Anat Biol Anthropol.
2020 Mar;33(1):11-19. 10.11637/aba.2020.33.1.11.
Anti-allergic Effects of Caffeine in an Allergic Rhinitis Mouse Model
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Anatomy, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Republic of Korea
- 2Institute for Medical Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Republic of Korea
- KMID: 2507602
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.11637/aba.2020.33.1.11
Abstract
- Caffeine (1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthine) is one of the most widely consumed pharmacologically active products worldwide. Caffeine exhibits various pharmacological activities in central nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. Additionally, caffeine exhibited anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide-challenged rats. However, to our knowledge, the potential anti-inflammatory activity of caffeine in allergic rhinitis (AR) has not yet been investigated. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine the anti-allergic effects of caffeine in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR in mice. We showed that caffeine attenuated the nasal symptoms, including rubbing and sneezing. It reduced the thickness of the nasal mucosa and alleviated goblet cell hyperplasia in the nasal mucosa. In addition, caffeine ameliorated the inflammation in the lungs and decreased OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) and IgG1 levels in the serum. It also reduced T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine (interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5) levels and elevated Th1 cytokine (IL-12 and IFN-γ) levels in the nasal lavage fluid. Collectively, we suggest that caffeine might have therapeutic effects in AR owing to its anti-inflammatory activities.
