Airway remodeling can lead to irreversible airflow obstruction and persistent airway hyper-responsiveness, which is the pathological basis of refractory asthma. To investigate the preventive effect of protocatechuic aldehyde on airway remodeling in asthmatic mice by lung morphometry methods. BALB/c mice were used to establish model of airway remodeling by ovalbumin (OVA) inhalation. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected for eosinophils (EOS) count and detection of interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin-13 (IL-13) and interferon (IFN-γ) content. The left lung pathological sections were performed HE, AB-PAS and Masson staining. The epithelial lamina thickness of the left main bronchus (Re), the smooth muscle layer thickness (Rm), the number of goblet cells and goblet cell area percentage (%Ac) and gas side of the road and vascular collagen deposition (%Aco, %Avc) situation were measured. Protocatechuic aldehyde gavage made the reduction of BALF EOS count. IL-4 and IL-13 levels also decreased, while the IFN-γ level increased. The left main bronchus Re, Rm, goblet cell count, Ac% and Aco% and Avc% reduced. Protocatechuic aldehyde can significantly control airway inflammation and prevent airway remodeling.
Keywords: Protocatechuic aldehyde; airway remodeling; asthma; lung morphometry.