Anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin on mast cell-mediated allergic responses in ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis mouse

Curcumin has commonly been used for the treatment of various allergic diseases. However, its precise anti-allergic rhinitis effect and mechanism remain unknown. In the present study, the effect of curcumin on allergic responses in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic rhinitis mouse was investigated. We explored the effect of curcumin on the release of allergic inflammatory mediators, such as histamine, OVA-specific IgE, and inflammatory cytokines. Also, we found that curcumin improved rhinitis symptoms, inhibited the histopathological changes of nasal mucosa, and decreased the serum levels of histamine, OVA specific IgE and TNF-alpha in OVA-induced allergic rhinitis mice. In addition, curcumin suppressed the production of inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6 and IL-8. Moreover, curcumin significantly inhibited PMA-induced p-ERK, p-p38, p-JNK, p-I kappa-B alpha and NF-kappa B. These findings suggest that curcumin has an anti-allergic effect through modulating mast cell-mediated allergic responses in allergic rhinitis, at least partly by inhibiting MAPK/NF-kappa B pathway. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.