Effect of choline chloride in allergen induced mice model of airway inflammation

¹ Allergy and Immunology Section, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, Delhi-110007; and Dept of Biotechnology, University of Pune, Pune-411007
² Dept of Respiratory Medicine, V.P.Chest.Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
³ Allergy and Immunology Section, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, Delhi-110007

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: singhbp1951{at}yahoo.com.

	Abstract

Incidence of asthma has increased world over and current therapies for the disease suffer from potential side effects. This has created an opportunity to develop novel therapeutic approaches. Here anti-inflammatory activity of choline was investigated in mice model of allergic airway inflammation.

Choline (1 mg·kg^-1) was administered via oral gavage or intranasal (i.n.) route before and after ovalbumin (OVA) challenge in sensitized mice. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to methacholine was measured in mice by whole body plethysmography. Th2 cytokines and leukotrienes were estimated in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and spleen culture supernatant by ELISA. Eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) activity in BALF supernatant was also determined.

Choline treatment in sensitized mice before OVA challenge via oral/i.n. routes significantly inhibited eosinophilic airway inflammation and EPO activity. It also reduced IgE and IgG1 production and inhibited the release of Th2 cytokines and leukotrienes. However, the development of AHR was prevented effectively by i.n choline treatment. Most importantly, choline treatment after OVA challenge by both routes could reverse already established asthmatic conditions in mice by inhibiting AHR, eosinophilic airway inflammation and other inflammatory parameters.

This study provides a new therapeutic approach for controlling as well as preventing asthma exacerbations.

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