Cyclosporine and murine allergic contact dermatitis.

Cyclosporine is a new antilymphocytic, immunosuppressive agent currently being used primarily in experimental and human organ transplantation. The current study evaluated the effect of systemically administered cyclosporine on a cutaneous T-cell-mediated disorder by using the murine model of allergic contact dermatitis to dinitrofluorobenzene. Cyclosporine was found to significantly inhibit the ear swelling response, whether the drug was given during the early sensitization period or at the time of antigenic challenge to fully sensitized mice. This suppressive effect was reversible when mice were rechallenged with dinitrofluorobenzene 96 hours after the first challenge. Cyclosporine was not effective if given to sensitized animals as late as six hours after challenge. Lastly, the observed inhibition of the ear swelling response to cyclosporine closely paralleled a diminished degree of inflammation seen histopathologically.