6-gingerol attenuates pulmonary inflammation and oxidative stress in mice model of house dust mite-induced asthma

Asthma is a chronic non-communicable inflammatory disease of the lung that affects over 300 million people worldwide. 6-Gingerol (6-G) is a phytocompound found in ginger rhizome that has been reported to exhibit antiinflammatory effects. However, there is paucity of information regarding the effect of 6-G on asthma. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of 6-G on house dust mite (HDM)-induced asthma. Male mice were divided into 5 groups of 10 mice each. Group 1 served as control; group 2 received 6-G (10 mg/kg/day) for 5 weeks. Group 3 received HDM (10 mu g/kg/day) for 4 weeks. Group 4 received 6-G (10 mg/kg/day) for 1 week prior to co-exposure with HDM (10 mu g/kg/day) for 4 weeks, and group 5 received Dexamethasone (DEX) (1 mg/kg/day) and HDM (10 mu g/kg/day) for 4 weeks. Administration of HDM significantly increased lymphocytes, leukocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, myeloperoxidase (MPO), nitric oxide ( center dot NO), malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor- a (TNF-a), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and decreased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (AA) levels relative to control. Administration of 6-G and DEX prior to HDM exposure significantly decreased lymphocytes, leukocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, MPO, center dot NO, malondialdehyde, TNF-a, IL-6 and increased the activities of SOD, catalase, GST, GPx, and levels of GSH and AA relative to HDM group. Histopathological examination of the lungs of HDMtreated mice showed the presence of oedema and inflammation of the bronchi and alveoli. Administration of 6-G and DEX reversed these lesions. 6-G ameliorated House dust mite-induced asthma via anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant mechanism.