title: Ginseng ameliorates chronic histopathologic changes in a murine model of asthma.
abstract: Currently, asthma therapies are effective in reducing inflammation but airway remodeling is poorly responsive to these agents. New therapeutic options that have fewer side effects and reverse chronic changes in the lungs are essential. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of oral administration of ginseng on lung histopathology in a murine model of chronic asthma. BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: control, placebo, ginseng, and dexamethasone. All mice except those in the control group were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin. Then, mice in the ginseng group were given 2 gr/kg per day of ginseng and mice in the dexamethasone group received 1 mg/kg per day of dexamethasone via orogastic gavage once daily for 1 week. Lung histopathology was evaluated by using light and electron microscopy in all groups. All of the chronic changes of airways in the ginseng group were significantly ameliorated when compared with the placebo group. When compared with the dexamethasone group, the ginseng group had significantly lower numbers of mast cell count. Thicknesses of basement membrane, epithelium, and subepithelial smooth muscle were not statistically different between the ginseng and dexamethasone groups. Goblet cell numbers were much more reduced in the dexamethasone group. Ginseng is effective in resolving the established chronic histopathological changes of the lungs in the murine model of asthma.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Department of Pediatrics, Dokuz Eylul University Hospital, Balcova, Izmir, Turkey. arzu.babayigit@deu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Babayigit
authors.forename: Duygu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Olmez
authors.forename: Ozkan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karaman
authors.forename: H Alper
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Bagriyanik
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Bijen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kivcak
authors.forename: Guven
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Erbil
authors.forename: Nevin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uzuner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005894:Panax; D008517:Phytotherapy
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D010047:Ovalbumin