Salmon cartilage proteoglycan attenuates allergic responses in mouse model of papain-induced respiratory inflammation

Abstract

Proteoglycan (PG) is a complex glycohydrate, which is widely distributed in the extracellular matrix. It has been reported that daily oral administration of PG (extracted from salmon nasal cartilage) modulates the severity of proin-flammatory cytokine responses in mouse experimental colitis, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, collagen-induced arthritis and obesity-induced inflammation. The present study investigated the effect of salmon nasal cartilage PG on allergic responses using a mouse model of papain-induced respiratory inflammation. Low titers of immunoglobulin E were identified in the sera of the PG-administered mice. Oral administration of PG attenuated eosinophil infiltration in the lung. In the acute model of papain-induced allergic inflammation, PG-administered mice exhibited low titers of epithelium-derived and T helper 2-associated cytokines. The results of the present study demonstrated that salmon cartilage PG has an immunomodulatory effect on intranasally delivered papain. These results suggest a potential role for PG as a prophylactic agent which may attenuate allergic respiratory inflammation.