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OBJECTIVE Chronic airway inflammation and remodeling have been implicated in major mechanism of asthma.The 15-member macrolide azithromycin shows beneficial anti-inflammatory effect in patients with mild asthma.The present study was designed to investigate whether azithromycin attenuated ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation and remodeling in rat model of allergic asthma.METHODS To induce allergic airway inflammation, male SD rats were underwent intraperitoneal ovalbumin sensitization on days 1 and 6 followed by an intranasal challenge on day 7-13.The anti-asthmatic effect of azithromycin pretreatment (1 h before challenge) was evaluated.On day 14, airway inflammation and remodeling were assessed by quantifying leukocytes in the airway, expression of multiple inflammatory mediators in the BALF and serum, and histological examination in lung.RESULTS Azithromycin has anti-asthmatic properties in a rat model of allergic airway inflammation at the dose of 25 mg· kg-1.Compared to treatment with saline, azithromycin attenuated the ovalbumin-dependent airway inflammation and remodeling, including accumulation of neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosinophils, secretion of ET-1, IL-2, IL-4 and TNF-α, and mucus cell hyperplasia and thickening of the peribronchial smooth muscle layer.In this rat model of allergic asthma, azithromycin attenuated allergic airway inflammation and remodeling.CONCLUSION These findings demonstrate the anti-asthmatic effect of azithromycin in a rat model of asthma and suggest azithromycin may have beneficial effects in treating airway inflammatory of allergic asthma.