β-Hydroxybutyrate attenuates bronchial smooth muscle proinflammatory cytokine production and contraction

This laboratory study tested beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in human bronchial smooth muscle cells in vitro and in mouse precision-cut lung slices ex vivo. In the cells, BHB suppressed IL-1 beta-induced proinflammatory cytokine production and reduced histamine-induced contraction through activation of the free fatty acid receptor 3 (FFAR3). In the lung slices, both BHB and an FFAR3 agonist reduced histamine-induced airway narrowing and epithelial cellular extrusion.