Effect of the Fungal Immunomodulatory Protein FIP-<b><i>fve</i></b> in the Neutrophilic Asthma Animal Model

<jats:p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Asthma animal models provide valuable information about the pathogenesis and the treatment of asthma. An ovalbumin (OVA)/complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-sensitized model was developed to induce neutrophil-dominant asthma and to investigate whether fungal immunomodulatory peptide-<i>fve</i> (FIP-<i>fve</i>) could improve asthma features in the OVA/CFA-sensitized model. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We used female BALB/c mice and sensitized them intraperitoneally with OVA/CFA on days 1, 2, and 3. On days 14, 17, 21, 24, and 27, they were challenged with intranasal OVA. The airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) was detected by BUXCO, inflammatory cells were stained with Liu’s stain, the cytokines were detected using ELISA, and the airway inflammation was analyzed with hematoxylin and eosin stain. <b><i>Results:</i></b> According to the results, OVA/CFA sensitization could induce AHR, high levels of IgE, and inflammatory cells especially neutrophils infiltration in the lung and airway inflammation. IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, IL-25, IL-33, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) increased in the OVA/CFA-sensitized mice. OVA/CFA-sensitized mice treated with FIP-<i>fve</i> not only increased IL-12 and IFN-γ but also decreased IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, IL-17, IL-25, IL-33, and TGF-β in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Moreover, FIP-<i>fve</i> significantly decreased neutrophil infiltration in the lung. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The OVA/CFA model induced neutrophilic asthma successfully, and FIP-<i>fve</i> improved neutrophil-dominant asthma. </jats:p>