Photobiomodulation Mitigates PM_2.5-Exacerbated Pathologies in a Mouse Model of Allergic Asthma

• Published in: Antioxidants
• Main Authors: Jisu Park, Bo-Young Kim, Eun Jung Park, Yong-Il Shin, Ji Hyeon Ryu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2024-08-01
• Subjects: asthma; ferroptosis; oxidative stress; particulate matter (PM_2.5); photobiomodulation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/13/8/1003

Exposure to particulate matter (PM), especially PM_2.5, is known to exacerbate asthma, posing a significant public health risk. This study investigated the asthma-reducing effects of photobiomodulation (PBM) in a mice model mimicking allergic airway inflammation exacerbated by PM_2.5 exposure. The mice received sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA) and were subsequently treated with PM_2.5 at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg every 3 days, for 9 times over 3 weeks during the challenge. PBM, using a 610 nm wavelength LED, was applied at 1.7 mW/cm² to the respiratory tract via direct skin contact for 20 min daily for 19 days. Results showed that PBM significantly reduced airway hyperresponsiveness, plasma immunoglobulin E (IgE) and OVA-specific IgE, airway inflammation, T-helper type 2 cytokine, histamine and tryptase in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and goblet cell hyperplasia in PM_2.5-exposed asthmatic mice. Moreover, PBM alleviated subepithelial fibrosis by reducing collagen deposition, airway smooth muscle mass, and expression of fibrosis-related genes. It mitigated reactive oxygen species generation, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptotic cell death, ferroptosis, and modulated autophagic signals in the asthmatic mice exposed to PM_2.5. These findings suggest that PBM could be a promising intervention for PM_2.5-induced respiratory complications in patients with allergic asthma.