[Regulatory function of Shen-reinforcing and qi-supplementing drugs on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and interleukin-6 dysfunction in asthmatic rats].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of Shen-reinforcing and qi-supplementing (SRQS) drugs on some ingredients of neuro-endocrine-immune (NEI) network in asthma rat model.


METHODS
Asthma model was established by ovalbumin sensitization and long-term excitation. Forty healthy Brown Norway rats of clean grade were randomly divided into 4 groups by randomized digital table, the normal control group and the three treated groups treated by low, moderate and high dose of SRQS drugs respectively. Blood content of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) was detected by RIA; interleukin-6 (IL-6) and corticosterone were determined by ELISA; and the mRNA expresion of corticosteroid release hormone (CRH) in hypothalamus was tested by Realtime-PCR.


RESULTS
Eosinophile inflammation was shown in the pathology of asthma model rats, and also shown a multiple level hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) disorder at the repeated attack of asthma. After treatment, levels of ACTH and CRH mRNA expression in the treated groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (P <0.05), but the corticosterone only showed a rising tendency. Level of IL-6 increased during the episode, showing a significant negative correlation with ACTH (r = - 0.325, P = 0.043), and had somewhat reduction after SRQS treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
SRQS drugs could improve the function of HPH axis independent of IL-6, suggesting that the action is possibly targeted on the neuro-endocrine axis, which might be the hypothalamus.
Gong
Zhao-Hua
ZH
Lab of Integrative Medicine for Lung, Inflammation and Cancers, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai.
Dong
Jing-Cheng
JC
Xie
Jin-Yu
JY
D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D019413:Qi; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015850:Interleukin-6