Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam extract reduces ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation and T helper 2 responses in mice.
BACKGROUND
Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam (BC) was known as traditional herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory property in the Orient.


OBJECTIVE
Allergic asthma is inflammatory disease of airways associated with enhanced T helper (Th) 2 lymphocytes responses to allergens, leading to eosinophilic infiltration and elevated serum IgE levels. Although there were some studies that BC extract had an anti-inflammatory property, there was no study on asthma. In present study, we investigated the suitability of BC extract as a therapeutic candidate in the treatment of allergic airway disease in ovalbumin-induced asthma model.


METHODS
Balb/C mice (female, 6 weeks old) were treated by ovalbumin sensitization and nebulization, and used as asthma model. The number of eosinophil in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and the degree of eosinophila were investigated by hematoxylin and eosin stain and the infiltration of inflammatory cells into lung tissues was examined by staining by hematoxylin and eosin solution. The levels of interleukin (IL)-4 in BAL fluid, immunoglobulin E (IgE) in serum, interferon (IFN)-gamma and IL-4 production in splenocyte culture from Balb/C mice (not treated, 6 weeks old) that incubated with or without BC extract for 48 h were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
The level of eosinophils was decreased by treatment of the animals with BC extract (40 mg/kg) and correspondingly, a significantly lowered degree of eosinophila was also reported (p<0.01). In lung tissue, BC extract reduced the increased immune cell infiltration induced by OVA (p<0.05). Furthermore, the levels of IL-4 and IgE in BAL fluid or serum up-regulated by OVA was decreased by BC extract. Finally, IFN-gamma production was significantly increased (p<0.01), while IL-4 production significantly decreased (p<0.01), after treatment of the culture supernatants of splenocytes with BC extract.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicated that BC extract reduces OVA-induced airway inflammation and Th 2 response in mice, suggesting that BC extract can be a therapeutic candidate for allergic airway disease, including asthma.
Ra
Jehyeon
J
Department of Oriental Physiology, Kyung Hee East-West Pharmaceutical Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, #1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
Lee
Sanggon
S
Kim
Hye Jin
HJ
Jang
Young Pyo
YP
Ahn
Hyunjong
H
Kim
Jinju
J
D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism; D031723:Bambusa / Q000737:chemistry*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004804:Eosinophils; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D014132:Trachea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
D016207:Cytokines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010047:Ovalbumin