Allergic asthma is a refractory disease that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Betanin is a natural plant-derived nutrient and possesses health-promoting properties. The effects of betanin on allergic asthma remain unknown. Herein, the effects and mechanisms of betanin on allergic asthma were explored in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced BALB/c mice. Betanin in doses of 0, 20, 60, and 180 mg/kg was applied. Peripheral inflammatory cells, IgE, pulmonary pathology, T cell subsets, cytokine levels, protein expressions of the cAMP-PKA-CREB/CREM pathway, and gut microbial profile were measured. The 60 and 180 mg/kg/day betanin doses significantly downregulated IgE, eotaxin, eosinophil infiltration, mucus hyperproduction, and Th2. A 180 mg/kg/day betanin dose also significantly reduced percentages of Th17, Tc17, and Tc2 and Th2- and Th17-signature cytokines and upregulated the cAMP-PKA-CREB pathway. Additionally, 20 mg/kg/day betanin altered the gut microbial profile. In conclusion, betanin dose-dependently alleviated allergic asthma and upregulated the cAMP-PKA-CREB pathway in mice. This study provides a novel nutritional strategy to treat allergic asthma.
Keywords: PKA; Th2; airway inflammation; asthma; betanin; cAMP; cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB); gut microbiota.