Effect of Brine Mineral Water on TMA-Induced Contact Hypersensitivity Reaction in the Mouse Model

Abstract Effect of brine mineral water(BMW) on contact hypersensitivity reaction(CHR) was estimated using trimellitic anhydride (TMA) induced CHR in the mouse. BMW exhibited potent inhibitory activity on TMA induced CHR. BMW treatment suppressed the ear swelling, and attenuated hyper-activated lymph nodes stimulated by TMA challenge, thereby reduced their weight. The immunological index was analyzed after BMW administration in CHR. The level of serum IgE was significantly down regulated after BMW treatment. Furthermore, BMW showed inhibitory property of cytokine production. BMW treatment suppressed not only Th2 type cytokine, IL-4 but also pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6. From the histological analysis, the inflammatory context appeared by atopic dermatitis lesion after challenging with TMA are diminished by BMW treatment. Our results suggest that BMW may attenuate the development of CHR, and can be available for functional ingredient.Key words: brine mineral water, contact hypersensitivity reaction, TMA, cytokine.