title: Dihydroartemisinin suppresses ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation in a mouse allergic asthma model.
abstract: Asthma is a complex disease characterized by reversible airway obstruction, airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) and chronic inflammation of the airways. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Artemisia annua, has been shown to possess antimalarial and antitumor activities, but whether it can be used in asthma treatment has not been investigated. In this study, we attempted to determine whether DHA regulates inflammatory mediators in the ovalbumin (OVA)-induced mouse asthma model. BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged by OVA to induce chronic airway inflammation. The intragastrical administration of DHA at 30 mg/kg significantly decreased the number of infiltrating inflammatory cells, T-helper type 2 (Th2) cytokines, OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) and AHR. Treatment with DHA also attenuated OVA-induced mRNA expression of Muc5ac and chitinase 3-like protein 4 (Ym2) in lung tissues. In addition, lung histopathological studies revealed that DHA inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion. Then signal transduction studies showed that DHA significantly inhibited extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation. DHA also inhibited nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation via the inhibition of phosphorylation of IκBα. These findings provide new insight into the immunopharmacological role of DHA in terms of its effects in a mouse model of asthma.
authors: Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Miaomiao
authors: M
authors: Wei
authors: Xianxing
authors: X
authors: Xie
authors: Xiao
authors: X
authors: Chu
authors: Xiaofeng
authors: X
authors: Yang
authors: Mingfeng
authors: M
authors: Guan
authors: Dacheng
authors: D
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D037621:Artemisinins; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; C039060:artenimol; D010047:Ovalbumin