Reduction of Pulmonary Inflammation by pH Modifiers

Abstract Pulmonary inflammation is a common pathological feature of a variety of diseases, ofwhich successful therapy with currently available anti-inflammatory drugs is limited byresistance and adverse side effects. Using the ovalbumin-induced mouse allergic asthma model,the present study shows that treatments with pH modifiers, particularly simple acids such asacetate or hydrochloric acid, effectively depleted inflammatory cells in the lungs and blood aswell as hyperplastic lung tissue cells while preserving the structure of the blood vessels and lungparenchyma. The acid treatments also suppressed mucus hypersecretion. These resultsdemonstrated pH modifiers as a new class of broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory agents with antiproliferationand mucus suppression activities.