The novel TRPA1 antagonist BI01305834 inhibits ovalbumin-induced bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We hypothesized that TRPA1 channels contribute to airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammation in asthma. We evaluated the efficacy of the novel TRPA1 antagonist BI01305834 in a guinea pig model of asthma. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: First a pilot study was performed in a guinea pig model of allergic asthma to find the optimal dose of BI01305834. Next, the effect of BI01305834 on AHR to inhaled histamine after the early and late asthmatic reaction (EAR and LAR), magnitude of EAR and LAR and airway inflammation was assessed. Precision-cut lung slices and trachea strips were used to investigate the bronchoprotective and bronchodilating effect of BI01305834. KEY RESULTS: A dose of 1 mg/kg BI01305834 was selected based on AHR and exposure data in blood samples from the pilot study. In the subsequent study 1 mg/kg BI01305834 inhibited AHR after EAR, and the development of EAR and LAR elicited by ovalbumin in OA-sensitized guinea pigs. BI01305834 did not inhibit allergen-induced total and differential cells in the lavage fluid and interleukin-13 gene expression in lung homogenates. Furthermore, BI01305834 was able to inhibit allergen and histamine-induced airway narrowing in guinea pig lung slices, without affecting histamine release, and reverse allergen-induced bronchoconstriction in guinea pig trachea strips. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: TRPA1 inhibition protects against AHR and the EAR and LAR in vivo and allergen and histamine-induced airway narrowing ex vivo, and reverses allergen-induced bronchoconstriction, independently of inflammation. This effect was partially dependent upon histamine, suggesting a neuronal and possible non-neuronal role for TRPA1 in allergen-induced bronchoconstriction.