Bu-Shen-Yi-Qi formulae suppress chronic airway inflammation and regulate Th17/Treg imbalance in the murine ovalbumin asthma model

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2015-04, Vol.164, p.368-377
• Main Authors: Wei, Ying, Luo, Qing-Li, Sun, Jing, Chen, Mei-Xia, Liu, Feng, Dong, Jing-Cheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Asthmatic Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Asthmatic Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Asthma; Asthma - blood; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - immunology; Asthma - physiopathology; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid - cytology; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid - immunology; Bu-Shen-Yi-Qi formulae (BSYQF); Cell Count; Chronic airway inflammation; Cytokines - blood; Cytokines - immunology; Disease Models, Animal; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use; Female; Forkhead Transcription Factors - metabolism; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Ovalbumin; Regulatory T cells; T helper 17 cells; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; Th17 Cells - drug effects; Th17 Cells - immunology
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.01.016

Bu-Shen-Yi-Qi formulae (BSYQF) are frequently used in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases in the respiratory system in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, the regulatory effect of BSYQF on T helper 17 (Th17) and regulatory T (Treg) cells in murine ovalbumin (OVA) asthma model remains poorly understood. In the present study, we sought to determine the effect of high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) standardized BSYQF on chronic airway inflammation and Th17/Treg imbalance in the murine OVA asthma model. The murine asthma model was induced by OVA sensitization and challenge and BSYQF was oral administrated. 24h after last OVA exposure, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to methacholine (Mch) was assessed, and inflammatory cell counts and classification in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were analysed. Histopathological evaluation of the lung tissue was performed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) staining. Th17 and Treg associated cytokine levels in serum and BALF as well as transcription factors expression in the lung tissue were measured by ELISA, Bio-Plex and western blot assay. We also analysed the CD4+RORγt+ and CD4+Foxp3+ T cells in BALF and spleen by flow cytometric analysis. Our results demonstrated that oral administration of BSYQF inhibited the markedly increased AHR and lung inflammation (p