title: Effect of San-ao Decoction, a traditional Chinese prescription, on IL-4 treated normal human bronchial epithelium.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  San-ao Decoction (SA) is a classical prescription, clinically employed to treat asthma in Chinese medicine.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was designed to examine whether SA has a protective effect on normal human bronchial epithelium modeled by interleukin-4 (IL-4), in association with eotaxin-3.
  
  
  METHODS
  SA is made of three traditional Chinese medicines: Herba Ephedrae, Semen Armeniacae amarum and Radix Glycyrrhizae. Apoptosis was measured by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry with IL-4 activated NHBE. In addition, eotaxin-3 mRNA's expression was detected by RT-PCR in NHBE stimulated with IL-4.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry showed that IL-4-induced normal human bronchial epithelium (NHBE) apoptosis, while SA decreased the apoptosis of NHBE with IL-4 stimulation. RT-PCR showed no expression or low expression of eotaxin-3 mRNA on NHBE, IL-4 enhanced the eotaxin-3 mRNA's expression, and that could be decreased by SA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that SA can decrease NHBE's damage and inflammation through reducing eotaxin-3 mRNA expression.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory for TCM Formulae Research, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Rd., Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ming-Yan
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xin-sheng
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qing-chun
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001980:Bronchi / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4 / Q000819:agonists / Q000502:physiology; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4; C546519:San-Ao decoction; D015847:Interleukin-4