Reactive nitrogen species formation in eosinophils and imbalance in nitric oxide metabolism are involved in atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice.

Nitric oxide (NO) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. However, the involvement of NO and RNS in atopic dermatitis (AD), a pruritic inflammatory skin diseases, is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the contribution of NO and RNS to the development of AD-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice, an animal model for human AD. AD-like skin lesions were observed in NC/Nga mice kept under conventional conditions but not in specific pathogen-free conditions. The expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) proteins was upregulated in the dermal lesions, and that of neuronal NOS (nNOS) was downregulated in the epidermal lesions of the skin. Although the concentrations of NO2(-) and NO3(-) were lower, protein-bound nitrotyrosine content was significantly increased in the skin lesions. Immunohistochemical localization of nitrotyrosine was observed in almost all eosinophils. These results suggest that RNS formation in eosinophils and imbalance of NO metabolism are involved in the pathogenesis of AD-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice.