title: The effect of Nigella sativa extract on tracheal responsiveness and lung inflammation in ovalbumin-sensitized guinea pigs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the preventive effect of a hydro-ethanolic extract of Nigella sativa on the tracheal responsiveness and white blood cell count in the lung lavage fluid of sensitized guinea pigs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three groups of guinea pigs sensitized to intraperitoneally injected and inhaled ovalbumin were given drinking water alone (group S), drinking water containing a low concentration of N. sativa extract (group S+LNS) or drinking water containing a high concentration of N. sativa extract (group S+HNS). The tracheal responses of control animals (group C) and the three groups of sensitized guinea pigs (n = 7 for all groups) to methacholine were measured by the assessment of the tracheal smooth muscle response to increasing concentrations of methacholine, and the effective concentration causing 50% of the maximum response (EC50) was determined. Tracheal responses to 0.1% ovalbumin and white blood cell counts in the lung lavage fluid were also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tracheal response of the group S guinea pigs to both methacholine and ovalbumin was significantly higher than the response of the controls (p<0.01 for both cases). The tracheal responses of the S+LNS and S+HNS groups to both methacholine and ovalbumin were significantly decreased compared to those of the S group (p<0.05 to p<0.01). The total white blood cell and eosinophil counts in the lung lavage fluid of group S were significantly higher than those of group C (p<0.01). The white blood cell counts in both treated groups showed significant improvements (p<0.01 for both cases).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate the preventive effect of the N. sativa extract on the tracheal response and lung inflammation in sensitized guinea pigs.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Physiology and Pharmaceutical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. boskabadymh@mums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Boskabady
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Keyhanmanesh
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khamneh
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ebrahimi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002452:Cell Count; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D031881:Nigella sativa / Q000737:chemistry*; D010047:Ovalbumin; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014132:Trachea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D010047:Ovalbumin