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The Antioxidant Rosmarinic Acid Ameliorates Oxidative Lung Damage in Experimental Allergic Asthma via Modulation of NADPH Oxidases and Antioxidant Enzymes

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Abstract

Oxidative stress can induce lung damage and aggravate airway inflammation in asthma. Previously, we reported that rosmarinic acid (RA) exerted strong anti-inflammatory effects in a mouse allergic asthma model. Therefore, we hypothesized that RA might also have antioxidative effects in a superimposed asthma mouse model with oxidative lung damage challenged with ovalbumin (Ova) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). We evaluated the antioxidative and anti-asthmatic activity of RA and explored its possible mechanisms of action. Mice sensitized to Ova and challenged with Ova and H2O2 were treated with RA 1 h after challenge. RA treatment greatly diminished the number of inflammatory cells; decreased IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 production; increased IFN-γ secretion; significantly downregulated ROS production; and markedly upregulated the activities of SOD, GPx, and CAT. Furthermore, RA treatment resulted in a significant increase in the expression of Cu/Zn SOD and a notable reduction in NOX-2 and NOX-4 expression in lung tissues. These findings suggest that RA may effectively alleviate oxidative lung damage and airway inflammation in asthma.

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Abbreviations

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

GPx:

Glutathione peroxidase

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

CAT:

Catalase

Cu/Zn SOD:

Cuprozinc-superoxide dismutase

NOX:

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase

BALF:

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid

Th:

T helper

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

ELISA:

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

IL:

Interleukin

RA:

Rosmarinic acid

DEX:

Dexamethasone

H&E:

Hematoxylin and eosin

BALF:

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Drs. Xuming Deng and Yafen Guo for technical assistance.

Funding

This work was supported by the Guangxi Science and Technology Bureau (No. AA17204057) and the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (No. 2017GXNSFAA198351).

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Author notes

  1. Zhengmin Liang and Liqin Wu contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China

    Zhengmin Liang, Liqin Wu, Xin Deng, Qiuling Liang, Yangfeng Xu, Ruihan Deng, Li Lv, Min Ji & Jiakang He

  2. The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People’s Republic of China

    Zhihui Hao

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  1. Zhengmin Liang
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Liang, Z., Wu, L., Deng, X. et al. The Antioxidant Rosmarinic Acid Ameliorates Oxidative Lung Damage in Experimental Allergic Asthma via Modulation of NADPH Oxidases and Antioxidant Enzymes. Inflammation 43, 1902–1912 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-020-01264-3

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