title: Ligustrazine improves blood circulation by suppressing Platelet activation in a rat model of allergic asthma.
abstract: Chuan-xiong (Ligusticum wallichii) is a traditional herbal medicine in Eastern Asia, but the effect of its active component ligustrazine remains unclear. We explored its effect and possible mechanism in a well-characterized rat model of allergic asthma. Ligustrazine suppressed bronchial hyper-responsiveness to methacholine, and suppressed lung inflammation in asthmatic rats. Ligustrazine exhibited potent immuno-modulatory and anti-inflammatory effects: it suppressed lymphocyte and eosinophil mobilization, and reduced cytokine IL-5 and IL-13 production significantly in lung tissues from asthmatic rats (P<0.05). Further histological examinations clearly demonstrated that ligustrazine improved blood circulation and ameliorated platelet activation, aggregation and adhesion, which induced sustained infiltration and activation of various inflammatory cells, including lymphocytes and eosinophils, followed by synthesis and release of a variety of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines. The present study suggests that ligustrazine is a potent agent for the treatment of allergic asthma due to its strong anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory properties.
authors.affiliation: Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, No. 103 Meishan Road, Hefei 230012, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Yajuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, No. 218 Jixi Road, Hefei 230022, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Huizhi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, No. 218 Jixi Road, Hefei 230022, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Jiabing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, No. 103 Meishan Road, Hefei 230012, Anhui, China. Electronic address: zegenglii@sina.com.
authors.forename: Zegeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001775:Blood Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D008297:Male; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D011719:Pyrazines; C017953:tetramethylpyrazine
keywords: Asthma; Chuan-xiong; Immuno-modulatory; Inflammation; Ligustrazine; Traditional chinese medicine