Investigating the therapeutic potential of polymeric roflumilast nanosuspension in modulating asthma hallmarks using an in vivo ovalbumin model

Asthma is an inflammatory disorder that affects millions of people around the world. Roflumilast (RFL) is a well-known drug used in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which is now being explored for its potential in asthma management. The objective of this research is to evaluate the efficacy of polymeric RFL nanosuspension using an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma mice model. The mice were divided into four groups, each with six mice: a control group, a disease group, RFL pure drug, and RFL NSP. Samples of blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and lung tissues were collected and analyzed. A significant reduction in eosinophil and neutrophil counts was observed in the blood of mice treated with both RFL and RFL NSP. The level of IL-4, TNF-α, and IL-5 levels decreased compared to the OVA group in BALF. RFL NSP significantly reduced serum IgE (p < 0.001), lymphocytes, total leukocyte count, neutrophils (p < 0.0001), IL-4 (p < 0.01), and TNF-α (p < 0.001) levels as compared to the OVA group; eosinophils and IL-5 did not significantly change. Histopathological investigation of lung tissue showed that the inflammation is reduced in both RFL NSP and pure RFL case with more improvement in the RFL NSP group. The results showed that polymeric RFL NSP could be used in treating asthma as it shows better inflammatory cell modulation when compared to pure RFL indicating a better efficacy in reducing ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation. Further research should focus on different nanocarriers or formulation methods to improve therapeutic outcomes. Clinical trials will also be crucial to confirm the safety and effectiveness of improved formulations.