Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Biomedical Science

Sub-Department

School of Medicine

First Advisor

Carole A. Oskeritzian

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis is a type of eczema characterized by chronic inflammation of the skin, affecting millions of people worldwide. Resveratrol, a naturally occurring stilbenoid, is widely believed to exhibit beneficial effects on a host of chronic diseases. Although some previous studies have aimed to evaluate the effects of resveratrol on the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, this relationship remains ill-defined. We have previously established that mast cell activation, remodeling, and cellular infiltration in the hypodermis all begin prior to the IgE-mediated immune response in an atopic dermatitis mouse model, and that this early pathogenesis is directly related to an increase in local levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate. We have found novel evidence that treatment with transdermal resveratrol attenuates mast cell activation, perivascular cell infiltration, thickening of the epidermis, and inflammatory chemokines relevant to early-phase atopic dermatitis. We are currently evaluating the effect of resveratrol on local levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate and the activity of sphingosine kinase 1, the major enzyme responsible for its production. The results we have obtained thus far support our hypothesis that resveratrol can attenuate the development of atopic dermatitis, enabling future investigation of its efficacy as a treatment for the disease. We also intend to use these results as a gauge to evaluate the effects of other related compounds on the development of atopic dermatitis.

Rights

© 2018, Christopher Carlucci

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