Antileukotriene treatment and allergic rhinitis-related cough in guinea pigs

Experimental allergic rhinitis produces enhanced cough response in awake guinea pigs. Leukotriene receptor antagonists, as anti-inflammatory agents, have been effective in treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis to inhibit the early and late allergic response. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of montelukast (Singulair, Merck, USA) on the cough reflex in an experimental model of allergen-induced rhinitis in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs (n=16) were sensitized with intraperitoneal ovalbumin (OVA). The animals were then used to develop a model of allergic rhinitis by repeated intranasal instillation of 0.5% OVA at weekly intervals for 8 weeks. Allergic rhinitis was evaluated from the occurrence of typical clinical symptoms including sneezing, conjunctival and nasal secretion, or nasal acoustic phenomenon. Between the 6(th) and 8(th) nasal challenge (NCh) the animals (n=8) were treated daily for 14 days with oral montelukast (10mg/kg). Cough was induced by citric acid aerosol inhalation in gradually increasing concentration (0.05-1.6 M) and was evaluated before sensitization and then after the 1(st), 6(th), and 8(th) nasal challenge when rhinitis symptoms were most conspicuous. The intensity of cough was significantly increased after the first and repeated nasal OVA challenges, and reduced after the 8(th) NCh that was preceded with montelukast treatment [9(6-14) vs. 16.5(14-22) vs. 25.5(23-42) vs. 8.5(8-13); P=0.0003]. We conclude that antileukotriene therapy suppresses the stimulating effect of experimental allergic rhinitis on the chemically-induced cough in awake guinea pigs.