Summary
The use of a lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) to provide evidence of allergic contact dermatitis was investigated. The haptens studied were alantolactone and isoalantolactone, two moderate allergens from Inula helenium L., a decorative and medicinal plant. Only alantolactone showed a significant response in vivo and in vitro in mice sensitized epicutaneously, without using Freund's complete adjuvant. Isoalantolactone did not show any sensitizing capacity in the murine model studied. The comparison of in vitro lymphocyte proliferation and in vivo allergenic capacity showed a good correlation and clearly demonstrates that, of the two sesquiterpene lactones, alantolactone is the better sensitizer.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asherson GL, Ptak W (1968) Contact and delayed hypersensitivity in the mouse. I. Active sensitization and passive transfer. Immunology 15: 405–416
Barbier P, Benezra C (1986) Allergic α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone. Study of the capacity of Β-acetoxy- and Β-hydroxy-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones to induce allergic contact dermatitis in guinea pigs. J Med Chem 29: 868–871
Benezra C, Ducombs G, Sell Y, Foussereau J (1985) Plant contact dermatitis. BC Decker, Toronto Saint-Louis, pp 138–139
Dunn IS, Liberate DJ, Dennick RG, Castagnoli N, Byers VS (1982) A murine model system for contact sensitization to poison oak or ivy urushiol components. Cell Immunol 68: 377–388
Dupuis G, Benezra C, Schlewer G, Stampf JL (1980) Allergic contact dermatitis to α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones. Preparation of alantolactone-protein conjugates and induction of contact sensitivity in the guinea pig by an alantolactone-skin protein conjugate. Mol Immunol 17: 1045–1051
Epstein WL, Reynolds GW, Rodriguez E (1980) Sesquiterpene lactone dermatitis. Cross-sensitivity in costus-sensitized patients. Arch Dermatol 116: 59–60
Fraginals R, Alonso-Blasi N, Lepoittevin JP, Benezra C (1991) A successful murine model for sensitization to natural allergenic sesquiterpene-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones. Sensitization to alantolactone in four strains of mice. J Invest Dermatol 97: 473–477
Gabriel-Robez O, Benezra C, Stampf JL, Schlewer G, Grosshans E (1982) Allergic contact dermatitis to methylenelactones. Use of lymphocyte transformation test. Arch Dermatol Res 272: 73–78
Gad SC, Dunn BJ, Dobbs DW, Reilly C, Walsh RD (1986) Development and validation of an alternative dermal sensitization test: the mouse ear swelling test (MEST). Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 84: 93–114
Kimber I (1989) Aspects of the immune response to contact allergens: opportunities for the development and modification of predictive test methods. Food Chem Toxicol 27: 735–762
Mitchell JC, Dupuis G (1971) Allergic contact dermatitis from sesquiterpenoids of the Compositae family of plants. Br J Dermatol 84: 139–150
Mitchell JC, Fritig B, Singh B, Towers GHN (1970) Allergic contact dermatitis from Frullania and Compositae. The role of sesquiterpene lactones. J Invest Dermatol 54: 233–239
Mitchell JC, Geissman TA, Dupuis G, Towers JC (1971) Allergic contact dermatitis caused by Artemisia and Chrysanthemum species. The role of sesquiterpene lactones. J Invest Dermatol 56: 98–101
Papageorgiou C, Stampf JL, Benezra C (1988) Allergic contact dermatitis to tulips: an example of enantiospecificity. Arch Dermatol Res 280: 5–7
Roberts DW, Williams DL (1982) The derivation of quantitative correlation between skin sensitization and physicochemical parameters for alkylating agents, and their application to ex perimental data for sulfones. J Theor Biol 99: 807–825
Robinson MK (1989) Optimization of an in vitro lymphocyte blastogenesis assay for predictive assessment of immunologic responsiveness to contact sensitizers. J Invest Dermatol 92: 860–867
Schlewer G, Stampf JL, Benezra C (1978) Synthesis of and allergic contact dermatitis to bicyclo-(2,2,1)-heptyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones derived from norbonene and camphene. Can J Biochem 56: 153–157
Schlewer G, Stampf JL, Benezra C (1980) Synthesis of α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones: a structure-activity relationship of their allergenic power. J Med Chem 23: 1031–1038
Stampf JL, Schlewer G, Ducombs G, Foussereau J, Benezra C (1978) Allergic contact dermatitis to sesquiterpene lactones. A comparative study of human and animal sensitivity to α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone derivatives. Br J Dermatol 99: 163–169
Stampf JL, Benezra C, Klecak G, Schulz KH, Hausen BM (1982) The sensitizing capacity of Helenin and of two of its main constituents, the sesquiterpene lactones alantolactone and isoalantolactone: a comparison of epicutaneous and intradermal sensitizing methods in different strains of guinea pig. Contact Dermatitis 8: 16–24
Sullivan S, Bregstresser PR, Streilein JW (1990) Analysis of dose response of trinitrochlorobenzene contact hypersensitivity induction in mice: pretreatment with cyclophosphamide reveals an optimal sensitizing dose. J Invest Dermatol 94: 711–716
Von Blomberg M (1989) Recent advances in contact allergy research. Free University Press, Amsterdam, pp 76–117
Yoshioka H, Mabry TJ, Timmermann BN (1973) Sesquiterpene lactones. Chemistry, NMR and plant distribution. University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, pp 240–241
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
In memory of Prof. C. Benezra and Dr. R. Fraginals accidentally deceased
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alonso Blasi, N., Fraginals, R., Lepoittevin, J.P. et al. A murine in vitro model of allergic contact dermatitis to sesquiterpene α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones. Arch Dermatol Res 284, 297–302 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00372584
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00372584