Icariin attenuates glucocorticoid insensitivity mediated by repeated psychosocial stress on an ovalbumin-induced murine model of asthma

• Icariin displayed anti-inflammation and anti-anxiety potential in asthma-SDR model.
• Icariin could modify the HPA-axis function.
• Icarrin facilitated corticosteroid responsiveness partly due to GR up-regulation.

Evidence shows that psychosocial stress exacerbates asthma, but there is little intervention to alleviate negative effects of psychosocial stress on asthma. We investigated the role of icariin in anti-inflammation and anti-anxiety potential in a murine model combined psychosocial stress with allergic exposure. The results indicated that icariin administered remarkable increased activity in the center of the open field, reversed airway hyperresponsivenesss, reduced inflammatory cytokine infiltration to the lung and whole body and also in part recovered glucocorticoid responsiveness. Furthermore, our data also showed that icariin significantly inhibited increases of corticosterone and markedly increased glucocorticoid receptor mRNA and protein expression in the lungs of mice exposed to both stress and allergen. Collectively, we speculate that inducing glucocorticoid receptor modulation might be the potential mechanisms of icariin to facilitate corticosteroid responsiveness of cytokine production.