Nigella sativa as an anti-inflammatory agent in asthma.

Objective: Nigella sativa (N. sativa) has several pharmacological actions which include antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, antitussive, immunomodulator, analgesic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, and bronchodilator. The purpose of this study is to measure the effectivity of N.

Activation of connective tissue-type and mucosal-type mast cells in compound 48/80-induced airway response.

The pathology of non-immunological airway contraction is not well understood. To define the activation of different phenotypes of mast cells, a rat non-immunological asthmatic model was prepared. Airway contraction in rats was measured by an unrestrained whole-body plethysmographic system following a 10-min inhalation challenge with a 5% solution of compound 48/80.