Regulation of the imbalance of interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 of serum and pulmonary tissue homogenate in asthmatic guinea pig with scoparone

Hongrui LIU; Chun LIU; Zhi LI; Zan TENG

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Scoparone,which is a major principle separated from traditional Chinese herbs artemisia scoparia, which possesses actions of immunosuppression, anti-inflammation and relaxing bronchial smooth muscle. It' s not known whether scoparone possesses the regulation of the imbalance of interferon-gamma(IFN-γ) and interleukin-4(IL-4) in asthmatic guinea pig.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the inhibition and immunoregulation of scoparone on asthmatic guinea pig.

DESIGN:

Randomized controlled study based on the experimental animals.

SETTING:

Department of ethnopharmaeology in a university.MATERIALS The experiment was completed in the Department of Ethnopharmacology,China Medical University between July 2000 and March 2002. Totally 84 male guinea pigs were selected at sanitation grade,weighting about(200 ± 50) g.

INTERVENTIONS:

The ameliorative effects of scoparone on the imbalance of IFN-γ and IL-4 in asthmatic guinea pigs were investigated by using the acute and delayed asthmatic guinea pigs which were respectively challenged by the aerosol mixture of 10 g/L histamine and 1 g/L acetylcholine,and 10 mL/L ovalbumin.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

The asthmatic latent periods in acute and delayed asthma, and the levels of IgE, IL-4 and IFN-γ in serum and pulmonary tissue homogenate in the asthmatic animals.

RESULTS:

Scoparone significantly prolonged the asthmatic latent periods in acute and delayed asthma,observably reduced the levels of IgE and IL-4 and raised the content of IFN-γin serum and pulmonary tissue homogenate in the asthmatic animals (P<0. 05).CONCLUTION The anti-asthmatic effects of scoparone result from the ameliorative effects on the imbalance of IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio thereby to inhibit the abnormal synthesis of IgE.