Investigation of TIM3 and PDCD1 genes role in the asthma treatment by the Zataria multiflora Boiss and carvacrol

Numerous medicinal and traditional uses for Zataria multiflora and its constituent, carvacrol, have been described such as antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. In this study, the effects of the hydroalcoholic extract of Z. multiflora and carvacrol by the PDCD1 and TIM3 pathways in moderate asthmatic disease were evaluated. PDCD1 is a cell surface membrane protein of the immunoglobulin superfamily and TIM3 is a Th1-specific cell surface protein that regulates macrophage activation. 48 asthmatic patients were selected according to GINA guidelines and divided into four groups consisted of the placebo before the treatment (group 1), placebo after the treatment (group 2), the Z. multiflora extract before treatment (5 and 10 mg / kg / day, Z 5 and Z 10 respectively) in the group 3, and the Z. multiflora extract after treatment (5 and 10 mg / kg / day, Z 5 and Z 10 respectively) in the group 4, (n = 12 for each group). Patients in all groups received medication three times a day for two months. Gene expression analysis was performed by the probe-based quantitative PCR technique on the total RNA of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Using the carvacrol treatment without Z. multiflora extract caused 29% increase in TIM3 expression. On the other hand, this treatment reduces the expression of PDCD1 to 71% of the control level. According to these results, it seems the TIM3 gene as an immune response inhibitor interfering with the asthma symptoms treatment by the carvacrol. Using the Z. multiflora extract along with the carvacrol has no significant effect on the TIM3 expression. On the contrary, the Z. multiflora extract increases the expression of the PDCD1 gene by 46%. This supports the immune response inhibitory role of the TIM3 in the asthma symptoms treatment by the carvacrol. The Z. multiflora extract, alone, has no effect on the TIM3 expression but it decreases the PDCD1 expression to the half. The results of this study showed that the Z. multiflora extract and carvacrol during two months treatment lead to TIM3 and PDCD1 expression changes which effects on the immune regulatory pathways

کلیدواژه ها:

Asthma ، PDCD1 ، TIM3 ، Respiratory Inflammation ، Zataria multiflora ، Carvacrol