Exposure to particulate matter (PM) causes considerable breathing-related health risks. Siraitia grosvenorii fruit is a traditional remedial plant used in Korea and China to treat respiratory diseases. Our recently published study showed that S. grosvenorii extract (SGE) ameliorated airway inflammation in lipopolysaccharide- and cigarette-smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in mice. Thus, we aimed to assess the inhibitory effects of SGE on airway inflammation in mice exposed to a fine dust mixture of PM10 (PM diameter < 10 mm) and diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) known as PM10D. The mice (BALB/c) were treated with PM10D via intranasal injection three times over a period of 12 days, and SGE 70% ethanolic extract (50 or 100 mg/kg) was orally administered daily for 12 days. SGE attenuated neutrophil accumulation and the number of immune B and T cells from the lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of the PM10D-exposed mice. SGE reduced the secretion of cytokines and chemokines, including interleukin (IL)-1α, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-17, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL)1, and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 in the BALF. Airway inflammation, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and collagen fibrosis in the lung after PM10D exposure were investigated via histopathological analysis, and SGE treatment ameliorated these symptoms. SGE decreased the mRNA expression of mucin 5AC (MUC5AC), CXCL1, TNF-α, MIP-2, and transient receptor potential ion channels in the lung tissues. Furthermore, SGE ameliorated the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling by PM10D in the lungs. We conclude that SGE attenuated PM10D-induced neutrophilic airway inflammation by inhibiting MAPK/NF-κB activation. These results show that SGE may be a candidate for the treatment of inflammatory respiratory diseases.
Keywords: NF-κB; Siraitia grosvenorii; diesel exhaust particles; inflammatory respiratory disease; neutrophil; particulate matter.