title: Luteolin alleviates bronchoconstriction and airway hyperreactivity in ovalbumin sensitized mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways and the current focus in managing asthma is the control of inflammation. In this study, we attempted to investigate the anti-asthmatic potential of a plant derived natural compound, luteolin.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a murine model of airway hyperreactivity, which mimicked some of the characteristic features of asthma. Male BALB/c mice (8-9 weeks) were used for this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice (n = 6) were sensitized by intraperitoneal (i. p.) injection of 10 mg of ovalbumin (OVA) on days 0, 7 and 14 followed by aerosol inhalation (5% OVA) treatments daily beginning from day 19 to day 23. To study its preventive effect, luteolin (0.1, 1.0, and 10 mg/kg body weight; daily) was administered orally during the entire period (0 to 23 day) of sensitization. To study its curative effect, mice were first sensitized and then luteolin (1.0 mg/kg body weight daily) was given orally from day 26 to 32. The airway hyperreactivity, immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the sera, and cytokines (IFN-gamma, IL-4 and IL-5) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both during sensitization and after sensitization, luteolin, at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg body weight, significantly modulated OVA-induced airway bronchoconstriction and bronchial hyperreactivity (p < 0.05). Luteolin also reduced OVA-specific IgE levels in the sera, increased interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) levels and decreased the interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-5 (IL-5) levels in the BALF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that luteolin treatment during and after sensitization significantly attenuated the asthmatic features in experimental mice. Therefore, luteolin could be used either as a lead molecule to identify an effective antiasthma therapy or as a means to identify novel anti-asthma targets.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology and Immunogenetics Lab, Centre for Biochemical Technology, Mall Road, Delhi 110007, India,
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ghosh
mesh_terms: D000403:Airway Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D016084:Bronchoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*; D005100:Expectorants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D047311:Luteolin; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018721:Muscarinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D005100:Expectorants; D005419:Flavonoids; D015848:Interleukin-5; D018721:Muscarinic Agonists; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010047:Ovalbumin; D047311:Luteolin