Vitamin E ointment at high dose levels suppresses contact dermatitis in rats by stabilizing keratinocytes

Abstract:

Objective: The pharmacological effect of vitamin E ointment at high dose levels was investigated in rats and mice during the development of contact dermatitis. ¶Materials and methods: Allergic or irritant contact dermatitis was induced in sensitized or unsensitized animals by topical application of chemical agent(s). Cultured keratinocytes were prepared from dorsal skin of rats. ¶Results: The vitamin E ointment at 20–40 % suppressed allergic and irritant contact dermatitis, exerting a comparable effect to that of 0.5 % prednisolone ointment. Microscopic findings revealed that 20 % vitamin E ointment reduced the keratinocyte damage, whereas 0.5 % prednisolone was ineffective. The protective action of vitamin E on keratinocyte damage was also confirmed in a cell culture experiment. Furthermore, 20 % vitamin E ointment blocked down-regulation of skin barrier function induced by contact dermatitis, although 0.5 % prednisolone ointment was inactive. ¶Conclusions: These results indicate that 20 % vitamin E ointment suppresses contact dermatitis by stabilizing keratinocytes, concomitantly with novel, interesting properties.