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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Animals, Antifibrinolytic Agents, Asthma, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid, Collagen, Disease Models, Animal, Eosinophils, Gelatinases, Inflammation, Interleukin-5, Leukocytosis, Lung, Lymphocytes, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mucus, Plasminogen, Tranexamic Acid, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha.
user
Is plasminogen an important regulator in the pathogenesis of a murine model of asthma? Context: Asthma is a syndrome whose common pathogenic expression is inflammation of the airways. Plasminogen plays an important role in cell migration and is also implicated in tissue remodeling, but its role in asthma has not been defined. To test whether plasminogen is a critical component in the development of asthma. We used a mouse model of ovalbumin-induced pulmonary inflammation in Plg(+/+), Plg(+/-), and Plg(-/-) mice. The host responses measured included lung morphometry, and inflammatory mediators and cell counts were assessed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Bronchoalveolar lavage demonstrated a marked increase in eosinophils and lymphocytes in ovalbumin-treated Plg(+/+) mice, which were reduced to phosphate-buffered saline-treated control levels in Plg(+/-) or Plg(-/-) mice. Lung histology revealed peribronchial and perivascular leukocytosis, mucus production, and increased collagen deposition in ovalbumin-treated Plg(+/+) but not in Plg(+/-) or Plg(-/-) mice. IL-5, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and gelatinases, known mediators of asthma, were detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of ovalbumin-treated Plg(+/+) mice, yet were reduced in Plg(-/-) mice. Administration of the plasminogen inhibitor, tranexamic acid, reduced eosinophil and lymphocyte numbers, mucus production, and collagen deposition in the lungs of ovalbumin-treated Plg(+/+) mice.
assistant
The decreased inflammation in the lungs of Plg(-/-) mice and its blockade with a plasminogen inhibitor indicate that plasminogen plays an important role in orchestrating the asthmatic response and suggests that plasminogen may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of asthma. Final Decision: yes