Effect of local acupuncture on monobenzone-induced vitiligo-like depigmentation in mice

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the effect of injuries on monobenzone-induced vitiligo-like depigmentation in mice.Methods Forty C57BL/6 mice were randomly and equally divided into four groups:negative control group topically treated with vaseline cream,model group induced by topical monobenzone (40％) cream,acupuncture group receiving acupuncture treatment (15 times) once every three days,and acupuncture combined with monobenzone group receiving both monobenzone induction and acupuncture treatment.The treatment lasted 50 days and mice were sacrificed 15 days after the end of treatment.Hair decolorization was observed with naked eyes,and skin decolorization with reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) on a daily basis.Tissue specimens were obtained from depigmented skin at monobenzone-uninduced sites,and subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining for the cvaluation of lymphocytic infiltration as well as immunofluorescence staining for the detection of CD8+ T cell expression.Statistical analysis was done by t test.Results Varying degrees of depigmentation were observed in both monobenzone-induced and-uninduced sites in both the model group and acupuncture combined with monobenzone group,and the latter group showed earlier,larger and more stable depigmentation than the former group.At 15 days after the end of treatment,the decolorization area index in the model group and acupuncture combined with monobenzone group was 3.45 ± 0.17 and 3.90 ± 0.25 at monobenzone-induced sites respectively(t =7.433,P ＜ 0.05),1.90-± 0.12 and 2.85 ± 0.27 at monobenzone-uninduced sites respectively (t =7.529,P ＜ 0.05).Significant differences were observed in the fluorescence intensity of CD8 + T cells at monobenzone-uninduced depigmented sites between the model group and acupuncture combined with monobenzone group (175.528 ± 10.711 vs.645.928 ± 12.652,t =8.105,P ＜ 0.05),and there was a more evident infiltrate with lymphocytes and CD8+T cells in the monobenzone-uninduced depigmented sites in the acupuncture combined with monobenzone group.Conclusion Local destruction of skin barrier may promote monobenzone-induced vitiligo-like decolorization in mice. Key words: Monobenzone; Acupuncture; Vitiligo; Models, animal