Anti-allergic effect of lambertianic acid from Thuja orientalis in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells

Lambertianic acid is a bioactive diterpene found in the leaves of Thuja orientalis. Its effect on the bone marrow-derived mast cell (BMMC) mediated allergy and inflammation mechanism remains unknown. In this study, lambertianic acid was evaluated for its effect on the allergic mediators, including prostaglandin D-2 (PGD(2)), leukotriene C-4 (LTC4), beta-hexosaminidase (beta-Hex) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein, in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus calcimycin-stimulated BMMCs. The results revealed that lambertianic acid inhibited the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), PGD(2) and LTC4, the expression of COX-2 and the degranulation of beta-hexosaminidase in the PMA plus calcimycin-induced BMMCs. Taken together, these findings implied that lambertianic acid may possess the potential in the treatment of allergy.