Abstract:: Objective: To explore the effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on Th1/Th2 cytokines and eosinophil inflammation in nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis rats by regulating TLR9/AP-1 signaling pathway. Methods: Selected 40 SPF SD male rats, were randomly divided into normal group (A), model (group B), furoic acid mo betamethasone (group C), Chinese wolfberry polysaccharide (D) group, each group of 10, only the B, C, D group of ovalbumin sensitization method is adopted to establish the model of allergic rhinitis, not to establish the model of group A, after the success of the modeling, spray to give 1 group C/side of furoic acid mo betamethasone nasal spray treatment, Group B was gavaged 100㎎/㎏ of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide, group A and GROUP B were gavaged at the same time with the same volume of normal saline, the nasal symptoms of the rats were scored, the pathological morphology of nasal mucosa tissues and eosinophils were detected and counted by HE staining, the serum Th1/Th2 cytokine levels of the rats were detected by ELISA. The expression of TLR9/AP-1 signaling pathway related proteins in nasal mucosa was detected by western blot. Results: Compared with group A, the score of nasal symptoms in group B was significantly increased (P<0.05); compared with group B, the score of nasal symptoms in groups C and D was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and group D was significantly decreased than group C (P<0.05); In group A, the nasal mucosa tissue structure was complete, smooth and orderly, and the gland size was normal, without obvious inflammatory cell infiltration, epithelial necrosis and exfoliation, and obvious vascular dilation or hyperemia. In group B, the nasal mucosa epithelium structure was disordered and incomplete, cilia were of different thickness, and epithelial cell shrinkage, necrosis and even exfoliation were observed. There were obvious glandular hyperplasia, swelling, bleeding and inflammatory cell infiltration of eosinophils. Compared with group B, the pathological status of group C and B was significantly improved, and eosinophils were significantly reduced. Compared with group A, the number of eosinophils in nasal mucosa of group B was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the number of eosinophils in nasal mucosa of groups C and D was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the number of eosinophils in group D was significantly decreased compared with group C (P<0.05). Compared with group A, the content of INF-γ in serum of group B was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the content of IL-4 was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with group B, the content of INF-γ in serum of groups C and D was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the content of IL-4 was significantly decreased (P<0.05). The change of group D was significantly higher than that of group C (P < 0.05). Compared with group A, the protein expressions of TLR9 and AP-1 in nasal mucosa tissues of group B were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the protein expressions of TLR9 and AP-1 in nasal mucosa tissues of groups C and D were significantly decreased compared with group B (P<0.05), and the changes in group D were significantly higher than that in group C (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between group E and group D (P > 0.05), and group F was significantly lower than group E (P<0.05). Conclusion: LBP can effectively regulate Th1/Th2 cytokine level and relieve eosinophil inflammation in nasal mucosa in rats with allergic rhinitis, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of TLR9/AP-1 signaling pathway.
