Preclinical development and animal trials in herbal treatment—Examples from Sinupret®

Abstract

The persistence of the inflammatory response in sinusitis is not only dependent on individual differences in host immune responses, but also on specific influence of these responses by local microbes. Understanding and differentiating infectious and non-infectious inflammatory stimuli are critical to understand sinusitis. Emerging data speak towards aberrant immune responses, i.e. defect transition and timing of innate and acquired immunity, leading to locally reduced host defence. Strategies for preclinical development must involve well-designed in vitro and in vivo (animal) studies to analyse the herbal-specific effects on improved host defence immune responses. In the present study on acute experimental rabbit sinusitis, a reductive effect of Sinupret ® herbal compound was evident on mucosal histopathology, bacterial counts and macroscopical pathology. This was further verified and documented by computer tomography (CT) scan investigation of sinus opacification. Thus the experimental data from the clinically well-known herbal composition Sinupret ® show strong anti-inflammatory effects but also display clear anti-bacterial effects in relation to take, initiation, plateau and resolution of the specific microbial infection, and the effects are as well most likely dependent on modulation of innate immunity. This knowledge opens up the possibility to tailor treatment strategies more closely to the individual pathophysiology of rhinosinusitis.