Airway inflammation and reversible airway obstruction are hallmarks of bronchial asthma. In this study, we investigated the effects of a new antiallergic drug, 7-{3-[4-(2-quinolinylmethyl)-1-piperazinyl]-propoxy}-2,3-dihydro-4H-1,4-benzothiazin-3-one (VUF-K-8788), on histopathological changes in lung parenchyma of guinea pigs during late-phase asthmatic reaction (LAR), and on eosinophil-adhesion to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).
Repeated exposure to ovalbumin of sensitized guinea pigs induced inflammatory phenomena such as hyperplasia of airway epithelial cells, perivascular edema and infiltration of lung parenchyma by eosinophils. VUF-K-8788 inhibited these histopathological phenomena at 10 mg/kg p.o. Moreover, the eosinophil-adherence to HUVEC was inhibited by VUF-K-8788 at the concentration of 10—30 μM. In conclusion, this inhibitory effect of VUF-K-8788 on eosinophil-adherence might contribute to the prevention of LAR and infiltration by eosinophils in the experimental asthmatic model in guinea pigs.