title: Amelioration of asthmatic inflammation by an aqueous extract of Spinacia oleracea Linn.
abstract: Inflammation of the respiratory tract is a crucial process in immune diseases, including asthma, and atopic rhinitis. To establish whether an aqueous extract of Spinacia oleracea Linn (SoL) has a beneficial influence in terms of anti-asthmatic activity, we examined its effects on an ovalbumin-induced asthmatic model. Mice sensitized to ovalbumin were orally administered the SoL extract, and their lungs examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining to determine IL-4/13 cytokine expression. The SoL extract exerted strong anti-asthmatic effects by inducing a decrease in the CD4+ cell number, IL-4/13, and other molecular markers in the lung. Our results collectively indicate that the aqueous SoL extract ameliorates asthmatic symptoms effectively in a mouse ovalbumin-challenge model.
authors.affiliation: Food and Bio-Industry Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Chul-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Si-Oh
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae-Ho
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Han
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D018793:Interleukin-13; D010936:Plant Extracts; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin