MTOR-Mediated Autophagy Is Involved in the Protective Effect of Ketamine on Allergic Airway Inflammation

J Immunol Res. 2019 Jan 9:2019:5879714. doi: 10.1155/2019/5879714. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Unresolved inflammation underpins the pathogenesis of allergic airway diseases, such as asthma. Ketamine, accepted as a promising therapy for resistant asthma, has been demonstrated to attenuate allergic airway inflammation. However, the anti-inflammatory mechanism by ketamine in this setting is largely unknown. We aimed to investigate whether autophagy was involved in the protective effect of ketamine on allergic airway inflammation. Female C57BL/6 mice were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) and treated with ketamine at 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg prior to OVA challenge. In this model, the pulmonary morphological findings and airway inflammation were significantly inhibited at 50 mg/kg but not at 25 or 100 mg/kg. Moreover, 50 mg/kg ketamine abrogated the increased concentrations of inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of allergic mice, as well as activated the expression of phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-MTOR) and inhibited autophagy in allergic mice. To confirm whether the effect of 50 mg/kg ketamine on asthma was mediated by inhibiting autophagy, rapamycin was administered to mice sensitized to OVA and exposed to 50 mg/kg ketamine. All of the effect of 50 mg/kg ketamine was reversed by rapamycin treatment, including increased p-MTOR and decreased autophagy. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that 50 mg/kg ketamine inhibits allergic airway inflammation by suppressed autophagy, and this effect is mediated by the activation of MTOR in the lungs of allergic mice.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Asthma / drug therapy*
  • Asthma / immunology
  • Autophagy / drug effects*
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Inflammation / immunology*
  • Ketamine / pharmacology*
  • Lung / immunology
  • Lung / physiopathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Ovalbumin
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / immunology*

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Cytokines
  • Ketamine
  • Ovalbumin
  • mTOR protein, mouse
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases