title: Effects of aqueous extract of Echinodorus grandiflorus on the immune response in ovalbumin-induced pulmonary allergy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is a disease characterized by intermittent obstruction of the airways and chronic inflammation that affects approximately 300 million people worldwide. The immune response in asthma is predominantly T(H)2, with high levels of total and allergen-specific IgE and bronchial eosinophilia. Asthma treatment is aimed at controlling the disease, and the drugs used currently have systemic adverse effects and generally are not effective in difficult-to-control cases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of aqueous extract of Echinodorus grandiflorus, a plant used in folk medicine for its diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties, in a model of pulmonary allergy.
  
  
  METHODS
  BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally sensitized and nasally challenged with ovalbumin. Aqueous extract and dexamethasone treatments (0.1 mL/d per mouse) were initiated on day 32 and concluded on day 40. Eight hours after the last challenge evaluations, of serum, bronchoalveolar lavage, and lung tissue were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral treatment with the extract markedly reduced the number of total cells and eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage. The eosinophil peroxidase activity in lung tissue, the levels of ovalbumin-specific IgE in serum, the levels of CCL11, and the gene expression of interleukin 4 and interleukin 13 in lung tissue were also lower after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the aqueous extract of E grandiflorus is able to modulate allergic pulmonary inflammation and may be useful as a potential therapeutic agent for asthma.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessa Sin Singer
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Brugiolo
authors.forename: Caio César de Souza
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Ana Cláudia Carvalho
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gouveia
authors.forename: Alyria Teixeira
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Michele Fernandes
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Lucila Grossi Gonçalves
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Pacífico
authors.forename: Beatriz Julião Vieira
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Aarestrup
authors.forename: Marco Antonio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Domingues
authors.forename: Henrique Couto
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Jacy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gameiro
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D034901:Alismataceae; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D054413:Chemokine CCL11 / Q000378:metabolism; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D047209:Eosinophil Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: C515457:Ccl11 protein, mouse; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D018793:Interleukin-13; D010936:Plant Extracts; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D003907:Dexamethasone; D010047:Ovalbumin; D047209:Eosinophil Peroxidase