Oxidative stress-related molecules as a therapeutic target for inflammatory and allergic diseases.

There is a growing body of evidence that oxidative stress mediated by reactive oxygen species plays an important role in the pathogenesis of various kinds of allergic and non-allergic inflammation. These data suggest that blocking reactive oxygen species should be useful for amelioration of allergic or non-allergic inflammation in the respiratory and intestinal tracts. In addition, the modulation of oxidative stress-related molecules, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase and redox-sensitive transcriptional factors, may be useful for the regulation of these inflammatory responses. In this review, we have summarized the recent advances in the prevention of allergic or non-allergic inflammation, especially the diesel exhaust particle-induced respiratory allergic response and dextran sulfate sodium-induced intestinal inflammation in rodents.