• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2024

Haepyoijin-tang and its main components have been used for phlegm, cough and dyspnea. Using a respiratory inflammation model, we intend to reveal the anti-inflammatory effect and pharmacological mechanism of Haepyoijin-tang. We induced the respiratory inflammation model by Aspergillus oryzae protease and ovalbumin administration. Female Balb/c mice (8 weeks old) were classified into four groups as follows: saline control group, aspergillus oryzae protease and ovalbumin induced respiratory inflammation group (vehicle), inflammation with Haepyoijin-tang (200 mg/kg) administration group, inflammation with dexamethasone (5 mg/kg) administration group (n=7). To identify the anti-inflammatory effects of Haepyoijin-tang water extracts, we measured the inflammatory cell number in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and total live lung cell number. In addition, we checked eosinophil ratio and number in BALF. And Interleukin (IL)-5 level was also measured in lung cell culture supernatant. To confirm the mechanism of anti-inflammatory effects, we analyzed the activated helper T cell (CD4⁺CD25⁺ cell) and Th2 cell (CD4⁺GATA3⁺ cell) ratio and number in lung by using flow cytometry. Finally, we attempted to confirm the immune mechanism by measuring the ratio and number of regulatory T cells (CD4⁺Foxp3⁺ cell). Haepyoijin-tang extracts treatment diminished inflammatory cell, especially, eosinophil number in BALF and total live lung cell number. Moreover, IL-5 level was reduced in Haepyoijin-tang treated group. Surprisingly, Haepyoijin-tang extracts administration not only decreased the activated helper T cell but also Th2 cell population in lung. Additionally, regulatory T cell population was increased in Haepyoijin-tang administration group. Our findings proved that Haepyoijin-tang extract have anti-inflammatory efficacy by suppressing Th2 cell activation and promoting regulatory T cell population.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.57-67
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• 2000

Currently asthma is considered to be an inflammatory disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness and pulmonary eosinophilia, and mediated by Th lymphocytes expressing a Th 2 cytokine pattern. In many recent studies, molecular biological methods have been used to investigate the role of cytokines in pathogenesis and new therapeutic targets of asthma. Objectives: We aimed to identify the effect of Haepyoijin-tang on the transcriptional activities of cytokines involved in the asthma model. Materials and Methods: RBL-2H3 cell lines were used. Cells were stimulated with DNP-IgE or Calcium inophore+PMA for maximal gene expression. After 24 hours of Haepyoijin-tang-treatment, total cellular RNAs were collected using the Trizol solution method. Then the transcriptional activities of cytokines(IL-1, 4, 5, 10, 13, $TNF-{\alpha}$) were measured by RT-PCR with electrophoresis. Results: DNP-IgE and Calcium inophore+PMA induced IL-4/IL-5 production separately peaked at 3 hours after the stimulation, but the efficacy was better in the Calcium inophore+PMA group. In the IL-4 study, sample groups of 10%, 1 %, 0.01 % Haepyoijin-tang-treatment showed 83%, 98%, 96% of transcriptional activities compared to the control group. In the IL-5 study, sample groups of 10%, 1%, 0.1 %, 0.01 % Haepyoijin-tang showed 97%, 99%, 99%, 99% of transcriptional activities compared to the control group. In other studies any result was not obtained. Conclusions: This study shows that Haepyoijin-tang has an inhibitory effect on the transcription of IL-4 and IL-5 gene expression in RBL-2H3 cell lines. Advanced studies are required to investigate the mechanisms of inhibition by herbal medicine in the asthma model.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.65-79
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• 2015

Objectives : In this study, effects of haepyoijintang (HIJ) on the increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances of rats and ATP-, PMA-, EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression from human airway epithelial cells were investigated. Methods : Hypersecretion of airway mucus was induced by exposure of rats to $SO_2$ during 3 weeks. Effect of orally-administered HIJ during 2 weeks on increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances from tracheal goblet cells of rats was evaluated using histopathological analysis after staining the epithelial tissue with PAS-alcian blue. Possible cytotoxicity of HIJ was evaluated by examining the potential damage of kidney and liver functions by measuring serum GOT/GPT activities and serum BUN and creatinine concentrations of rats and the body weight gain during experiment, after administering HIJ orally. At the same time, the effect of HIJ on ATP-, PMA-, EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression from human airway epithelial cells (NCI-H292) were investigated. Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated for 30 min in the presence of HIJ and treated with ATP ($200{\mu}M$), PMA (10 ng/ml), EGF (25 ng/ml) or TNF-${\alpha}$ (0.2 nM) for 24 hrs, to evaluate the effect of HIJ both on ATP-, PMA-, EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and on gene expression by the same inducers using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results : (1) HIJ decreased the amount of intraepithelial mucosubstances of trachea of rats. (2) HIJ did not show renal and hepatic toxicities and did not affect body weight gain of rats during experiment. (3) HIJ significantly inhibited ATP-, PMA-, EGF-, and TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin productions from NCI-H292 cells. (4) HIJ significantly inhibited ATP-, PMA-, EGF-, and TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin gene expression from NCI-H292 cells. Conclusions : The result from the present study suggests that HIJ might control the production and gene expression of airway mucin observed in various respiratory diseases accompanied by mucus hypersecretion and do not show in vivo toxicity to liver and kidney functions after oral administration. Effect of HIJ with their diverse components should be further investigated using animal experimental models that can reflect the pathophysiology of airway diseases through future studies.