Jpn. J. Pharmacol. 82 (4), 326-330 (2000)

Effects of Inhaled Low Molecular Weight Heparin on Airway Allergic Inflammation in Aerosol-Ovalbumin-Sensitized Guinea Pigs

Qing Li Wang*^#1, Xue Yuan Shang^#2, Shi Ling Zhang, Jian Bo Ji, Yan Na Cheng, Ya Juan Meng and Ye Jing Zhu


Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Shandong Medical University, 44 Wen Hua Xi Road, Jinan 250012, P.R. China
*^,#1ﾊPresent address for correspondence: 2nd Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 1 Xian Nong Tan St., Beijing 100050, P.R. China
^#2ﾊPresent address: Biosignalling Department, National Institute of Bioscience and Human Technology, 1-1, Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan

Abstract: Low molecular weigh, heparin (LMWH) possesses multiple nonanticoagulant properties. In the present study, we observed its anti-airway allergic inflammatory effects by bronchoalveolar lavage in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs were sensitized by repeatedly inhaling aerosolized ovalbumin. LMWH (400ﾊu/l, 800ﾊu/l), dexamethasone (1.2ﾊmg/l) or vehicle (normal saline) was inhaled for 7ﾊdays. Then the animals were sacrificed under anesthesia and then lavaged with ice-cold Hank's buffer immediately; bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was prepared 24ﾊh after the animals were challenged by antigen exposure. The effects of LMWH on total cell counts, absolute eosinophil counts and cell catalogues in BALF were studied; effects on the activity of eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) and the contents of histamine and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in BALF supernatant were detected. Our results showed that compared with the vehicle group, LMWH at 400ﾊu/l and 800ﾊu/l could significantly reduce total cell counts, absolute eosinophil counts and percentage of eosinophils in BALF (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively); LMWH at 800ﾊu/l markedly inhibited the activity of EPO in BALF supernatant (P<0.05); LMWH at 400ﾊu/l and 800ﾊu/l remarkably reduced the content of histamine in BALF supernatant (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively), LMWH at 800ﾊu/l decreased the content of ECP (P<0.05) significantly. It suggested that LMWH exerted anti-airway allergic inflammatory action by inhibiting infiltration of inflammatory cells and reducing release of inflammatory mediators, as well as antagonizing their activities, and that LMWH could be developed as a potential anti-bronchial asthmatic drug.

Keywords: Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), Airway allergic inflammation,
Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, Eosinophil, Bronchial asthma