Effect of epimedium herb on RANTES and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 expression in lung tissue of asthmatic rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of epimedium herb (EH), a Chinese herb for replenishing Shen, on regulated on activation, normal T call expressed and secreted (RANTES) and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3) expression in lung tissue of asthmatic rats, for further exploring the action mechanism of EH in treating asthma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Brown Norway rats were randomly divided into six groups the normal control group (A), the allergic asthma model group (B), the group of model rat treated with dexamethasone (C), and the three groups of model rat treated with low (0.125 g/mL), medium (0.5 g/mL), high (2.0 g/mL) dose of EH (D, E and F). RANTES and MCP-3 mRNA expressions in lung tissue were tested with Real-time PCR and the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interleukin-5 (IL-5) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared with the model group (B), RANTES, MCP-3 expression and TNF-alpha were lower in the 4 treated groups (C, D, E and F, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); IL-4 was lower in Group C, E and F (P = 0.007, P = 0.047, P = 0.033), while that in Group D was higher than that in Group C (P = 0.012). As for level of IL-5, lowering was shown only in Group C and F (P = 0.003, P = 0.005).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Applying EH in the attack stage of asthma can alleviate the airway inflammation by down-regulating the expression of RANTES and MCP-3 in lung tissue.</p>