Overt hypothyroidism is associated with blood inflammatory biomarkers dependent of lipid profile

Rosuvastatin suppresses cytokine production and lung inflammation in asthmatic, hyperlipidemic and asthmatic-hyperlipidemic rat models

BACKGROUND

Given the role that T lymphocytes play on the pathogenesis of allergic asthma, drugs targeting Th2 and Th17 cells may be a hopeful therapeutic strategy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of rosuvastatin treatment on cytokine production and lung inflammation in allergic asthma.

METHODS

The animals were assigned into control (C), asthmatic (A), hyperlipidemic (H), asthmatic-hyperlipidemic (AH), rosuvastatin (40 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally, for 3 weeks)-treated asthmatic (AR), rosuvastatin-treated hyperlipidemic (HR) and rosuvastatin-treated asthmatic-hyperlipidemic (AHR) groups (n = 6 in each group). The levels of IL-4, IFN-γ and IL-17, total and differential WBC counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), Th1/Th2 balance, and pathological changes were evaluated.

RESULTS

The BALF level of IL-4 in A, H and AH groups, and IL-17A in A and AH groups were significantly higher than that in C group (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). IFN-γ level and Th1/Th2 balance (IFN‑γ/IL-4 ratio) in A and AH groups were significantly decreased (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01). Inflammatory cells infiltration, muscle hypertrophy and emphysema were also observed in A and AH groups. The BALF levels of IL-4 in AR, HR and AHR groups, IFN-γ level in HR group, and IL-17A level in AR and AHR groups showed a significant improvement compared to that of A, H and AH groups (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Rosuvastatin treatment increased Th1/Th2 balance in all treated groups (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01), decreased total WBC counts, neutrophilia, eosinophilia and lung inflammation in AR and AHR groups, and improved muscle hypertrophy and emphysema in AHR group.

CONCLUSIONS

Rosuvastatin treatment improved lung pathological changes by suppression of Th2 and Th17-mediated cytokines which was unrelated to its lipid-lowering activity. Therefore, rosuvastatin might be a candidate immunomodulatory drug for treatment of patients with allergic asthma.

Pretreatment with quercetin prevents changes in lymphocytes E-NTPDase/E-ADA activities and cytokines secretion in hyperlipidemic rats

Hyperlipidemia (HL) is a condition associated with endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory disorders. Purinergic system ectoenzymes play an important role in modulating the inflammatory and immune response. This study investigated whether the preventive treatment with quercetin is able to prevent changes caused by hyperlipidemia in the purinergic system, through the activities of E-NTPDase and E-ADA in lymphocytes, and quantify the nucleotides and nucleoside, and the secretion of anti- and proinflammatory cytokines. Animals were divided into saline/control, saline/quercetin 5 mg/kg, saline/quercetin 25 mg/kg, saline/quercetin 50 mg/kg, saline/simvastatin (0.04 mg/kg), hyperlipidemia, hyperlipidemia/quercetin 5 mg/kg, hyperlipidemia/quercetin 25 mg/kg, hyperlipidemia/quercetin 50 mg/kg, and hyperlipidemia/simvastatin. Animals were pretreated with quercetin for 30 days and hyperlipidemia was subsequently induced by intraperitoneal administration of 500 mg/kg of poloxamer-407. Simvastatin was administered after the induction of hyperlipidemia. Lymphocytes were isolated and E-NTPDase and E-ADA activities were determined. Serum was separated for the cytokines and nucleotide/nucleoside quantification. E-NTPDase and E-ADA activities were increased in lymphocytes from hyperlipidemic rats and pretreatment with quercetin was able to prevent the increase in the activities of these enzymes caused by hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemic rats when receiving pretreatment with quercetin and treatment with simvastatin showed decreased levels of ATP and ADP when compared to the untreated hyperlipidemic group. The IFN-γ and IL-4 cytokines were increased in the hyperlipidemic group when compared with control group, and decreased when hyperlipidemic rats received the pretreatment with quercetin. However, pretreatment with quercetin was able to prevent the alterations caused by hyperlipidemia probably by regulating the inflammatory process. We can suggest that the quercetin is a promising compound to be used as an adjuvant in the treatment of hyperlipidemia.