Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the effects and underlying mechanism of JKSQP in a rat model of asthma with kidney-yang deficiency (KYD). Materials and Methods. Hydrocortisone (HYD) was used to establish the rat model of KYD; rats were then sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). JKSQP was administered to OVA-challenged rats, and the changes in signs and symptoms of KYD were observed. The leukocyte number and subpopulations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were counted and the cells were stained with Wright–Giemsa dye. Serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), total immunoglobulin E (IgE), and OVA-specific IgE levels were determined using relevant enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) kits. Results. JKSQP not only reversed the phenomenon of KYD but also significantly inhibited the number of leukocyte and eosinophils in the BALF, increasing the level of interferon (IFN)-γ and decreasing the levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IgE in the serum compared with the OVA-challenged groups. Conclusions. Taken together, the antiasthma effects of JKSQP were likely mediated by the enhancement of the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the reversal of T helper 1/2 imbalance.
Highlights
Asthma, which has numerous clinical manifestations, is characterized by chronic eosinophilic inflammation [1, 2]
The results showed that the OVA challenge significantly increased the number of leukocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of the OVA group compared with that of the control group (P < 0.01), as well as in the HYD + OVA group compared with that of the HYD group (Figure 3)
While JKSQP obviously inhibited the increase in leukocyte and eosinophils numbers in the BALF of OVAchallenged rats with HYD, no effects were observed in the normal OVA-challenged rats (Figures 3(a) and 3(d))
Summary
Asthma, which has numerous clinical manifestations, is characterized by chronic eosinophilic inflammation [1, 2]. There are 300 million patients with asthma globally, and China has one of the highest asthma-related death rates. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believe that recurrent asthma and its inherent features are closely related to kidneyyang deficiency (KYD). The pathogenesis of asthma has not yet been clearly elucidated, but the imbalance in T cellmediated immune regulation and chronic airway inflammation are deemed the most important mechanisms of asthma development [4, 5]. Asthma can be traced back to almost 2000 years ago in ancient China and was first mentioned in Huangdi Neijing (黄 帝 内 经), which recorded the use of TCM to cure asthma [6]. The Jinkui Shenqi pill (JKSQP, 金匮肾气丸) is an important representative formula for the treatment of asthma dispensed by Zhang Zhongjing in the Synopsis of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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