Effects of montelukast on MUC2 and MUC5B musins mRNA expression in cultured human nasal epithelial cells

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the effects of montelukast, a leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) on MUC2 and MUC5B musins mRNA expression in cultured human nasal epithelial cells.Methods Primary culture of human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) was performed using inferior turbinate mucosa. The second-passage of HNECs were randomized to the control group, IL-1β group, montelukast plus IL-1β group and montelukast group. The IL-1β group was added with 10 μg/L IL-1β containing PBS-free culture medium. The montelukast plus IL- 1β group treated with 0.01mol/L montelukast for 8 h and then added with 10 μg/L IL- 1β-containing PBS-free culture medium. The montelukast group added with 0.01 mol/L montelukast-containing PBS-free culture medium, and the control group added with PBS-free culture medium alone. After incubation for 24 h, the expressions of MUC2 and MUC5B musins mRNA were detected by fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR in each group. Results The levels of MUC2 and MUC5B expression in HNECs were similar between the control group and the montelukast group[MUC2: (2.93± 1.57)× 106copies/μg vs ( 1.63 ±0.47) ×106 copies/μg; MUC5B: (8.21 ± 3.54) × 105 copies/μg vs (5.15± 2.16) × 105copies/μg]. The levels of MUC2 and MUC5B expression in montelukast plus IL-1β group were significantly lower compared with IL- 1β group[MUC2: (3.48± 1.41 ) × 106 copies/μg vs (6.63± 1.73) × 106 copies/μg,MUC5B: (1.75±0.69)× 106 copies/μg vs (3.40±2.79)× 107 copies/μg, all P＜0.05], but significantly higher compared with the control group and the montelukast group. Conclusion Montelukast can down-regulate MUC2 and MUC5B musins mRNA expression in human nasal epithelial cells induced by IL-1β but not in those under normal conditions, which may have an inhibitory action against inflammatory cytokine-induced mucin mRNA expression in HNECs. Key words: Leukotfiene antagonists; Mucins; Nasal mucosa; Epithelial cells; Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction