title: Ginger prevents Th2-mediated immune responses in a mouse model of airway inflammation.
abstract: It is well documented that compounds from rhizomes of Zingiber officinale, commonly called ginger, have anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we show that ginger can exert such functions in vivo, namely in a mouse model of Th2-mediated pulmonary inflammation. The preparation of ginger aqueous extract (Zo.Aq) was characterized by mass spectrometry as an enriched fraction of n-gingerols. Intraperitoneal injections of this extract before airway challenge of ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mice resulted in a marked decrease in the recruitment of eosinophils to the lungs as attested by cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids and histological examination. Resolution of airway inflammation induced by Zo.Aq was accompanied by a suppression of the Th2 cell-driven response to allergen in vivo. Thus, IL-4, IL-5 and eotaxin levels in the lungs as well as specific IgE titres in serum were clearly diminished in ginger-treated mice relative to their controls after allergen sensitization and challenge. Finally, we found that [6]-gingerol, a major constituent of ginger, was sufficient to suppress eosinophilia in our model of inflammation. This is the first evidence that ginger can suppress Th2-mediated immune responses and might thus provide a possible therapeutic application in allergic asthma.
authors.affiliation: CNRS UMR 8147, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Médecine, Hôpital Necker, 161 rue de Sèvres; 75783 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Marie Louise Berthe
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ahui
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Champy
authors.forename: Abdulraouf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramadan
authors.forename: Linh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pham Van
authors.forename: Luiza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.forename: Konan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brou André
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diem
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Damotte
authors.forename: Séraphin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kati-Coulibaly
authors.forename: Michel Atté
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Offoumou
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dy
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thieblemont
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herbelin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020939:Zingiber officinale / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D010047:Ovalbumin