[Protective effect of celastrol on allergic rhinitis in rats]

To investigate the protective effect of celastrol on allergic rhinitis rats and its possible mechanism.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) model of rats was established by OVA. The behavioural characteris tics were observed at the 1st, 4th and 7th dayafter stimulation treatment. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) in the nasal mucosa breathing zone were measured. The expression of the nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (NRF2) nuclear protein and the catalytic submit of glutamylcysteine ligase (GCLC) cytoplasmic protein in the nasal mucosa breath ing zone were determined.

We observed obvious behaviour changes related with allergic rhinitis in AR rats, together with decrease of SOD, GSH and GSH-PX and increase of MDA in the nasal mucosa breathing zone. Moreover, NRF2 nuclear protein expression and GCLC cytoplasmic expression were suppressed in the nasal mucosa. The changes above were alleviated in celastrol pretreatment group. The potential mechanism may be related to the upregulation of NRF2 nuclear protein expression and GCLC cytoplasmic expression after celastrol pretreatment.

Celastrol can significantly relieve the allergic symptoms in AR rats. The mechanism of this protective effects may relate to the upregulation of NRF2 nuclear protein expression and GCLC cytoplasmic expression in the nasal mucosa breathing zone.