Relationships of pain-causing substances with dry skin and effects of zaltoprofen on alleviation of symptoms in arthritis model mice

Abstract

Purpose: Skin dryness is a symptom of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the mechanisms through which dry skin is induced in RA are unclear. Accordingly, in this study, we characterized substances related to pruritus and pain and then evaluated whether oral administration of zaltoprofen (ZLT) alleviated the symptom of dry skin induced by RA in model mice.

Material and Methods: DBA/1JJmsSlc collagen-induced arthritis model mice were treated with ZLT, and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), capacitance, and inflammation-, pruritus-, and pain-related markers were assessed.

Results: Our findings demonstrated that arthritis model mice treated with ZLT exhibited suppression of increases in TEWL and decreases in capacitance. Furthermore, ZLT also blocked the increase in mast cell numbers, substance P expression, and cyclo-oxygenase-2 expression in the skin and prevented enhancement of plasma levels of thymic stromal lymphopoietin, tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, histamine, and bradykinin. No changes in plasma levels of corticosterone or reactive oxygen species or skin levels of glucocorticoid receptor were observed in ZLT-treated arthritis model mice.

Conclusions: Overall, these findings suggested that patients with RA may benefit from biopharmacy to alleviate joint symptoms and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief and alleviation of skin symptoms.

Keywords:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• skin dryness
• zaltoprofen

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number 18K06082).