Objective: To investigate the effects of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) on the expression of eotaxin 1 (CCL11), aquaporin protein 1 (AQP1) and eosinophil (EOS) in nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis (AR) rats.
Methods: Seventy six Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, normal control (NC) group, AR model (AR) group, loratadine (LOA) group and 18β-GA group. All the mice in AR, LOA and 18β-GA groups were sensitized intraperitoneally with OVA and AL(OH), from day 1-14, then induced by intranasal administration with OVA from day 14-21, while the mice in NC group were sensitized with saline. The mice in both LOA and 18β-GA group were given LOA and 18β-GA once a day respectively from the 21 d, while the mice in AR and NC groups were administrated with saline. At the end of 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks, the behavioral changes of mice were observed and recorded, the level of CCL11 mRNA was measured by RT-QPCR, and AQP1 expression was investiaged by SP staing. EOS in nasal mucosa was studied with the methods of HE staining.
Results: Compared with NC group, AR group showed typical AR symptoms. With the treatments, AR symptom scores and the expression levels of CCL11, AQP1 and EOS in nasal mucosa were improved significantly (P<0. 05). When compared with AR group, the above statistics in LOA group were down-regulated evidently at different points in time (P<. 05). At the end of 1 week, the above detection results in 18β-GA group were lower than those in AR group (P<0. 05). At the end of 2 weeks, those parameters approached to the levels of LOA and NC group significantly.
Conclusion: 18β-GA administration could down-regulate the expression levels of CCL11, AQP1 and EOS in nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis rats and cast effects on inhibiting the progress of AR.