Interleukin-5 reduces the expression of uteroglobin-related protein (UGRP) 1 gene in allergic airway inflammation

Airway inflammation is thought to play a major role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. The precise role of individual inflammatory cells, mediator and asthma related genes in allergic lung diseases is not completely understood. The uteroglobin-related protein (UGRP) 1 was proposed to be an asthma candidate gene and play a role in regulating lung inflammation, however its precise function in the airways remains obscure. In this investigation, we used a mouse model of allergic airway inflammation to establish a relationship between UGRP 1 and IL-5 in airway inflammation. Ovalbumin (OVA) challenged mice demonstrate eosinophilia in airway tissues and high levels of IL-5 in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid analogous to that found in bronchial asthma. Interestingly, these “OVA-challenged” mice show down-regulation of Ugrp1 expression as compared with the control group. Regression analysis further demonstrates a significant negative correlation between Ugrp1 mRNA expression in the lung and IL-5 levels in BAL fluid with r = 0.948 and P < 0.0001 when IL-5 levels were normalized by log transformation. Intranasal instillation of IL-5 to mice revealed an inhibitory effect of IL-5 on the expression of Ugrp1 mRNA. Together, these results indicate an involvement of IL-5 in the down-regulation of Ugrp1 expression in airway inflammation such as allergic asthma disease.