Abstract
Platycodin D, extract from the root of Platycodon grandiflorum, is one of the most important monomers of the Qinbaiqingfei pellets (Qinbai) that has already been approved as the first Traditional Chinese Medicine for clinic use as an anti-M. pneumoniae agent. Qinbai constituents Scutellaria baicalensis and Platycodon grandiflorum were used to treat thousands of patients clinically in China each year. In this study, a M. pneumoniae–infected mouse strain, BALB/c, and a human-derived epithelial cell line, A549 type II pneumocytes, were used as experimental model. Anti-M. pneumoniae effect of Platycodin D was measured by the Real-time quantitative PCR, while the cell pathological change with hematoxylin and eosin and the growth recovery effects were determined with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and Trypan Blue dye in the experimental model after M. pneumoniae infection. Our research results showed that Platycodin D could significantly inhibit M. pneumoniae and promote cell growth after anti- M. pneumoniae treatment in the infected cells or mice.
Highlights
Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is the common pathogen for a variety of respiratory infections among schoolage children
Minor change on the cell inhibition ratio was observed with Platycodin D at 2–128 μg/ml, but this cell inhibition difference between control and tested groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05) (Figure 1)
Our results suggested that Platycodin D would be a potential candidate for M. pneumoniae treatment
Summary
Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is the common pathogen for a variety of respiratory infections among schoolage children It is a leading cause of all community-acquired pneumonia and other acute or chronic airway diseases (Waites and Talkington, 2004). Macrolides are still the most efficient drugs in treating M. pneumoniae infections due to their strong antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. A drug extracted from natural sources including Scutellaria baicalensis and Platycodon grandiflorum, is the first Chinese Traditional Medicine clinically used in treating M. pneumoniae infections in China. The trial results demonstrated that Qinbai was highly effective in treating M. pneumoniae without developing any adverse side effect or drug resistance, which is unpublished data. Qinbai can improve EGF expression in epithelial cells and prevent the damage to lung organizational structures caused by M. pneumoniae, leading to epithelial restoration and cilia regeneration (Meng et al, 2012). Qinbai became an alternative option besides Macrolides in treating M. pneumoniae infection
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