3beta-6beta-dihydroxyolean-12-en-27-oic-acid and Inflammation

Asthma is a persistent inflammatory disease characterized by airway obstruction and hyperresponsiveness in association with airway inflammation. In the current research, we studied the anti-inflammatory and anti-asthmatic effects of tiarellic acid (TA) isolated from Tiarella polyphylla, based on asthmatic parameters, such as immunoglobulin E (IgE) level, cytokine release, eosinophilia, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mucus hypersecretion, in an ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized/challenged mouse model. TA significantly inhibited increases in IgE, levels of ROS and T helper cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, TNF-α, and IL-13, in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and effectively suppressed airway hyperresponsiveness, eosinophilia, and mucus hypersecretion in the asthmatic mouse model. In addition, we found that administration of TA attenuated ovalbumin-induced increases in NF-κB activity in lungs. The efficacy of TA was comparable to that of montelukast, a currently available anti-asthmatic drug. Our results support the utility of TA as a herbal medicine for asthma treatment and may have application in the development of anti-inflammatory and anti-asthmatic drugs.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Asthmatic Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Asthma; Bronchial Hyperreactivity; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Eosinophilia; Female; Immunoglobulin E; Inflammation; Leukocyte Count; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Oleanolic Acid; Ovalbumin; Phytotherapy; Transcription Factor RelA; Triterpenes