1e,h, Table 1). Collagen deposition is observed in the airways of patients with asthma, therefore, experiments aimed at quantifying collagen deposition within the murine airway wall were performed. The areas of peribronchial trichrome staining were significantly greater in the OVA group than in the Control group (21·66 ± 3·34 versus 4·03 ± 0·73 μm2/μm,

Fig. 1i,j, Table 2, P < 0·01). Administration of triptolide significantly reduced the areas of peribronchial trichrome Selleck PI3K Inhibitor Library compared with the OVA group (13·61 ± 1·16 versus 21·66 ± 3·34 μm2/μm, Fig. 1j–k, Table 2, P < 0·01). Dexamethasone also decreased the areas of peribronchial trichrome staining compared with the OVA-sensitized/challenged animals (13·08 ± 0·68 versus 21·66 ± 3·34 μm2/μm, Fig. 1j,l, Table 2, P < 0·01). There was no significant difference in subepithelial fibrosis between the TRP group and DXM group (13·61 ± 1·16 versus 13·08 ± 0·68 μm2/μm, Fig. 1k–l, Table 2, P > 0·05). see more In view of recent studies showing that triptolide inhibits activation-induced cytokine gene transcription,24 RT-PCR was used to quantify levels of the mRNAs for constituent chains of TGF-β1 in the lungs of mice exposed for 8 weeks to OVA aerosol. Data were normalized to the levels of β-actin mRNA, a prototypical ‘housekeeping gene’, in the same isolated airway preparations.

We observed that, after an 8-week OVA-challenge, TGF-β1 mRNA expression in the OVA group was significantly increased RG7420 clinical trial compared with the Control group, whereas TGF-β1 mRNA expression in the TRP and DEX groups was significantly decreased compared with that in the OVA group (0·42 ± 0·04 and 0·44 ± 0·04 versus 0·54 ± 0·05, Fig. 2, Table 2, both P < 0·05). There was no significant difference in TGF-β1 mRNA expressions among mice treated with triptolide and dexamethasone (0·42 ± 0·04 versus 0·44 ± 0·04, Fig. 2, Table 2, P > 0·05). The immunostaining area of peribronchial TGF-β1 was quantified by image analysis and expressed as corrected average optical density. Positive staining showed TGF-β1 expression in the epithelium, macrophage leucocyte and smooth muscle. The immunostaining areas

of peribronchial TGF-β1 in the OVA group was significantly greater than those in the Control group (0·324 ± 0·00795 versus 0·0839 ± 0·00743, Fig. 3a,b, Table 2, P < 0·05). Administration of triptolide and dexamethasone in repetitively OVA-challenged mice both significantly reduced the immunostaining area of TGF-β1 compared with that in the OVA group (0·1152 ± 0·00740 and 0·1141 ± 0·00959 versus 0·324 ± 0·00795, Fig. 3b–d, Table 2, P < 0·05). There was no significant difference of TGF-β1 expression in mice treated with triptolide and dexamethasone. As TGF-β1 is able to induce epithelial hyperplasia, we measured levels of these cytokines in the BALF. Levels of TGF-β1 were significantly increased in the OVA group compared with those in the Control group (734 ± 56 versus 248 ± 53 pg/ml, Fig. 4, P < 0·05).