Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang attenuates allergic airway inflammation and remodeling in repetitive Dermatogoides pteronyssinus challenged chronic asthmatic mice model.
BACKGROUND
Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang (XQLT) has been used for centuries in Asia to effectively treat patients with bronchial asthma.


OBJECTIVE
We previously found that single and multiple doses of XQLT administered to sensitized mice before allergen challenge resulted in suppressed airway hyper-responsiveness and airway inflammation. In this study we aimed to investigate whether XQLT has the potential to attenuate the severity of asthma symptoms, and immunomodulatory mechanism of XQLT in a repetitive Dermatogoides pteronyssinus (D. pteronyssinus)-challenged chronic asthmatic mice model.


METHODS
BALB/c mice were intratracheally (i.t.) inoculated with five doses of D. pteronyssinus (50 μl, 1mg/ml) and orally administered of XQLT (1 g/kg) at 1-week intervals. At three days after the last challenge, mice were sacrificed to evaluate airway remodeling, inflammation, lung histological features, and the expression profiles of cytokines and various genes.


RESULTS
XQLT significantly reduced bronchial inflammatory cell infiltration and airway remodeling. It inhibited D. pteronyssinus-induced total IgE and D. pteronyssinus-specific IgG1 in serum, and changed the "T(H)2-bios" in BALF by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB. Collagen assay and Histopathology indicated that XQLT reduced airway remodeling in the lung. Simultaneously, the RT-PCR analysis showed that XQLT downregulated IL-10, IL-13, RANTES, Eotaxin, and MCP-1 mRNA expression in the lung. Moreover, EMSA and immunohistochemistry staining demonstrated that XQLT inhibited NF-κB expression in the nucleus of bronchial epithelial cells.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that XQLT exhibits anti-airway inflammatory, anti-airway remodeling, and specific immunoregulatory effects in a chronic asthmatic mice model.
School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
Shulhn-Der
SD
Wang
Li-Jen
LJ
Lin
Chih-Lung
CL
Chen
Shih-Chang
SC
Lee
Chin-Che
CC
Lin
Jiu-Yao
JY
Wang
Shung-Te
ST
Kao
D056151:Airway Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000378:metabolism; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000378:metabolism; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D039981:Pyroglyphidae
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018793:Interleukin-13; D016328:NF-kappa B; C090832:sho-seiryu-to; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007073:Immunoglobulin E