ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupoint injection at "Yingxiang"(LI 20) and "Yintang"(GV 29) on nasal allergic reactions and the expression of histamine receptor H 1 and H 4 in nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis (AR) rats, so as to reveal its mechanism underlying improvement of AR. METHODS: SD rats were randomized into normal, model, non-acupoint injection and acupoint injection groups (n=8 in each). The AR model was established by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of mixture of ovalbumin, aluminium hydroxide gel and normal saline (once every other day, for 7 times), and nasal drip of ovalbumin (on the following day of i.p.for 7 days). The mixture solution of lidocaine, dexamethasone (DXM) and transfer factor (0.1 mL/acupoint or non-acupoint) was injected into bilateral LI 20 and GV 29 in the acupoint injection group, or into the non-acupoints (about 5 cm below the armpit on both sides, and the middle point between the left "Houhai"[GV 1] and "Huantiao"[GB 30]), on the 1st , 5th, 9th, and 13th day after modeling. Symptoms of sneezing, nasal discharge, nose-rubbing, etc. were scored after the treatment. The expression levels of H1 R and H4 R proteins and genes in the nasal mucosa tissue were determined using immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the symptom score and the expression levels of H1 R, H4 R proteins and genes in nasal mucosa were significantly increased in the model group (P0.05), suggesting a specificity of the effect of acupoint injection. CONCLUSION: Acupoint injection can relieve the allergic symptoms of AR rats, which may be related to its effects in down-regulating the over expression of H1 R and H4 R proteins and genes in the nasal mucosa.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Infiltration of eosinophils in the nasal mucosa is a consistent feature of nasal allergic inflammation. Various cytokines, especially interleukin-5(IL-5), were identified to play important roles in the infiltration and activation of eosinophils in nasal mucosa. Our previous study found that among 4 kinds of sophoricosides extracted from Sophora japonica, named sophi, orobol, genistin, and genistein, 3 compounds except genistein known as protein tyrosine kinase(PTK) inhibitor had anti-inflammatory and anti-IL-5 effects, and sophi was the most potent. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to investigate the antagonism of sophi on the nasal eosinophilia in ovalbumin(OA)-sensitized murine nasal allergy model. METHODS: Male BALB/c mice sensitized intraperitoneally and then topically with OA were treated with sophi(10 or 30mg/kg) or anti-mouse IL-5 monoclonal antibody(anti-IL-5 mAb, 1mg/Kg) intravenously 1 hour before challenge. The effect of sophi on the infiltration of eosinophils into the nasal mucosa, peripheral blood eosinophilia, nasal symptom, and OA-specific IgE antibody production were evaluated. Results: Administration of sophi(10, 30mg/kg) significantly inhibited the nasal eosinophil infiltration and nasal symptom compared to that of anti-IL-5 mAb. But eosinophil count inthe peripheral blood and the titer of OA-specific IgE were not affected by sophi. CONCLUSION: Sophi inhibited not only the tissue eosinophilia but also the acute nasal allergic symptom. These findings suggest that sophi has anti-eosinophilic cytokine activity and also plays blockade of early allergic reaction. Taken together, sophi may be a candidate for new anti-allergic medicine.