Abstract
Shenqi is a traditional Chinese polyherbal medicine has been widely used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR). The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-allergic rhinitis activity of Shenqi and explore its underlying molecular mechanism. Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic rhinitis rat model was used to evaluate the anti-allergic rhinitis effect of Shenqi. The effect of Shenqi on IgE-mediated degranulation was measured using rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells. Primary spleen lymphocytes were isolated to investigate the anti-allergic mechanism of Shenqi by detecting the expression of transcription factors via Western blot and the level of cytokines (IL-4 and IFN-γ) via ELISA. In OVA-induced AR rat models, Shenqi relieved the allergic rhinitis symptoms, inhibited the histopathological changes of nasal mucosa, and reduced the levels of IL-4 and IgE. The results from the in vitro study certified that Shenqi inhibited mast cell degranulation. Furthermore, the results of GATA3, T-bet, p-STAT6, and SOCS1 expression and production of IFN-γ and IL-4 demonstrated that Shenqi balanced the ratio of Th1/Th2 (IFN-γ/IL-4) in OVA-stimulated spleen lymphocytes. In conclusion, these results suggest that Shenqi exhibits an obvious anti-allergic effect by suppressing the mast cell-mediated allergic response and by improving the imbalance of Th1/Th2 ratio in allergic rhinitis.
Highlights
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic inflammatory disease, which affects the health of nearly 30% of the world population [1]
Our study showed that Shenqi significantly inhibited the degranulation and release of histamine in dinitrophenyl immunoglobulin E (DNP-IgE) challenged RBL-2H3 mast cells
Our findings of the present study showed that the ratio of IFN-γ/IL-4 was obviously reduced in OVA-stimulated primary lymphocytes, and the imbalance was considered towards Th2 with a reduction of Th1/Th2
Summary
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic inflammatory disease, which affects the health of nearly 30% of the world population [1]. It is characterized by inflammation of nasal mucosa with hypersensitivity resulting from all kinds of allergens. Typical symptoms of AR including sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal rubbing, nasal congestion, and obstruction, seriously affecting patients’ quality of life and work [2,3]. An allergic reaction is an immunological disorder and caused by genetic and environmental factors, among others [4]. T helper type 2 (Th2) cells and mast cells play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of allergic responses in AR.
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