Effect of pretreatment with Ambroxol on MIP-2 of rats with chronic bronchitis induced by smoking

【Objectives】To discuss the role of Macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) in airway inflammation in rats with chronic bronchitis induced by smoking and to study the effect of pretreatment with Ambroxol on rats with chronic bronchitis and asses the possible mechanism. 【Methods】Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three experiment groups: the control group, smoking model group, Ambroxol intervention group. The rats model of chronic bronchitis were established by smoking purely. For Ambroxol intervention group, pretreatment with Ambroxol through peritoneal injection was given 35 mg/kg·d for 75 days before the rats were put to death, six days every week. The histopathologic changes stained with hemotoxylin and eosin (HE) of bronchopulmonary tissues were observed under optical microscope; total cell counts and differential analysis were performed in BALF; the concentration of MIP-2 in homogenate of pulmonary tissues were also measured with ELISA. 【Results】Pathological changes of smoking model group consistents with that of chronic bronchitis. The concentration of MIP-2 in homogenate of pulmonary tissues were postively correlated with the leukocyte numbers and neutrophil in BALF in the model group, (r =0.706 and r =0.819 respectively; both P 0.01). The concentration of MIP-2 in homogenate of pulmonary tissues in the model group significantly increased as compared with the control group (P 0.01). The concentration of MIP-2 in homogenate of pulmonary tissues in Ambroxol intervention group significantly degraded as compared with the model group (P 0.01). 【Conclusions】MIP-2 may be involved in the process of airway inflammation in rats with chronic bronchitis induced by smoking; Ambroxol might have some effects on limiting airway inflammation by dimin-ishing the production of MIP-2 and inhibiting the activation of neutrophil.