title: meso-Dihydroguaiaretic acid attenuates airway inflammation and mucus hypersecretion in an ovalbumin-induced murine model of asthma.
abstract: meso-Dihydroguaiaretic acid (MDGA), which is a dibenzylbutane lignin isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of Saururus chinensis, has various biological activities, including anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and neuroprotective effects. However, no report has examined the potential anti-asthmatic activity of MDGA. In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of MDGA on asthmatic responses, particularly airway inflammation and mucus hypersecretion in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced murine model of asthma. Intragastric administration of MDGA significantly lowered the productions of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13, tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α), eotaxin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and immunoglobulin (Ig)E in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), plasma, or lung tissues. Histological studies showed that MDGA inhibited OVA-induced inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus production in the respiratory tract. Moreover, MDGA markedly attenuated the OVA-induced activations of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), extracellular-signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). Together, these results suggest that MDGA effectively inhibits airway inflammation and mucus hypersecretion by downregulating the levels of T helper 2 (Th2) cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules, and inhibiting the activations of NF-κB and MAPKs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Seob
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Sang
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-In
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Animal Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyo-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jkson@yu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jong-Keun
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Son
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: hyson@cnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Hwa-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Son
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006139:Guaiacol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000378:metabolism; D017705:Lignans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D032134:Saururaceae / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; C491768:Ccl2 protein, mouse; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D016207:Cytokines; D017705:Lignans; D016328:NF-kappa B; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; C015816:dihydroguaiaretic acid; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D006139:Guaiacol
keywords: Asthma; IgE; MAPKs; NF-κB; Th2 cytokines; meso-Dihydroguaiaretic acid