Conclusion
Lovastatin may be beneficial for the treatment of allergic inflammatory diseases in the airways, such as allergic bronchial asthma.
Methods
Inflammatory cell counts and levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, eotaxin, thymus and activation-regulated chemokine and leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids were measured.
Results
Significant increases in eosinophils and levels of the T helper 2 cytokines, chemokines and LTB(4) in BAL fluids in association with the increments of total and OA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in sera were observed in the repeatedly antigen-challenged mice. The airway eosinophilia was ameliorated by lovastatin, whereas it had no significant effect on the levels of these inflammatory mediators or IgE.