Rationale: Neutrophil is considered as a key effecter cell in persistence of the disease and acute exacerbation of severe asthma.Patients with severe asthma often have poor response to systemic corticosteroids and display excessive mucosal airway inflammation with unresolving neutrophilia.The airway presence is caused by both increased recruitment and prolonged longevity of neutrophils at inflamed sites.Objective: To investigate the effect of wogonin, a plant flavone from Scutellariae radix, on allergic neutrophilic inflammation in vivo and neutrophil apoptosis in vitro.Methods: A mouse model of neutrophilic asthma was generated using intranasal sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA) plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and then challenged with OVA alone.Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung tissue were evaluated for inflammation and inflammatory mediator production.Human peripheral blood neutrophil apoptosis following incubation with wogonin was investigated by morphology, flow cytometry, and pharmacological caspase inhibition, respectively.Results: Wogonin significantly attenuated inflammatory cell infiltration, especially neutrophilic inflammation, in the lung and reduced airway hyperresponsiveness in mice.Also, wogonin inhibited the production of OVA-specific IgE, TNF-α and IL-6.In vitro,wogonin induced a concentration-dependent human neutrophil apoptosis.Moreover, wogonin induced neutrophil apoptosis in association with activation of caspase-3, which was blocked by a broad spectrum of caspase inhibition.Conclusions: Wogonin attenuates allergic airway inflammation and facilitates neutrophil apoptosis, providing a potential therapy for neutrophilic asthma.