title: Bangpungtongseong-san, a traditional herbal medicine, attenuates chronic asthmatic effects induced by repeated ovalbumin challenge.
abstract: Airway remodeling is characterized by airway wall thickening, subepithelial ﬁbrosis, increased smooth muscle mass, angiogenesis and increased mucus secretion, which can lead to chronic and obstinate asthma and can obstruct pulmonary function. In this study, the effects of Bangpungtongseong-san water extract (BPTS) on airway remodeling were examined using a murine model of bronchial asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA) challenge. We focused on the effects of BPTS on the regulation of chronic asthma. BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to 5 groups, some of which were sensitized and challenged with OVA for 4 weeks. After the final ovalbumin challenge, typical asthma-like morphological changes were observed in the lung tissue with hematoxylin and eosin staining, periodic acid-Schiff, as well as with Masson's trichrome staining. The levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and Smad3 were assessed by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. The expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and adhesion molecules, such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 were also detected by western blot analysis. Our results revealed that BPTS reduced the OVA-induced increase in the infiltration of leukocytes, mucus hyperplasia and collagen deposition. Compared with the OVA-challenged group, the BPTS group had lower expression levels of adhesion molecules, TGF-β1, Smad3 and VEGF proteins in the lung tissues. The results of the current study suggest that BPTS prevents asthma airway remodeling in chronic asthma by inhibiting the activation of the TGF-β1-Smad3-signaling pathway, as well as the expression of VEGF and adhesion molecules. BPTS may thus be a potential drug for the treatment of patients with changes that occur in the airways due to severe asthma.
authors.affiliation: Basic Herbal Medicine Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 305-811, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mee-Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Basic Herbal Medicine Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 305-811, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: In-Sik
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Basic Herbal Medicine Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 305-811, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Woo-Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Basic Herbal Medicine Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 305-811, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Nara
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Basic Herbal Medicine Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 305-811, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeun-Kyoo
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002452:Cell Count; D054413:Chemokine CCL11 / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009093:Mucus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051900:Smad3 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018793:Interleukin-13; D010936:Plant Extracts; D051900:Smad3 Protein; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C098310:bofu-tsusho-san; D014867:Water; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin