Treatment of allergic inflammation and hyperresponsiveness by a simple compound, Bavachinin, isolated from Chinese herbs

• Published in: Cellular & molecular immunology 2013-11, Vol.10 (6), p.497-505
• Main Authors: Chen, Xi, Wen, Ti, Wei, Jun, Wu, Zhenzhou, Wang, Puyue, Hong, Zhangyong, Zhao, Liqing, Wang, Bin, Flavell, Richard, Gao, Shumei, Wang, Min, Yin, Zhinan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; Asthma; Asthma - complications; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - immunology; Asthma - physiopathology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Bronchial Hyperreactivity - drug therapy; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell Differentiation - immunology; Cytokines - metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - isolation & purification; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use; Female; Flavonoids - isolation & purification; Flavonoids - pharmacology; Flavonoids - therapeutic use; GATA-3 protein; GATA3 Transcription Factor - genetics; GATA3 Transcription Factor - metabolism; Green fluorescent protein; Herbs; Hypersensitivity; Hypersensitivity - complications; Hypersensitivity - drug therapy; Hypersensitivity - immunology; Immunology; Inflammation; Inflammation - complications; Inflammation - drug therapy; Inflammation - immunology; Interleukin 13; Interleukin 4; Interleukin 5; Lung - drug effects; Lung - immunology; Lung - pathology; Lymphocytes T; Male; Medical Microbiology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbiology; mRNA stability; Ovalbumin; research-article; RNA Stability - drug effects; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Th2 Cells - cytology; Th2 Cells - drug effects; Th2 Cells - immunology; Vaccine
• ISSN: 1672-7681; 2042-0226
• DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2013.27

Asthmatic inflammation is mediated by a type 2 helper T cell (Th2) cytokine response, and blocking Th2 cytokine production is proven to have a potent therapeutic effect against asthmatic inflammation. Using IL-4-green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter mice, we demonstrated that Bavachinin, a single compound isolated from a Chinese herb, significantly inhibited Th2 cytokine production, including IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13. Notably, this compound almost completely blocked inflammation in the ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized animal asthma model. Furthermore, we demonstrated that this chemical selectively affects the level of GATA-3, most likely by affecting the stability of GATA-3 mRNA. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, the potential therapeutic value of this single compound derived from Chinese herbs.