Xanthii Fructus inhibits allergic response in the ovalbumin-sensitized mouse allergic rhinitis model.

BACKGROUND: Xanthii Fructus (XF) is widely used in traditional anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory Asian medicine. Allergic rhinitis is a common inflammatory disease characterized by markedly increased levels of anti-inflammatory factors and the recruitment of inflammatory cells into the nasal mucosa. We investigated the effects of XF in the allergen-induced rhinitis model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following ovalbumin (OVA)/alum intraperitoneal injection on days 0, 7 and 14, the BALB/c mice (albino, laboratory-bred strain of the house mice) were challenged intranasally with OVA for 10 days a week after the last sensitization. The number of sneezes was recorded for 10 days; additionally, the levels of cytokines, histamine, immunoglobulin E (IgE) and OVA-specific serum IgE were estimated. Eosinophil infiltration, thickness of nasal mucosa and expression of caspase-1 were determined by immunohistochemistry. We also evaluated the effect of XF on the phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B-alpha (IκB-α) in human mast cell-1 (HMC-1), by Western blotting. RESULTS: The administration of XF significantly decreased sneezing and the serum levels of histamine, IgE, OVA-specific IgE, and cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukine-1 beta (IL-1ß), IL-5, IL-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2). XF inhibited the changes in thickness of the nasal septum, influx of eosinophils and expression of capase-1. In addition, XF inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB-α and NF-κB in phorbol-myristate-acetate plus calcium ionophore A23187 (A23187) stimulated HMC-1. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that XF acts a potent anti-allergic drug which alleviates the allergic responses in ovalbumin-sensitized mouse allergic rhinitis model.

Antiallergic effects of Scutellaria baicalensis on inflammation in vivo and in vitro.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Scutellaria baicalensis (SB) is one of the most widely used medicinal herbs for the treatment of inflammation. In this study, we investigated the antiallergic effect of SB in vivo and in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats received intradermal injections of anti-DNP IgE at each of three dorsal skin sites. Forty-eight hours later, each rat received an injection of DNP-HSA in saline containing 4% Evans blue through the dorsal vein of the penis. One hour before injection, SB extract was administered orally. The dorsal skin of the rats was removed and the pigment area measured. In addition, rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs) were cultured and purified to investigate histamine release. In vitro, human mast cells (HMC-1) were pretreated with SB extract for 30min before stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus A23187. The effects on pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase expression were investigated using TNF-α and IL-8 assays, and Western blotting analysis of HMC-1 cells. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: SB treatment inhibited the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction compared to the control group, and histamine release decreased significantly following treatment of RPMCs with SB. In HMC-1 cells, SB restored IL-8 and TNF-α expression and inhibited MAP kinase expression in compound 48/80-induced HMC-1 cells. These data suggest that SB may prove to be a useful anti-inflammatory agent through its downregulation of the expression of various inflammatory mediators.

Minocycline markedly reduces acute visceral nociception via inhibiting neuronal ERK phosphorylation.

BACKGROUND: Minocycline prevents the development of neuropathic and inflammatory pain by inhibiting microglial activation and postsynaptic currents. But, how minocycline obviates acute visceral pain is unclear. The present study investigated whether minocycline had an any antinociceptive effect on acetic acid-induced acute abdominal pain after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of saline or minocycline 1 hour before acetic acid injection (1.0%, 250 µl, i.p.). RESULTS: Minocycline (4, 10, or 40 mg/kg) significantly decreased acetic acid-induced nociception (0-60 minutes post-injection) and the enhancement in the number of c-Fos positive cells in the T5-L2 spinal cord induced by acetic acid injection. Also, the expression of spinal phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) induced by acetic acid was reduced by minocycline pre-administration. Interestingly, intrathecal introduction of PD98059, an ERK upstream kinase inhibitor, markedly blocked the acetic acid-stimulated pain responses. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that minocycline effectively inhibits acetic acid-induced acute abdominal nociception via the inhibition of neuronal p-ERK expression in the spinal cord, and that minocycline may have therapeutic potential in suppressing acute abdominal pain.