Moxifloxacin suppresses airway inflammation and modulates expression of caveolin-1 and flotillin-1 in airway smooth muscle cells of asthmatic rats

The characteristics of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) from asthmatic patients change significantly, and they are intrinsically different from those of nonasthmatic ASMCs: hypercontractile, hyperproliferative and hypersecretory (1). Increasing evidence indicates that ASMCs can secrete significant amounts of immunomodulatory factors [e.g., interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, and eotaxin], and may be indicative of an immunomodulatory role of ASMCs in regulation of airway function, as well as in airway diseases associated with acute and/or chronic inflammation, such as asthma (2,3). Previous study indicates that asthmatic ASMCs could secrete more IL-8 and eotaxin than nonasthmatic ASMCs (4), which was in accordance with previous findings. Thus, ASMCs have been considered a promising “target” in the treatment of asthma (1)