Therapeutic effects of rosmarinic acid on airway responses in a murine model of asthma.
Rosmarinic acid (RA) is an active component of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Previously, we reported that RA exerted a strong anti-inflammatory effect in a mouse acute lung injury model. Therefore, we hypothesized that RA might also have potential therapeutic effects in a murine model of asthma. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the anti-asthmatic activity of RA and explored its possible molecular mechanisms of action. Female BALB/c mice that had been sensitized to and challenged with ovalbumin (Ova) were treated with RA (20mg/kg) 1h after challenge. The results showed that RA greatly diminished the number of inflammatory cells and the production of Th2 cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF); significantly reduced the secretion of total IgE, Ova-specific IgE, and eotaxin; and markedly ameliorated airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) compared with Ova-induced mice. Histological studies further revealed that RA substantially decreased inflammatory cells infiltration and mucus hypersecretion compared with Ova-induced mice. Moreover, our results suggested that the protective effects of RA were mediated by the inhibition of JNK and p38 MAPK phosphorylation and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. Furthermore, RA treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the mRNA expression of AMCase, CCL11, CCR3, Ym2 and E-selectin in lung tissue. These findings suggest that RA may effectively delay the development of airway inflammation and could thus be used as a therapy for allergic asthma.
College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, PR China.
Zhengmin
Z
Liang
College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, PR China.
Haiying
H
Nie
College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, PR China.
Yangfeng
Y
Xu
Guangxi Engineering Research Center for Veterinary Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, PR China.
Jianbo
J
Peng
College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, PR China.
Yun
Y
Zeng
College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, PR China.
Yingyi
Y
Wei
College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, PR China.
Xuemei
X
Wen
College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130062, PR China.
Jiaming
J
Qiu
College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130062, PR China.
Weiting
W
Zhong
College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130062, PR China.
Xuming
X
Deng
College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, PR China. Electronic address: ahong18@vip.sina.com.
Jiakang
J
He
D000485:Allergens; D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D054413:Chemokine CCL11 / Q000378:metabolism; D002934:Cinnamates / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053630:Depsides / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D010047:Ovalbumin; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D054397:Receptors, CCR3 / Q000235:genetics; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000097123:Rosmarinic Acid
D000485:Allergens; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D002934:Cinnamates; D016207:Cytokines; D053630:Depsides; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010047:Ovalbumin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054397:Receptors, CCR3; D000097123:Rosmarinic Acid; C515351:Ccr3 protein, mouse
AHR; Allergic airway inflammation; MAPK; NF-κB; Rosmarinic acid; Therapeutic