Decreased innervation of eczematous skin in NC/Nga atopic mice during chronic mild stress

Abstract

Background and aim: A connection between chronic mild stress and altered innervation in the skin of an atopic mouse strain, NC/Nga, was studied.

Material and methods: We used three groups of mice, stressed control (SC, stressed but not immunized with a mite antigen), non-stressed eczematous (NSE, not stressed but immunized) and stressed eczematous (SE, stressed and immunized).

Results: There was a decrease of protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 positive nerve fibers in SE compared to SC mice, in both epidermis and dermis, also in SE compared to NSE mice. Also a decrease in growth associated protein (GAP)-43 positive nerve fibers was seen in SE compared to SC, in both epidermis and dermis.

Conclusion: Chronic mild stress in atopic mice leads to decreased innervation in eczematous lesions.

Keywords:

• Stress
• atopic eczema
• innervation
• PGP 9.5
• GAP-43

Acknowledgements

The technical assistance of Anna-Lena Kastman is gratefully acknowledged.

Declaration of interest: The present study was supported by grants from the Welander/Finsen Foundation and Karolinska Institutet.The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.