title: Attenuation of allergic airway inflammation in a murine model of asthma by Licochalcone A.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Licochalcone A (Lico A) is a major and biogenetically characteristic chalcone isolated from the root of Xinjiang liquorice, Glycyrrhiza inflata.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We focused on investigating whether Lico A possesses distinct anti-inflammatory activity on a non-infectious mouse model of asthma, and we aimed to elucidate its involvement with the mitogen-activated protein kinases pathway.
  
  
  METHODS
  BALB/c mice that were sensitized and challenged to ovalbumin (OVA) were treated with Lico A (50 mg/kg) 1 h before they were challenged with OVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our study demonstrated that Lico A may effectively inhibit the increase in T-helper type 2 cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-13 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and reduced serum levels of OVA-specific IgE and IgG. Furthermore, Lico A substantially inhibited OVA-induced eosinophilia in lung tissue and mucus hyper-secretion by goblet cells in the airway. Meanwhile, pretreatment with Lico A resulted in a significant reduction in mRNA expression of acidic mammalian chitinase, chitinase 3-like protein 4 (Ym2), E-selectin, Muc5ac, CCL11 and CCR3 in lung tissues and airway hyper-responsiveness to methacholine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that Lico A may effectively delay the progression of airway inflammation and could be used as a therapy for patients with allergic airway inflammation.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University , Changchun , China .
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Lanxiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Miaomiao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Mingfeng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Xianxing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jingyuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Dianfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dacheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D047188:Chalcones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000378:metabolism; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D054397:Receptors, CCR3 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; C515351:Ccr3 protein, mouse; D047188:Chalcones; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D054397:Receptors, CCR3; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; C070840:licochalcone A