title: Levamisole: might it be used in treatment and prevention of atopic diseases?
abstract: As an antihelmintic and Th1-biased immunostimulant, levamisole has been used to restore impaired cell mediated immunity. We sought to explore whether the Th1 driving effect of levamisole may also have an influence on the course of allergic diseases, by shifting the Th2 dominant immunity more toward Th1-mediated response. BALB/c mice were sensitized intraperitoneally on days 0, 7, and 15 with ovalbumin (OVA). After the sensitization, they were challenged intranasally with OVA once a day for 6 consecutive days. Levamisole (2.5 mg/kg) was administered orally three times a week during sensitization and challenge. After the last challenge, differential cell counts were performed, and IL-4 and IFNgamma levels were measured in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF). Serum total IgE level was determined, and lungs were examined histologically. The present study establishes that mice administered with oral levamisole gave significantly lower IL-4 levels on sensitization with OVA; however, IFNgamma production, eosinophil infiltration, and serum IgE levels remained unaffected. In conclusion, use of levamisole may have important implications in the management of the allergic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Allergy and Asthma, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey. cankocabas@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Can Naci
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Kocabas
authors.forename: Bulent Enis
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Sekerel
authors.forename: Pinar Arikan
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Firat
authors.forename: Hamza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okur
authors.forename: Gonul
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adahoglu
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007978:Levamisole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007978:Levamisole