| Objective: This study assessed the inhibitory effect of baicalein treatment in an ameliorating ovalbumin(OVA)-sensitized allergic rhinitis(AR)rat model to reveal the mechanism.Methods: In this study,40 healthy SD female rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,drug administration group and positive control group.with 10 rats in each group.And the rat model of AR was constructed by intraperitoneal injection of OVA for 16 days,followed by local stimulation by nasal drip for 21 days.At the same time,baicalein and loratadine was administered in the drug group and the positive control group,and normal saline was used to replace the model group and the blank group.After 21 days of administration,chloral hydrate was anesthetized,blood was collected from the abdominal aorta,and then serum was isolated.Nasal lavage fluid and nasal mucosal tissues were collected.The secretion of inflammatory factor in serum and nasal lavage fluid was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),and the concentration of inflammatory mediators in nasal lavage fluid was measured by BCA protein quantification.Hematoxylin-eosin(H&E)staining was used to detect the relieving effect of baicalein on nasal mucosal tissues and lung tissues of allergic rhinitis mice.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the inhibitory effect of baicalin on phosphorylated-signal transduction and activators of transcription 3(p-STAT3)expression in inflammatory tissues.Results: By observing the behavior of rats in each group,it was found that the number of sneezing and scratching in the model group was much higher than that in the blank group,which was significantly lower in the baicalin group than in the model group.The spleen of the model group was significantly heavier than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05),while the baicalein group was significantly reduced compared with the control group(P<0.05),suggesting that baicalein can reduce the spleen injury during inflammation.BCA protein quantitative experiment found that the protein content of nasal cavity lavage fluid in the model group was much higher than that in the blank group(P<0.05),and there was a significant decrease in the drug administration group compared to the model group.The difference was statistically signicant(P<0.05).ELISA results showed that the contents of interleukin-1beta(IL-1?),interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-?)in nasal cavity lavage fluid and serum of the model group were higher than those of the blank group with significant difference(P<0.05).The contents in the drug administration group was lower than that in the model group and there was a significant difference(P<0.05).H&E staining results showed that the degree of nasal mucosa and lung inflammation in the drug administration group was significantly reduced and the infiltration of inflammatory cells was reduced compared with that in the model group.Immunohistochemical results showed that baicalein could significantly reduce the expression of p-STAT3 in nasal mucosal inflammatory tissues.Conclusion: Baicalein attenuated OVA-induced AR and inflammation,which suggests it as a promising therapeutic agent for the alleviation of AR-associated inflammation and pathology,possibly by inhibiting p-STAT3. |
PDF Full Text Request