Therapeutic effects of hypobaric hypoxia on asthma in guinea pigs / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To explore the mechanism of the therapeutic effect of hypobaric hypoxia on allergic asthmas guinea pigs. METHODS：After the model of asthma was established with ovalbumin(OA) challenge in OA sensitized guinea pigs, the animals were randomized into the asthmas group(AG), the alleviative group(ALG) and hypobaric hypoxia treated group(HHTG). The levels of plasma cortisol and endothelin(ET), ET in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) were determined by radioimmunoassay. The pulmonary pathological changes were observed with optical microscope. RESULTS:(1) Infiltration of eosinophils (EOS) in alveolar septum was found in AG and ALG, while it was reduced in HHTG. (2) The level of plasma cortisol was significantly higher in AG than in normal control group(NCG) (P＜0.01).But it was significantly lower in ALG than in NCG(P＜0.01), there was no difference in plasma cortisol level between HHTG and NCG. (3) The content of ET in plasma was significantly higher in ALG than that in NCG, AG and HHTG(P＜0.01), and ET level in BALF was significantly higher in AG than that in NCG, ALG and HHTG(P＜0.05),however, no significant difference was found among the latter three groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: After the treatment with hypobaric hypoxia, the ET levels of the plasma and BALF were decreaced and the content of plasma cortisol was increaced, and infiltration of EOS in alveolar septum was decreaced in asthmatic guinea pigs.That may be one of the mechanisms by which hypobavic hypoxia prevents and cures asthma.