title: Astragalus extract attenuates allergic airway inflammation and inhibits nuclear factor κB expression in asthmatic mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Astragalus membranaceus from traditional Chinese herbal medicines previously showed that it possesses a strong anti-inflammatory activity. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effect of astragalus on allergen-induced airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness and investigate its possible molecular mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female BALB/c mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) developed airway inflammation. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was assessed for total and differential cell counts and cytokine and chemokine levels. In vivo airway responsiveness to increasing concentrations of methacholine was measured 24 hours after the last OVA challenge using whole-body plethysmography. The expression of inhibitory κB-α and p65 in lung tissues was measured by Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Astragalus extract attenuated lung inflammation, goblet cell hyperplasia and airway hyperresponsiveness in OVA-induced asthma and decreased eosinophils and lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In addition, astragalus extract treatment reduced expression of the key initiators of allergic T(H)2-associated cytokines (interleukin 4, interleukin 5) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, astragalus extract could inhibit nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) expression and suppress NF-κB translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in lung tissue samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, our current study demonstrated a potential therapeutic value of astragalus extract in the treatment of asthma and it may act by inhibiting the expression of the NF-κB pathway.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Child Health Care (Z-CY, M-JY, NR, PF, X-YF), Pediatrics (Z-HQ, CW, LX), and Breast Surgery (Z-DL), The Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China; and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NX), Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Chuan
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zheng-Hai
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Ming-Ji
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ni
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ran
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Xue-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Zhi-Dong
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D027883:Astragalus Plant; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000009:adverse effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010991:Plethysmography; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010047:Ovalbumin