title: Curcumin attenuates ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation by regulating nitric oxide.
abstract: Curcumin has been strongly implicated as an anti-inflammatory agent, but the precise mechanisms of its action are largely unknown. In this study, we show that curcumin contributes to anti-inflammatory activity in the murine asthma model and lung epithelial cell A549 through suppression of nitric oxide (NO). To address this problem, curcumin was injected into the peritoneum of ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mice before the last allergen challenge. OVA challenge resulted in activation of the production of inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) in lung tissue, inflammatory cytokines, recruitment of eosinophils to lung airways, and airway hyper-responsiveness to inhaled methacholine. These effects of ovalbumin challenge were all inhibited by pretreatment of mice with curcumin. Furthermore, supplementation with curcumin in the A549 human airway epithelial cells decreased iNOS and NO production induced by IFN-gamma. These findings show that curcumin may be useful as an adjuvant therapy for airway inflammation through suppression of iNOS and NO.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Applied Marine Science, Cheju National University, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju 690-756, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Oh
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Mun-Ock
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hee-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yung Hyun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yeong-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Moon-Soo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Gi-Young
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000032:analysis / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D015848:Interleukin-5; D015847:Interleukin-4; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; D003474:Curcumin