Figure 3.

Co-sensitization with 0.05% DNFB + GSH QD and 0.05% DNFB + PEI QD. (a) Mice were co-sensitized to either 0.05% DNFB alone or 0.05% DNFB + GSH-QD. Various combinations were tested in the challenge phase. The co-sensitized mice exhibited a normal ear swelling response when challenged with 0.2% DNFB alone which was comparable to the ear swelling levels measured on mice sensitized with only 0.05% DNFB (blue bar, expected swelling response). Mice did not exhibit any ear swelling response to GSH-QD alone indicating that they were not sensitized to GSH-QD. When GSH-QD were combined with 0.2% DNFB in the challenge phase, the ear swelling response was reduced. These mice were sensitized to DNFB, but the combination with the nanoparticle inhibited the ear swelling response in the challenge phase. (b) Mice were co-sensitized to 0.05% DNFB + PEI-QD. They exhibited a normal ear swelling response to both 0.2% DNFB alone and co-challenge with DNFB + PEI-QD indicating that the mice were sensitized to DNFB and that PEI-QD did not suppress the inflammation in the challenge phase. No ear swelling response was observed to mice challenged with PEI-QD alone again indicating that the animals were not sensitized to PEI-QD. Mean ± SEM, *p < 0.05, Student’s 2-tailed t-Test, paired with unequal variances, N = 3–4.