STUDY THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF TAMSULOSIN BY THE EVALUATION OF INFLAMMATORY CELLS AND LUNG HISTOPATHOLOGY IN AN AIRWAY INFLAMMATION MODEL IN RATS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Basrah, Iraq

Abstract

Objective: Study the role of tamsulosin on the respiratory inflammation in rats with ovalbumin (OVA) induced airway sensitization by evaluating the inflammatory cells in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the lung histopathology. Materials and methods: Thirty adult male albino rats were allocated into 5 groups (n=6).  Group A – Normal control (NC) fed commercial pellets and water. Group B – (as negative control) – subjected to an airway OVA-sensitization. Group C (as positive control) – treated with oral prednisolone (4.12 mg/kg) plus OVA-sensitization. Group D – treated with oral tamsulosin (35 mcg/kg/d, equivalent to 0.4 mg for a 70 kg human) plus OVA-sensitization. Group E – treated with oral tamsulosin (17.5 mcg/kg/d, equivalent to 0.2 mg tamsulosin for a 70 kg human) plus OVA-sensitization. Inflammatory cells count/µl in the BALF was calculated along with histological analysis of the lung tissue. Results: Both doses of tamsulosin (35 and 17.5 mcg/kg/d) significantly reduced the total WBC count, eosinophils, and neutrophils. A significant reduction in mononuclear cells was detected after treatment with 35 mcg/kg/d tamsulosin. Also, the histopathological examination revealed that both doses (35 and 17.5 mcg/kg/d) of tamsulosin caused less agglomeration of the inflammatory cells within the lung tissue and clear alveolar sacs. Conclusion: the administration of tamsulosin in rats with induced airway sensitization resulted in protection from respiratory inflammatory events.

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