Abstract
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The primary inflammatory lesion of asthma consists of accumulation of CD4+ T helper type 2 (Th2) lymphocytes and eosinophils in the airway. IL-4 is the major factor regulating IgE production by B cells, and is required for optimal Th2 differentiation. Pinelliae Rizoma (PR) has been used to treat pat...

The primary inflammatory lesion of asthma consists of accumulation of CD4+ T helper type 2 (Th2) lymphocytes and eosinophils in the airway. IL-4 is the major factor regulating IgE production by B cells, and is required for optimal Th2 differentiation. Pinelliae Rizoma (PR) has been used to treat patients with dampness or cold phlegm syndrome in Estern countries. Recently, PR is known to have anti-allergic action, but it's exact efficacies for allergic asthma were not clarified. For these reasons, the present author hypothesized that PR can improve asthmatic inflammation. This study was designed to investigated effects of PR on asthma in terms of detecting antigen specific antibody isotypes, cytokines in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In addition, the present author also investigated changes in weight of spleen and proliferation rates of splenocytes. Finally, histopathological observation of the lung tissue was also investigated. In the results, oral administration of PR lowered OVA specific IgE levels in serum, IgG1 levels in serum and BALF. PR also decreased production levels of IL-4 in BALF. In addition, total cells in BALF were decreased by oral administration of PR effectively. In histapathological observation, PR group showed downward tendency of inflammatory cell infiltration around small vessels. In conclusion, the present author demonstrates that PR is useful to treat patients with asthma and the mechanisms are related in suppression of Th2 skewing reactions.

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