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© 2015 Lee et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background

Thalidomide is known to have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions. However, the effect and the anti-asthmatic mechanism of thalidomide in the pathogenesis of asthmatic airways are not fully understood.

Objective

This study is designed to determine the effect and the potential mechanism of thalidomide in the pathogenesis of asthmatic airways using animal model of allergic asthma.

Methods

Six-week-old female BALB/C mice were sensitized with alum plus ovalbumin (OVA) and were exposed to OVA via intranasal route for 3 days for challenge. Thalidomide 200 mg/kg was given via gavage twice a day from a day before the challenge and airway hyperresponsivenss (AHR), airway inflammatory cells, and cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) were evaluated. The expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other mediators were evaluated using ELISA, real time (RT)-qPCR, and flow cytometry. CRL-2456, alveolar macrophage cell line, was used to test the direct effect of thalidomide on the activation of macrophages in vitro.

Results

The mice with thalidomide treatment showed significantly reduced levels of allergen-induced BALF and lung inflammation, AHR, and the expression of a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators including Th2 related, IL-17 cytokines, and altered levels of allergen-specific IgG1/IgG2a. Of interesting note, thalidomide treatment significantly reduced expression levels of allergen- or Th2 cytokine-stimulated alternative activation of macrophages in vivo and in vitro.

Conclusion

These studies highlight a potential use of thalidomide in the treatment of allergic diseases including asthma. This study further identified a novel inhibitory effect of thalidomide on alternative activation of macrophages as a potential mechanism of anti-asthmatic effect of thalidomide.

Details

Title
Thalidomide Inhibits Alternative Activation of Macrophages In Vivo and In Vitro: A Potential Mechanism of Anti-Asthmatic Effect of Thalidomide
Author
Lee, Hyun Seung; Kwon, Hyouk-Soo; Da-Eun, Park; Yeon Duk Woo; Hye Young Kim; Hang-Rae, Kim; Cho, Sang-Heon; Kyung-Up Min; Kang, Hye-Ryun; Yoon-Seok, Chang
First page
e0123094
Section
Research Article
Publication year
2015
Publication date
Apr 2015
Publisher
Public Library of Science
e-ISSN
19326203
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
1675172050
Copyright
© 2015 Lee et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.