Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Allolobophora caliginosa extract against Ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation in asthmatic female BALB/c mice

Background: The chronic inflammatory and immunological disease "Asthma" is characterized by oxidative stress disruptions and is typically treated with glucocorticoids, the most potent anti-inflammatory agents. However, prolonged use may result in many adverse effects. Earthworms have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic characteristics. This study investigates the possible protective properties of Allolobophora caliginosa extract (AcE) in asthma model. Method: Twenty-four female mice were allocated into four groups: control, ovalbumin (OVA), OVA + AcE (45 mg/kg), and OVA + dexamethasone (Dexa) (1 mg/kg). We assessed bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) inflammatory cells, nasal scratching frequency, BALF and serum IgE, ILs-4, -1β, and -13, and OVA-specific IgE levels, pulmonary oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels, reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration and catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity), the frequency of CD19⁺ B-lymphocytes, histopathology (H&E and Masson’s trichrome stains), and the immunohistochemistry expression of p-nuclear factor Kappa-B (NF-κB) p65 in the lungs. Results: AcE markedly reduced BALF inflammatory cells, nasal scratching frequency, IgE, OVA-specific IgE, IL-4, -1β, -13, CD19⁺ B cells, MDA, NO levels, as well as asthmatic mice histological inflammatory scores. The histologic and histochemical studies showed improved lung structure, decreased goblet cell hyperplasia, and reduced collagen precipitation after AcE treatment. Conclusion: The anti-asthmatic properties of AcE are attributed to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, specifically its capacity to inhibit NF-κB and CD19⁺ expression and inhibit oxidative stress.