Arginine in asthma and lung inflammation

Asthma, a complex chronic inflammatory pulmonary disorder, is on the rise despite intense ongoing research underscoring the need for new scientific inquiry. Using global microarray analysis, we recently discovered that asthmatic responses involve metabolism of arginine by arginase. We found that the cationic amino acid transporter (CAT)2, arginase I, and arginase II were particularly prominent among the allergen-induced gene transcripts. These genes are key regulators of critical processes associated with asthma, including airway tone, cell hyperplasia, and collagen deposition, respectively. Recent data suggest that arginase induction is not just a marker of allergic airway responses, but that arginase is involved in the pathogenesis of multiple aspects of disease. This review focuses on the current body of knowledge on L-arginine metabolism in asthma.