Effects of SB203580 on airway inflammation and Th1/Th2 cytokines in mice with asthmatic

AIM: To investigate the effects of SB203580, a special inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), on the airway inflammation and Th1/Th2 cytokines, IFN-γ/IL-4 in mice with asthmatic. METHODS: Thirty mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control group, asthmatic group and SB203580 group. The concentrations of IFN-γ and IL-4 in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by ELISA. The number of inflammatory cells in BALF and the changes of histropathology were observed. RESULTS: In asthmatic group, the number of inflammatory cells and the concentration of IL-4 in BALF were higherand the concentration of in BALF IFN-γwas lower than those in normal control group( P 0.01) . In SB203580 group, the number of inflammatory cells and the concentration of IL-4 in BALF were lower and the concentration of in BALF IFN-γwas higher than those in asthmatic group (P 0.01). Meanwhile, the histropathology damage was alleviated in SB203580 group. CONCLUSION: SB203580 can decrease the aggregation of airway inflammatory cells and correct the imbalance of IFN-γ/IL-4.