Treatment with pyranopyran-1, 8-dione attenuates airway responses in cockroach allergen sensitized asthma in mice

• Published in: PloS one 2014-01, Vol.9 (1), p.e87558-e87558
• Main Authors: Park, Soojin, Park, Min-Sun, Jung, Kyung-Hwa, Song, Joohyun, Kim, You Ah, Cho, Hi Jae, Min, Byung-Il, Bae, Hyunsu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Airway Remodeling - drug effects; Allergens; Allergens - immunology; Allergies; Animals; Anti-Asthmatic Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Asthma; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - immunology; Biology; Cockroaches; Cockroaches - immunology; Cytokines; Cytokines - metabolism; Disease; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Eosinophils; Eotaxin; Experiments; Herbal medicine; Hyperplasia; Hypersensitivity; Hypertrophy; Immunoglobulin E; Infiltration; Inflammation; Inflammatory diseases; Inhibition; Interleukin 13; Interleukin 4; Interleukin 5; Leukocytes (eosinophilic); Lung - drug effects; Lung - immunology; Lung - pathology; Lungs; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Male; Medicine; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Muscles; Natural products; Oral administration; Pyrones - administration & dosage; Remodeling; Respiratory function; Respiratory tract; Respiratory tract diseases; Rodents; Smooth muscle; Th2 Cells - immunology; Th2 Cells - metabolism; Vitex rotundifolia
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087558

Chronic allergic asthma is characterized by Th2-typed inflammation, and contributes to airway remodeling and the deterioration of lung function. Viticis Fructus (VF) has long been used in China and Korea as a traditional herbal remedy for treating various inflammatory diseases. Previously, we have isolated a novel phytochemical, pyranopyran-1, 8-dione (PPY), from VF. This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of PPY to prevent airway inflammation and to attenuate airway responses in a cockroach allergen-induced asthma model in mice. The mice sensitized to and challenged with cockroach allergen were treated with oral administration of PPY. The infiltration of total cells, eosinophils and lymphocytes into the BAL fluid was significantly inhibited in cockroach allergen-induced asthma mice treated with PPY (1, 2, or 10 mg/kg). Th2 cytokines and chemokine, such as IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and eotaxin in BAL fluid were also reduced to normal levels following treatment with PPY. In addition, the levels of IgE were also markedly suppressed after PPY treatment. Histopathological examination demonstrated that PPY substantially inhibited eosinophil infiltration into the airway, goblet cell hyperplasia and smooth muscle hypertrophy. Taken together, these results demonstrate that PPY possesses a potent efficacy on controlling allergic asthma response such as airway inflammation and remodeling.