Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (
COPD) is a chronic, progressive and lethal
lung disease with few treatments. Limax, a mollusk with lung, has been widely used to control phlegm and
cough in China, yet whether Limax has a positive effect on
COPD is unknown. This study investigated the effects of water-soluble extract from Limax on
COPD development and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that Limax extract improved lung function, relieved
emphysema and suppressed the
inflammation in the lungs of CS-challenged mice, as evidenced by diminished release of
IL-6, KC, TNF-α, IFN-γ, Muc5AC,
IL-17 and diminished
mRNA expression of Muc5B. Moreover, Limax extract also inhibited phosphorylation of P38 and ERK and increased the expression of PPARγ. More interestingly, Limax extract (0.1μg/ml) inhibited CSE-induced release of
IL-6 in vitro, which was substantially abrogated by heat treatment, and filtrate obtained from the deproteinized Limax extract with the 100KD ultrafiltration membrane, inhibited the secretion of
IL-6. Taken together, these results suggest that, Limax extract prevents
COPD development via inhibition of
inflammation and mucus production, thus has a potential preventive and therapeutic application in
COPD.