الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 269 |  |  |
| | | from | 269 | | |
Abstract
Background: Psoriasis is one of the most researched skin diseases, although several psoriasis treatment modalities existed, management of psoriasis remained to be a challenging point in clinical medicine. Corticosteroids including clobetasol propionate are the most commonly used topical therapies for treatment of psoriasis. Nigella sativa oil is frequently used in traditional medicine due to its many therapeutic benefits. The current study aimed to assess the effect of Nigella sativa oil versus clobetasol propionate on imiquimod induced model of psoriasis in thin skin of adult male mice.
Materials & methods: The current study included 35 male albino mice, that were divided into four groups: group I (Control, n=15) mice were equally subdivided into: Subgroup IA (Negative Control), Subgroup IB which received Nigella sativa oil orally, and Subgroup IC which received topical clobetasol propionate cream. group II (Psoriasis model) (n=10) mice were equally divided into two subgroups; Subgroup IIA and Subgroup IIB, in which each mouse received a daily topical dose of imiquimod cream on the shaved back skin for seven days and fourteen days respectively. group III and group IV (each, n=5), in which each mouse received a daily topical dose of imiquimod cream as in subgroup IIB, in addition group III received Nigella sativa oil orally, however group IV received topical clobetasol propionate cream once daily for seven days, then animals were sacrificed on day fifteen. After scarification of mice under anesthesia, thin skin specimens were processed for the appropriate histological, immunohistochemical techniques, morphometric analysis, and statistical studies.
Results: Imiquimod application induced apparent increased epidermal thickness, apparently elongated epidermal rete ridges together with apparent thickening, and parakeratosis in stratum corneum. Stratum granulosum cells showed apparent increase in the content of the keratohyalin granules; however, the granular cells were ill defined as compared to control group. Moreover, wide intercellular spaces with disruption of desmosomes between keratinocytes that showed decrease content of tonofilaments, vacuolation inside the cytoplasm, and nuclear changes were present. Abundant infiltrates of inflammatory cells were observed along with congested dilated blood vessels and significant decrease in the number of hair follicles with apparent increased content of thick collagen bundles in the dermis. However, the oral use of Nigella sativa oil (group III) and the topical application of clobetasol propionate cream (group IV) both obviously improved imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like inflammation. The mean total epidermal thickness, the mean PCNA area percentage and mean optical density of both groups III and IV showed statistically significant decrease (p<0.05) as compared to both subgroups IIA and IIB. Nigella sativa oil markedly improved psoriasis without any apparent side effects. On the other hand, clobetasol propionate cream resulted in some side effects that affected both the epidermis and the dermis of the skin of mice.
Conclusion: Oral intake of Nigella sativa has a safer antipsoriatic activity and could be even more beneficial in the treatment of mild to moderate cases of psoriasis than the topical application of clobetasol propionate cream.