Chemerin Deficiency Exacerbates OzoneInduced Increases in Airway Responsiveness

Intranasal insufflation of chemerin, a non-chemokine chemoattractant, decreases the severity of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) following antigen sensitization and challenge, an atopic asthma stimulus, via suppression of CCL2 secretion. However, the effect of chemerin on AHR induced by ozone (O3), a non-atopic asthma stimulus, is unknown. Furthermore, chemerin reduces alignment of collagen, and when collagen is present in excess in the lung interstitium, this decreases quasi-static respiratory system compliance (Cstat).