Abstract
Although astaxanthin has a variety of biological activities such as anti-oxidant effects, inhibitory effects on skin deterioration and anti-inflammatory effects, its effect on asthma has not been studied. In this paper, the inhibitory effect of astaxanthin on airway inflammation in a mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma was investigated. We evaluated the number of total cells, Th1/2 mediated inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and airway hyperresponsiveness as well as histological structure. The level of total IgE, IgG1, IgG2a, OVA-specific IgG1, and OVA-specific IgG2a were also examined. The oral administration of 50 mg/mL astaxanthin inhibited the respiratory system resistance, elastance, newtonian resistance, tissue damping, and tissue elastance. Also, astaxanthin suppressed the total cell number, IL-4, and IL-5, and increased the IFN-γ in the BALF. In the sera, total IgE, IgG1, and OVA-specific IgG1 were reduced by astaxanthin exposure and IgG2a and OVA-specific IgG2a were enhanced via oral administration of astaxanthin. Infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lung, production of mucus, lung fibrosis, and expression of caspase-1 or caspase-3 were suppressed in OVA-induced asthmatic animal treated with astaxanthin. These results suggest that astaxanthin may have therapeutic potential for treating asthma via inhibiting Th2-mediated cytokine and enhancing Th1-mediated cytokine.
Highlights
Asthma, one of the allergic diseases, affects 300 million people worldwide
The inflammatory responses in asthma are linked to the infiltration of the airway wall with a range of inflammatory cells driven in large part by the activation of Th2-type lymphocytes, mast cells and eosinophils [5]
The CD4+ T cells are namely divided into Th1 and Th2 cell subsets, and a larger number of Th2 cells than Th1 cells are found in the airways of patients with asthma
Summary
The prevalence of asthma in children and adults increases globally by 50% every decade in different countries. In developing regions such as Africa, Central and South America, Asia, and the Pacific, the prevalence of asthma continues to rise sharply due to the increasing urbanization and westernization. This increased incidence of asthma leads to an increase in the cost of the treatment [1]. The CD4+ T cells are namely divided into Th1 and Th2 cell subsets, and a larger number of Th2 cells than Th1 cells are found in the airways of patients with asthma. The key Molecules 2017, 22, 2019; doi:10.3390/molecules22112019 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules
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