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Updated: Jan 16, 2026

Murine Model of Allergen Induced Asthma
Published on: May 14, 2012
Thymoquinone Targeting T Helper 2 Cytokines in Animal Models of Asthma: A Systematic Review
Hanieh Tahermohammadi1, Ali Abdolahinia1,2, Mohammad Ali Tahermohammadi3
1Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Thymoquinone (TQ) is one of the active components of Nigella sativa L. It has therapeutic properties in allergic diseases, such as the antihistamine effect on the airways of patients with asthma and inhibition of inflammatory changes. This systematic review was conducted to investigate the effect of TQ on T helper 2 (Th2) cytokines, including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, in the treatment of animal models of asthma.
Materials And Methods:
A comprehensive article search was conducted using Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed to find articles published until 2022 regarding the efficacy of TQ in treating animal models of asthma. We found 399 articles in Scopus, 927 in Web of Science, and 790 in PubMed, from a total number of 2116 articles. After deleting duplicate articles, we read the remaining 1126 titles and abstracts. Finally, 37 articles were selected for full reading. After excluding papers without full text, duplicates, letters, case studies, and those whose topic did not meet the criteria of this study, 8 articles remained. In the manual search, we did not find any deviating articles from the systematic search.
Results:
Our results showed that TQ had a significant effect on the reduction of Th2 cytokines, including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, in animal models of asthma.
Conclusion:
Current evidence shows the anti-inflammatory effects of TQ on Th2 cytokines, but its association with the reduction of Th2 cytokines in animal models of asthma needs further studies.
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