• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2014

Objectives : The root bark of Morus alba L. (Mori Cortex Radidus; MCR) has been traditionally used to reduce heat from the lungs, soothe asthma, and edema and to promote urination. In this study, we investigated the effect of MCR ethanol extract on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma in mice. Methods : Mice were sensitized at day 0, 7 and 14 with 0.2% OVA and then airway challenged at day 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29 to induce allergic asthma. MCR extracts at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight (bw) were orally administered during OVA challenge once per a day. The levels of allergic mediators such as histamine, OVA-specific IgE, IFN-${\gamma}$ and IL-4 were measured in the sera of mice by ELISA. The histopathological change of lung tissues was observed with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Results : MCR extract significantly decreased not only the serum levels of histamine, OVA-specific IgE, and IL-4 compared with those of OVA control group, but significantly increased the serum level of IFN-${\gamma}$. In H&E staining, MCR extract inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory cells and bronchiolar damage with epithelial thickening in lung tissues of OVA-induced asthma mice. Conclusions : These results indicate that MCR extract inhibits lung damage by asthma through regulating the allergic immune response, suggesting that MCR may be used as a useful agent for the treatment of allergic asthma.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.456-468
• /
• 2008

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Gamisagunja-tang(GS) on the airway hyper-reactivity (AHR), cytokine production and T cell activation during the ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma in mice. Materials and Methods : BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with 100 mg of OVA and 1 mg of aluminum potassium sulfate intraperitoneally on days 1 and 7. On day 14, mice were challenged on 3 consecutive days with 5% OVA. AHR and bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF), total inflammatory cell count and the production of cytokines were measured. Results : GS significantly suppressed the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lung tissue and AHR. GS significantly down regulated the production of IL-4, IL-5 and increases of $INF-{\gamma}$ in BALF. GS reduced the population of eosinophils from lung and spleen in OVA-induced allergic asthma. GS reduced the population of $CD4^{+}$ $CD69^{+}$ $CD25^{-}$ T cells in OVA-induced allergic asthma Conclusion : These results suggest that GS may inhibit the production of IL-4, IL-5 and infiltration of eosinophils and be beneficial oriental medicine for allergic asthma.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.117-121
• /
• 2006

Ability of pectic polysaccharides isolated from Eleutherococcus senticosus EN-3 to inhibit tumor metastasis and induce antigen-specific immune response after oral administration in mice was assessed. Consecutive oral administration of EN-3 before tumor inoculation dramatically inhibited tumor metastasis produced by colon26-M3.1 and B16-BL6 cells. When Peyer's patch cells isolated from mouse intestine were co-cultured with EN-3, proliferation of Peyer's patch cells was induced. Mice co-administered with EN-3 and ovalbumin (OVA) showed significantly higher production of OVA-specific IgA in intestinal washing as well as IgG in serum than those administered with OVA alone. Payer's patch cells of mice immunized with OVA plus EN-3 showed much higher proliferating activity than those of mice immunized with OVA alone. Proliferating activity increased dose-dependently, indicating EN-3 specifically enhanced mucosal immune response to OVA. These results suggested EN-3 could significantly stimulate Peyer's patch cells either non-specifically or antigen-specifically, possibly playing important role in enhancement of mucosal and systemic immune systems.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.460-466
• /
• 2024

Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation and respiratory tract remodeling. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) play important roles in the pathogenesis and regulation of chronic inflammatory processes in asthma. The role of PPARγ has been studied using synthetic PPARγ agonists in patients with asthma. However, involvement of PPARα/δ has not been studied in asthma. In the present study, we investigated if elafibranor, a PPARα/δ dual agonist, can modulate ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma, which is a potential drug candidate for non-alcoholic fatty liver in obese patients. Elafibranor suppresses antigen-induced degranulation in RBL-2H3 mast cells without inducing cytotoxicity in vitro. In mice with OVA-induced allergic asthma, the administration of elafibranor suppressed OVA-induced airway hyper-responsiveness at a dose of 10 mg/kg. Elafibranor also suppressed the OVA-induced increase in immune cells and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Histological studies suggested that elafibranor suppressed OVA-induced lung inflammation and mucin hyper-production in the bronchial airways. In addition, elafibranor suppressed OVA-induced increases in serum immunoglobulin E and IL-13 levels in BALF. Conversely, the present study suggests that elafibranor has the potential for use in patients with allergic asthma.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.373-377
• /
• 2002

Allergens in processed foods may place persons with food allergies at significant risk when the labels do not Provide sufficient warnings or identification of high-risk ingredients. Because egg proteins are common food allergens, this study was carried out to identify hen's egg albumin (ovalbumin, OVA) in five commercially processed foods containing egg (custayd, cookie and pasta), and chicken meat (sausage and meatball) by immunological methods using commercially produced murine monoclonal immunoglobulin G (M-IgG), immunoblotting and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sample buffer with chelating and reducing agents was prepared and used for the preparation of the protein fractions from the foods. Most bands in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) profile (5~15% gradient gel) presented at 75 kDa below. OVA (43 kDa) in the sample lanes could not be visually observed on the gel. However, OVA in solutions prepared from custard and cookie could be detected by M-IgG, but were not detected in sausage and pasta. OVA in all samples could be quantitatively determined by the equation obtained from the standard curve by ELISA. Cookie and custard containing egg white and egg, respectively, contained very high concentrations of OVA. OVA in the other products were present in relatively low concentrations, but sufficiently high to pose possible risk of allergy, ELISA is a very sensitive and precise method for the identification and quantification of allergens in food products including allergy-inducible materials.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.123-129
• /
• 2012

