Phenol* ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Langerhans cells (LC), keratinocytes and Thy-1+ dendritic epidermal cells(DEC) are epidermal cells which are known to have important roles in inflammatory or immunologic skin disorders. Allergic contact dermatitis(ACD) is a prototype of a delayed hypersensitive reaction in which LC, keratinocytes and T lymphocytes play an important role. The role of LC in ACD is well known, but the role of Thy-1+ DEC is not yet fully revealed. Futhermore, the mechanism of irritant contact dermatitis(ICD) is not known and more study is required on the interaction between these epidermal cells in ICD. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to observe the changes of these cells in ACD and ICD and to discuss their possible roles in the disease precess. MEHTODS: We evoked ACD with DNFB and ICD with croton oil in BALB/c mice and observed the morphologic changes of LC, Ia+ keratinocytes, and Thy-1+ DEC by immunoperoxidase staining when the inflammation was at its peak and at the resolution state. RESULTS: 1. In the control group, LC were evenly distributed and their average number was 1147+/-132/mm*. Thy-1+ DEC were slightly bigger than LC and showed uneven distribution. The average number of Thy-1+ DEC was 57+/-69/mm* Ia+ keratinocytes did not appeared. 2. On the 1st day of DNFB challenge, the number of LC was significantly decreased and their size and dendritic processes were increased when compared to those of the control group. Most of the keratinocytes showed Ia antigen expression on their surfaces. 3. On the 12th day of DNFB challenge, no significant changes in the number and morphologyof LC were noted when compared to the cotrol group, Ia+ keratinocytes were not observed. 4. there were no significant changes in the number and morphology of Thy-1+ DEC in ACD on the 1st and 12th day after DNFB challenge. 5. On the 2nd day after croton oil application, the number of LC was significantly decreased but the morphology not significantly changed. Ia+ keratinocytes were not observed. 6. On the 20th day after croton oil application, the number of LC was significantly increased but the morphology was not significantly changed. Ia+ keratinocytes were not observed. 7. There were no significant changes in th number and morphology of Thy-1+ DEC in ICD on the 2nd and 20th day after application of croton oil. Ia+ keratinocytes were not observed. CONCLUSION: In can be deduced that the LC have important roles in the mechanisms of both ACD and ICD reactions. Ia+ keratinocytes have an important role mainlyin the inflammatory precess of ACD. In addition, since the changes of the number of Langerhans cells in ACD and ICD showed different time courses and Ia+ keratinocytes appeared only in ACD, we hypothesized that different pathways of inflammation exist in ACD and ICD, and different cytokines may be responsible. It is probable that Thy-1+ DEC does not have any significant role in the inflammatory process of both ACD and ICD.
Animals ; Croton Oil ; Cytokines ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Dinitrofluorobenzene ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II ; Inflammation ; Keratinocytes ; Langerhans Cells ; Mice ; Skin ; T-Lymphocytes

AIMTo investigate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in mouse ears induced with croton oil and the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone, indomethacin and resveratrol on MMP-9 expression, and further explore the relationship between anti-inflammation and MMP-9 inhibition of these three medicines.

METHODSImmuno-histochemistry was used to detect the expression of MMP-9 in mouse ears. Expression of MMP-9 in U937 cells was analyzed by gelatin zymography.

RESULTSMouse ear edema induced with croton oil was inhibited significantly by dexamethasone and indomethacin at the dose of 10 mg.kg-1 and resveratrol at 50 mg.kg-1 administered subcutaneously. The inhibitory rate was 76.2% (P < 0.001), 56.7% (P < 0.001) and 36.9% (P < 0.001) respectively. The MMP-9 expression increased in mouse ears induced with croton oil and inhibited by dexamethasone, indomethacin and resveratrol at above doses. Gelatin zymography results showed that MMP-9 expression in U937 cells increased significantly after exposed to PMA at 1 x 10(-8) mol.L-1 (P < 0.001); MMP-9 expression induced with phorbol myristate acetate(PMA) was inhibited by dexamethasone at 1 x 10(-9), 1 x 10(-7) and 1 x 10(-5) mol.L-1, indomethacin at 1 x 10(-6) and 1 x 10(-5) mol.L-1 and resveratrol at 1 x 10(-6) and 1 x 10(-5) mol.L-1.

CONCLUSIONThe inhibition of MMP-9 expression may be one of the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of dexamethasone, indomethacin and resveratrol.

Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Croton Oil ; Dexamethasone ; pharmacology ; Ear Diseases ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Edema ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Humans ; Indomethacin ; pharmacology ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Random Allocation ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology ; U937 Cells ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo search the anti-inflammatory fraction of Albizia julibrissin.

METHODInflammatory model of Kunming mice ear edema induced by croton oil and determination combined with the LC-MS-MS-guided fractionation and isolation were used.

RESULTThe n-butanol fraction (AJ-B) obtained from the ethanolic extract of the Cortex albiziae was the major active fraction. The lignan glycosides fraction (AJ-B-1), which was further isolated from AJ-B, showed significant anti-inflammatory activity and exhibited dose-dependent relationship in the dose of 5 to 20 mg x kg(-1).

CONCLUSIONThe method of bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation combined with the LC-MS-MS determination may be of benefit to the logical studies on the bioactive fractions or constituents of traditional Chinese materia medica.

Albizzia ; chemistry ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Biological Assay ; methods ; Butanols ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Croton Oil ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Edema ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Glycosides ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Lignans ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Mice ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Bark ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods