title: Anti-inflammatory effects of the Chinese herbal formula FAHF-2 in experimental and human IBD.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease with increasing incidence in children. Current medications have potentially serious side effects, hence increasing interest in alternative therapies. We previously developed an herbal formula, FAHF-2, based on a classical traditional Chinese herbal formula Wu Mei Wan that has long been used in China to treat colitis. We investigated FAHF-2's potential anti-inflammatory effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  FAHF-2 efficacy was tested in vivo in the CD45RbRAG1 transfer colitis model. Weight loss, colonic histology, and cytokine production from mesenteric lymph nodes were assessed. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and colonic biopsies were obtained from children newly diagnosed with CD and controls and cultured with or without FAHF-2. Cytokine levels were measured by multiplex immunoassay. The effect of FAHF-2 on TNF-α-producing cells was determined by flow cytometry. NF-κB signaling was investigated in human lamina propria mononuclear cells upon FAHF-2 treatment by In-Cell Western.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FAHF-2-treated mice had decreased weight loss, improved histology, and reduced TNF-α, IL-17, IL-6, and IFN-γ production. In vitro treated PBMCs produced less TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-12. FAHF-2 reduced the TNF-α-producing monocytes and T cells. Inflamed CD biopsies produced less TNF-α, IL-17, IL-6, and IL-1β. These effects are because of decreased NF-κB activation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FAHF-2 inhibited both adaptive and innate immune proinflammatory cytokine responses in PBMCs and inflamed CD mucosa due in part to blockage of NF-κB activation. FAHF-2 was effective in halting progression of colitis in a murine model. This study shows that FAHF-2 has potential as a novel treatment of CD.
authors.affiliation: *Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Jaffe Food Allergy Institute; †Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics; and ‡Division of Clinical Immunology, Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; and §Department of Pathology, Columbia University Medical School, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dunkin
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dahan
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iuga
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ceballos
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoffstadter-Thal
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Benkov
authors.forename: Lloyd
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Xiu-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D003092:Colitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; C497376:Food Allergy Herbal Formula-2; D010936:Plant Extracts