Abstract

Traditional herbal medicines may be viable alternatives to corticosteroid therapy for treatment of asthma. However, the therapeutic mechanisms of herbal compounds remain a matter of considerable debate. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of Chung-Sang-Bo-Ha-Tang (CSBHT), a herbal compound administrated therapeutically to asthma patients for centuries, on airway inflammation and remodeling in a murine model of chronic asthma. BALB/c mice sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) were chronically challenged with aerosolized OVA for 6 weeks. During the last 2 weeks, some mice were treated daily with CSBHT by intragastric feeding. Dexamethasone (Dex)-treated, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-treated, and naïve mice served as controls. The effects of CSBHT on airway inflammation, lung pathology, and cytokine production were evaluated. Mice exposed to recurrent airway challenge with OVA had chronic inflammation and characteristics of airway remodeling, including subepithelial fibrosis, epithelial hypertrophy, and goblet cell hyperplasia. CSBHT was as effective as Dex at moderately reducing these changes compared to the PBS-treated mice. In addition, IL-5 and IFN-γ levels in supernatants of Concanavalin A (Con A)-activated splenocyte cultures were reduced in mice treated with CSBHT. Treatment with CSBHT during the last 2 weeks of challenge modulated airway inflammation and remodeling in a murine model of chronic asthma. Thus, CSBHT may effectively delay the progression of airway inflammation and remodeling. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Author keywords

Chronic asthma; Chung-Sang-Bo-Ha-Tang; Mice

Indexed keywords

EMTREE drug terms: antiasthmatic agent; buffer; chung sang bo ha tang; concanavalin A; cytokine; dexamethasone; gamma interferon; herbaceous agent; interleukin 5; ovalbumin; phosphate; sodium chloride; unclassified drug

EMTREE medical terms: aerosol; animal cell; animal experiment; animal model; animal tissue; article; asthma; cell culture; cell hyperplasia; chronic inflammation; clinical feature; concentration (parameters); controlled study; cytokine production; drug efficacy; exposure; female; fibrosis; goblet cell; hypertrophy; Korea; lung alveolus epithelium; lung disease; mouse; nonhuman; priority journal; provocation test; respiratory tract disease; sensitization; spleen cell; supernatant; traditional medicine; tube feeding

MeSH: Administration, Oral; Animals; Asthma; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Cell Count; Chronic Disease; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Immunoglobulin E; Korea; Lung; Medicine, Oriental Traditional; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Ovalbumin; Plant Extracts; Plant Preparations; Spleen; T-Lymphocytes
Medline is the source for the MeSH terms of this document.

Chemicals and CAS Registry Numbers: concanavalin A, 11028-71-0; dexamethasone, 50-02-2; gamma interferon, 82115-62-6; ovalbumin, 77466-29-6; phosphate, 14066-19-4, 14265-44-2; sodium chloride, 7647-14-5;chung-sang-bo-ha-tang; Cytokines; Immunoglobulin E, 37341-29-0; Ovalbumin, 9006-59-1; Plant Extracts; Plant Preparations