Article Abstract

Volume 35, No. (5), 2025 (October)
Baicalin Attenuates Allergic Rhinitis in Rats via Suppressing TLR4/AP-1 Inflammatory Signaling Pathway
Fengbo Yang, Fengjiao Li, Xing Chen, Ping Lv, Ruhui Xiao, Daxiong Ding, Qian Li

F. Yang¹, F. Li², X. Chen³, P. Lv⁴, R. Xiao⁵, D. Ding⁶, Q. Li⁷*

¹ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan, China,
² Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan Polytechnic University, The Second People's Hospital of Jiaozuo, Jiaozuo, 454000, Henan, China,
³ The Center of Infectious Diseases, Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan, China,
⁴ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan, China,
⁵ Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan, China,
⁶ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan, China,
⁷ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chengdu Second People’s Hospital, Chengdu, 610000, Sichuan, China,

Corresponding Author: liqiansph@126.com
Page Number(s): 1291-1301
Published Online First: July 22, 2025
Publication Date: September 30, 2025
ABSTRACT

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a type of non-infectious inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa with a complex pathogenesis. This study investigated the mechanism of Baicalin (BAI, main active component of Radix Scutellariae extract) on the immune-inflammatory response in AR rat model through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/activator protein-1 (AP-1) pathway. Healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used as Control group. The AR model (AR group) was constructed by ovalbumin sensitization, and treated with 0.9 mg/kg loratadine (LRD group) and 20, 40, 80 mg/kg of BAI (LD-BAI group, MD-BAI group and HD-BAI group)via intragastric administration for 28 days. Symptom scores of the rats were assessed, peripheral blood was collected to determine Th1/Th2 cell ratios and changes ininflammatory cytokines, and nasal mucosa tissues were harvested to analyze pathological morphological changes and the expression of proteins related to the TLR4/AP-1 signaling pathway. As against Control group, AR group suggested increased symptom scores; nasal mucosa tissue edema, congestion, and inflammatory cell infiltration; decreased CD3+CD4+IFN-γ+Th1 proportion and increased CD3+CD4+IL-4+Th2 proportion in peripheral blood; elevated levels of inflammatory cytokinesIgE, IL-4, IL-17, and TNF-α, and decreased levels of IL-10 and IFN-γ; increased relative expression (RE) of TLR4, Ikkβ, NF-κB, p-JNK, and AP-1 proteins in nasal mucosa tissue (P≤0.05). As against AR group, LRD group, LD-BAI group, MD-BAI group, and HD-BAI group all suggested visible improvements in symptom scores, nasal mucosa tissue morphology, peripheral blood immune cell ratios, immune cytokine levels, and the expression of TLR4 pathway-related proteins in nasal mucosa, with HD-BAI group (80 mg/kg) demonstrating the most significant improvements in all indicators (P≤0.05vs. AR group). These findings suggest that BAI may alleviate AR symptoms by modulating immune-inflammatory responses via TLR4/AP-1 signaling. BAI can suppress the activation of TLR4 and its downstream Ikkβ/NF-κB, JNK/AP-1 inflammatory signaling pathwaysin AR rat model. BAI shows the developing novel treatment modalities for AR, warranting further investigation.

Keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Baicalin; nasal mucosa;inflammatory cytokines; TLR4; Ikkβ/NF-κB; JNK/AP-1

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Journal Impact Factor: 0.5 | (JCR Year: 2025) | Cite Score: 1.3

HEC Category: W

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ISSN Details

Print ISSN: 1018-7081

Electronic ISSN: 2309-8694

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