皮膚癢的原因，除了皮膚本身的疾病之外（如濕疹），還有一部分是因為皮膚附近的神經末梢受到某些化學物質刺激所致，而這些化學物質的產生有些與敏有關，有些則是由慢性病所引發。

而根據日本富山大學的研究顯示，給予小鼠口服靈芝甲醇萃取物（10～1000mg/kg），對於5-羥色胺（5-HT）、α-甲基-5-羟色胺（α-Methyl-5-HT）和SLIGRL-NH(2)等非組織胺物質誘發的急性劇烈搔癢，有很好的止癢效果──小鼠的搔抓行為明顯減少，且效果與劑量成正比。

與上述致癢物質有關的皮膚癢包括: 蕁麻疹、膽汁鬱積或尿毒症引起的搔癢症等等。研究者認為，靈芝甲醇萃取物作用的受體，應該與5-羥色胺等三種化學物質相同，所以才有止癢效果。

（以上文章原刊登於49期《健康靈芝》雜誌）4496

Biol Pharm Bull. 2010;33(5):909-11.
Inhibitory effect of methanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum on acute itch-associated responses in mice.
Zhang Q, Andoh T, Konno M, Lee JB, Hattori M, Kuraishi Y.
Source
Department of Applied Pharmacology, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0914, Japan.

Abstract
In this study, the antipruritic effect of the methanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum (MEGL) was studied in mice. Oral administration of MEGL (10-1000 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent inhibition of scratching, an itch-related response, induced by intradermal 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) (100 nmol/site), alpha-methyl-5-HT (100 nmol/site), and proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR(2))-activating peptide SLIGRL-NH(2) (50 nmol/site). However, MEGL (100-1000 mg/kg) did not inhibit the scratching induced by histamine (100 nmol/site), substance P (100 nmol/site), and compound 48/80 (10 microg/site). These results raise the possibility that MEGL is effective against pruritus mediated by proteinases and 5-HT and that primary afferents expressing PAR(2) and 5-HT(2A) receptors are the sites of its action.

［資料來源］Zhang Q, et al.: Inhibitory effect of methanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum on acute itch-associated responses in mice. Biol Pharm Bull. 2010;33(5):909-11.

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