title: Effects of a low-molecular-weight CCR-3 antagonist on chronic experimental asthma.
abstract: Eosinophils represent one of the main effector cell populations of allergic airway inflammation and allergic bronchial asthma. Their infiltration correlates with many characteristics of the disease, including airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and increased mucus production. CCR-3 is the principle chemokine receptor involved in eosinophil attraction into inflamed tissue. Therefore, antagonizing CCR-3 could be a novel promising approach toward asthma therapy. We investigated the effect of a low-molecular-weight CCR-3 antagonist on established airway inflammation in a chronic model of experimental bronchial asthma. For this purpose, BALB/c mice intraperitoneally sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) were chronically challenged with OVA aerosol to induce chronic airway inflammation and airway remodeling. The effect of antagonizing CCR-3 on asthma pathology was examined in BAL and lung histology. Airway reactivity was assessed by head-out body plethysmography. Treatment with the CCR-3 antagonist resulted in a marked reduction of eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lumen and in airway wall tissue, whereas infiltration of lymphocytes or macrophages remained unchanged. The reduction in eosinophil infiltration was accompanied by normalization of AHR and prevention of goblet cell hyperplasia, indicating reduced mucus production. Furthermore, antagonizing CCR-3 prevented airway remodeling as defined by subepithelial fibrosis and increased accumulation of myofibrocytes in the airway wall of chronically challenged mice. These data demonstrate that antagonism of CCR3 reduces eosinophil numbers, which is accompanied by diminution of asthma pathology in a mouse model of established chronic experimental asthma. Therefore, antagonizing CCR-3 represents a new approach toward a promising asthma therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Biomedical Research Center (BMFZ), Hospital of the Philipps-University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, Marburg, Germany. wegmann@med.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wegmann
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Göggel
authors.forename: Sarper
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sel
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sel
authors.forename: Klaus J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Erb
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kalkbrenner
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Renz
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Garn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D054397:Receptors, CCR3; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; C515351:Ccr3 protein, mouse; D054397:Receptors, CCR3; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D010047:Ovalbumin