Anat Biol Anthropol.  2023 Sep;36(3):127-138. 10.11637/aba.2023.36.3.127.

Allium hookeri Inhibits Inflammation in OVA-induced Allergic Rhinitis in Mice via NF-κB pathway

• Fan YJ
• Jin J
• Piao CH
• Nguyen TV
• Kim YS
• Chai OH
• Song CH

• KMID: 2549055
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.11637/aba.2023.36.3.127

Abstract

Allium hookeri (A. hookeri) has been used as a traditional medicine for many years in the Southeast Asian region. Multiple investigations have demonstrated its role in preventing of microbial infection, immune regulation, coronary thrombosis, and atherosclerosis has been demonstrated by several studies. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the suppressing effect of A. hookeri on the ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic rhinitis (AR) murine model. In this study, AR was induced in BALB/c mice by using OVA emulsified in aluminum on days 1, 8 and 15. Then, nasally challenged with OVA on days 22 to 28. On days 16 to 28, OVA-induced mice were treated either with A. hookeri (50, 100, 200 mg/kg) or Dexamethasone (Dex, 2.5 mg/kg) by oral gavage. On days 22 to 28, mice received either A. hookeri (50, 100, 200 mg/kg) or Dexamethasone (Dex, 2.5 mg/kg) an hour before the OVA challenge. The mice in the control group were not sensitized, treated, or tested. In this study, A. hookeri ameliorated nasal symptoms include rubbing and sneezing; reduced thickness of nasal mucosa; alleviated goblet cell hyperplasia and eosinophil infiltration in the nasal mucosa; decreased levels of OVA-specific IgE and OVA-specific IgG1 in serum; and suppressed Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) cytokines level in nasal lavage fluid (NALF). In addition, A. hookeri recovered the production of Th1 (IL-12 and IFN-γ) cytokines level in NALF, inhibited the inflammation through NF-κB pathway. Collectively, our results suggest that A. hookeri effectively protects against AR by regulating Th1/Th2 cytokines imbalance and NF-κB mechanisms. These observations suggest A. hookeri as a potential therapeutic option for AR.

Keyword

Allium hookeri; Allergic rhinitis; Th1 cytokines; Th2 cytokines; NF-κB