Objectives : Allergy has been described as an inflammatory with hypersensitivity resulting from seasonal or perennial responses to specific allergens. The root of Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC.(Platycodi Radix; Campanulaceae) has been traditionally used to treat chronic diseases such as bronchitis, asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis, inflammation and hyperlipidemia. In this study, we examined the effect of 70% ethanol extract of Platycodi Radix (PR-E) on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced airway inflammation in mice. Methods : Mice were sensitized and challenged by OVA inhalation to induced chronic airway inflammation, and then were intragastrically administered PR-E extract at doses of 50 and 200 mg/kg/day from days 21 to 30 consecutively. The levels of allergic mediators such as histamine, OVA-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) E, and cytokines such as IL-4 and IFN-${\gamma}$ were measured in the sera of mice by ELISA. The histological change of lung tissue was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Results : PR-E extract significantly decreased the serum levels of histamine, OVA-specific IgE, and Th2 cytokine, IL-4 compared with those in the OVA-induced group. PE-E extract significantly increased the serum level of Th1 cytokine, IFN-${\gamma}$. Based on lung histopathological studies, inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion were inhibited by PE-E extract administration compared to that in the OVA-induced group. Conclusions : These findings indicate that PE-E extract may be useful as an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of bronchial asthma.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 2011

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the asthma-suppressive and immuno-regulatory effect of Notopterygii Rhizoma(NR) extract on OVA(ovalbumin)-induced asthma in mice. Methods : C57BL/6 mice out of all the experimental groups, except the Normal group and the NRI group, were sensitized and challenged with OVA. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to OVA three times a week for 12 weeks and analyzed by flow cytometer, ELISA, H&E stain. Results : The concentrations of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IgE in serum of the OVA-NRII group decreased significantly compared with those of the OVA-Control group. The number of $Gr-1^+/CD11b^+$, $CCR3^+$, $CD3^+/CD19^+$, $CD3e^+/CD69^+$cells in the OVA-NRI group decreased significantly compared with those of the OVA-Control group. The collagen accumulation in the lung sections of the OVA-NRII group decredased signi- ficantly compared with that of the OVA-Control group. Conclusions : These results suggest that Notopterygii Rhizoma(NR) would be a effective candidate for herbal-originated anti-asthmatic drug. However, this drug should be further studied for characterization of the accurate action and underlying mechanism using variant disease model in the future.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.10-17
• /
• 2011

Objective: To evaluate the immune-stimulatory potential of extracts of Broussonetia kazinoki Siebold (BK) on specific cellular and humoral immune responses in ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized mice. Material and Methods: C57BL/6 mice were immunized intraperitoneally with OVA/alum ($100{\mu}g/200{\mu}g$) on days 1, 8, and 15. BK (100, 300 or 1000 mg/kg) was given to mice orally for 21 days (from day 1 to day 21). At day 22, OVA-, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated splenocyte proliferation and OVA-specific and total antibodies were measured in plasma. Further, the effects of BK on expression of cytokine mRNA in OVA-immunized mice splenocytes were evaluated by RT-PCR analysis. Results: BK significantly enhanced OVA-, LPS-, and Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation in OVA-immunized mice (p<0.01). BK also significantly enhanced total IgM and OVA-specific IgG1 levels in plasma compared with the OVA control group. Moreover, BK up-regulated significantly the expression of mRNA level of IL-2 and IFN-${\gamma}$ in splenocytes. Conclusions: BK has immune-stimulating activity in an OVA-immunized mouse model system, enhancing the Th1 immune response. BK showed no cytotoxicity in this system, suggesting that BK may be a safe and effective adjuvant in humans.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.84-95
• /
• 2014

Objective : Ephedra sinica (ES) has has been used as remedy of allergic diseases for a long time in Korea. In the present study, we investigated the anti-allergic effects of ES on experimental allergic asthma mouse model using ovalbumin (OVA). Methods : BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with 100 ug of OVA and 1 mg of aluminum potassium sulfate of 0.2 ml phosphate-buffered saline(PBS) intraperitoneally on day 1 and 15. mice were challenged on 3 consecutive days with 5% OVA and AHR was assessed 24 h after the last challenge. we examined the lung histology, airway hyper sensitivity, total inflammatory cell count in bronchoaveloar lavage fluid(BALF), Th2-associated cytokines production and IgE production. Results : ES potently inhibited the lung damage and the development of Penh. ES also reduced the number of BAL cells during OVA-induced allergic asthma. Furthermore, ES inhibited cytokines production such as IL-4, IL-13 productions, and IgE level of serum. Conclusion : These results suggest that ES may inhibit the production of IL-4, IL-13, IgE and infiltration of inflammatory cell and be beneficial oriental medicine for allergic asthma.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.96-105
• /
• 2014

Objective : Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch (GUF) has been used as remedy of allergic diseases for a long time in Korea. In the present study, we investigated the anti-allergic effects of GUF on experimental allergic asthma mouse model using ovalbumin (OVA). Methods : BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with 100 ug of OVA and 1 mg of aluminum potassium sulfate of 0.2 ml phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) intraperitoneally on day 1 and 15. Mice were challenged on 3 consecutive days with 5% OVA and AHR was assessed 24 hrs after the last challenge. We examined total inflammatory cell number in bronchoaveloar lavage fluid (BALF), Th2-associated cytokine productions and lung histology. Results : GUF potently inhibited the development of airway hypersensitivity and also reduced the number of BAL cells during OVA-induced allergic asthma. GUF also inhibited cytokine productions such as IL-4, IL-13 in lung tissue. Furthermore, GUF treatment inhibited allergic airway inflammation. Conclusion : These results suggest that GUF may inhibit the production of IL-4, IL-13 and infiltration of inflammatory cell and be beneficial oriental medicine for allergic asthma.