Itch: Role of Prostaglandins

Abstract

Prostaglandin Ex lowers the threshold of human skin to histamine-evoked itching. Though histamine and other mediators may produce itching by a direct action, itching in inflamed skin can also be explained by a pharmacological synergism in which low concentrations of prostaglandins, which do not themselves cause itching, potentiate itching due to histamine and possibly other agents. Alteration of threshold responses of components of inflammation to other mediators may be an important general role of prostaglandins. © 1973, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.