Therapeutic effects of rosmarinic acid on airway responses in a murine model of asthma.

Abstract

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is an active component of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Previously, we reported that RA exerted a strong anti-inflammatory effect in a mouse acute lung injury model. Therefore, we hypothesized that RA might also have potential therapeutic effects in a murine model of asthma. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the anti-asthmatic activity of RA and explored its possible molecular mechanisms of action. Female BALB/c mice that had been sensitized to and challenged with ovalbumin (Ova) were treated with RA (20mg/kg) 1h after challenge. The results showed that RA greatly diminished the number of inflammatory cells and the production of Th2 cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF); significantly reduced the secretion of total IgE, Ova-specific IgE, and eotaxin; and markedly ameliorated airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) compared with Ova-induced mice. Histological studies further revealed that RA substantially decreased inflammatory cells infiltration and mucus hypersecretion compared with Ova-induced mice. Moreover, our results suggested that the protective effects of RA were mediated by the inhibition of JNK and p38 MAPK phosphorylation and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. Furthermore, RA treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the mRNA expression of AMCase, CCL11, CCR3, Ym2 and E-selectin in lung tissue. These findings suggest that RA may effectively delay the development of airway inflammation and could thus be used as a therapy for allergic asthma.

• Authors: Zhengmin Liang, Haiying Nie, Yangfeng Xu, Jianbo Peng, Yun Zeng, Yingyi Wei, Xuemei Wen, Jiaming Qiu, Weiting Zhong, Xuming Deng, Jiakang He
• Journal: International immunopharmacology (Int Immunopharmacol) Vol. 41 Pg. 90-97 (Dec 2016) ISSN: 1878-1705 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 27825045 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Allergens
• Anti-Asthmatic Agents
• Ccr3 protein, mouse
• Chemokine CCL11
• Cinnamates
• Cytokines
• Depsides
• NF-kappa B
• RNA, Messenger
• Receptors, CCR3
• Immunoglobulin E
• Ovalbumin
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

Topics

• Allergens
• Animals
• Anti-Asthmatic Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Asthma (drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
• Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
• Chemokine CCL11 (metabolism)
• Cinnamates (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Cytokines (genetics, metabolism)
• Depsides (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Female
• Immunoglobulin E (blood, metabolism)
• Lung (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (metabolism)
• NF-kappa B (metabolism)
• Ovalbumin
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• Receptors, CCR3 (genetics)
• Respiratory Hypersensitivity (drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
• Rosmarinic Acid