[Effect of epimedium herb on RANTES and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 expression in lung tissue of asthmatic rats].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effects of epimedium herb (EH), a Chinese herb for replenishing Shen, on regulated on activation, normal T call expressed and secreted (RANTES) and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3) expression in lung tissue of asthmatic rats, for further exploring the action mechanism of EH in treating asthma.


METHODS
Brown Norway rats were randomly divided into six groups: the normal control group (A), the allergic asthma model group (B), the group of model rat treated with dexamethasone (C), and the three groups of model rat treated with low (0.125 g/mL), medium (0.5 g/mL), high (2.0 g/mL) dose of EH (D, E and F). RANTES and MCP-3 mRNA expressions in lung tissue were tested with Real-time PCR and the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interleukin-5 (IL-5) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
As compared with the model group (B), RANTES, MCP-3 expression and TNF-alpha were lower in the 4 treated groups (C, D, E and F, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); IL-4 was lower in Group C, E and F (P = 0.007, P = 0.047, P = 0.033), while that in Group D was higher than that in Group C (P = 0.012). As for level of IL-5, lowering was shown only in Group C and F (P = 0.003, P = 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Applying EH in the attack stage of asthma can alleviate the airway inflammation by down-regulating the expression of RANTES and MCP-3 in lung tissue.
Xie
Jin-Yu
JY
Institute of Integrative Medicine, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai).
Dong
Jing-Cheng
JC
Cui
Yan
Y
D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000235:genetics*; D054410:Chemokine CCL7 / Q000235:genetics*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D034181:Epimedium / Q000737:chemistry*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D054410:Chemokine CCL7; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015848:Interleukin-5; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4