Abstract: Objective: To access the effect and possible mechanism of antihistamine ebastine on atopic dermatitis (AD) mouse model induced by 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB). Methods: Eighteen Balb/c female mice aged 6-8 weeks were randomly divided into treatment group, negative control group and blank group. The AD mouse model was prepared by coating DNFB on the back skin of mice, and the mice in the blank group were not treated. After 2 weeks of modeling, the treatment group was given ebastine of concentration of 0.41 mg/mL, 0.2mL, by gavage, once a day, and the negative control group was given the same amount of normal saline. After 2 weeks of administration, the changes of body weight, skin lesion and scratching behavior of mice were assessed, the thickness of skin lesions and the number of eosinophils were observed by HE staining, and the level of serum interleukin-4 (IL-4) was detected by ELISA. Results: Typical AD lesions such as erythema, edema, exudation, crust and skin thickening appeared in the back skin of the model mice. The weight of mice in the treatment group and the blank group increased after the experiment (P<0.05), but there was no significant change in the negative control group (P>0.05). Compared with the negative control group, there was no significant difference in the score of skin lesion in the treatment group before treatment (P>0.05). After treatment, the score of skin lesion in the treatment group decreased significantly (P<0.05). In addition, the scratching times, epidermal thickness, eosinophil number and serum IL-4 in the treatment group were lower than those in the negative control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Ebastine has certain therapeutic effect on AD mouse model, which may through inhibiting Th2 immune response in vivo.

Key words: atopic dermatitis, ebastine, antihistamine