RESUMEN
AIM: To explore the protective effects and mechanism of astragalus injection on asthmatic rats. METHODS: OVA was injected intraperitoneally and inhaled to produce the asthmatic rat models. Forty rats were randomly divided into five groups: control group, asthma group and astragalus groups of high, medium and low dose. The concentration of IL-5 in BALF and the expression of IL-5 mRNA, phospho-p38 MAPK in lung tissue were respectively measured by ELISA, in situ hybridization staining and Western blot. The number of inflammatory cell in BALF was calculated and histopathology changes were observed. RESULTS: The number of inflammatory cell and the concentration of IL-5 in BALF and the expression of IL-5 mRNA, phospho-p38 MAPK in lung tissue were higher in asthmatic rat group than those in normal control(P