title: [Effects of dexamethasone on intracellular expression of Th17 cytokine interleukin 17 in asthmatic mice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of dexamethasone on intracellular expression of Th17 cytokine interleukin 17 and the mechanisms in asthmatic mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental asthma was induced by ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization in 20 in female Balb/c mice with (dexamethasone group, n=10) or without dexamethasone treatment (model group, n=10), with another 10 serving as the control group. The levels of IL-17 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum of the mice were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the airway inflammation was evaluated by HE staining. The expressions of IL-17 and RORgammat mRNA were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the expression of RORgammat protein was measured by immunohistochemical staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of RORgammat and IL-17 mRNA and protein in the asthmatic model group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.01), and the increased expressions of RORgammat and IL-17 mRNA and protein in the asthmatic mice were significantly reduced by dexamethasone treatment (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dexamethasone can inhibit the release of IL-17 probably by inhibiting RORgammat expression and blocking Th17 differentiation in asthmatic mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. wing0991@sina.com
authors.forename: Si-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ya-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Wen-Yan
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Pei-Fen
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D057132:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D010047:Ovalbumin; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C098680:Il17a protein, mouse; D020381:Interleukin-17; D057132:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003907:Dexamethasone; D010047:Ovalbumin