Effect Of Ding Chuan Decoction On Airway Inflammation And The Imbalance Of Th2 Cells In The Asthma Mice Induced By OVA

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effects of Ding Chuan-Tang on the airway inflammation,and airway hyperresponsiveness in a mouse model of asthma combined with the research methods of functional analysis,histology,and molecular biology.To explore the effects of Ding Chuan-Tang on the inhibition of Th2 cytokines shift and the relation to the GATA-3.In this study,we explored the possible mechanism of Ding Chuan-Tang as one of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Square on the treatment of asthma.It provides the principal modern medical evidences to the application of Traditional Chinese Medicine.Methods Total 36 C57B1/6 mice were used in this study and were randomly divided into 4 groups including saline control group(8 mice),Ding Chuan-Tang control group(8 mice),ovalbumin(OVA)group and Ding Chuan-Tang treatment group(10 mice for each group).Mice were sensitized and challenged by OVA.Airway resistance to methacholine was measured in 24 hours post the last challenge by OVA.Hematoxylin&Eosin staining,TNF-a immunohistochemical staining were used to assess the inflammation lesion of lung tissues.Inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)or blood were counted by Giemsa staining.Levels of IL-4,IL-5,IL-13,and TNF-a in BALF were measured by ELISA.The expression levels of GATA-3 in lung tissues were detected by western blot.Results In comparison with the OVA group,the Ding Chuan-Tang treatment resulted the significant decrease of airway resistance,alleviation the inflammation lesion and the lower expression of TNF-α in lung tissues,depression of inflammatory cells in both BALF and blood,down-regulation the expression of IL-4,IL-5,IL-13,and TNF-a in BALF,and down-regulation the expression level of GATA-3 in lung tissues.Conclusion Treatment of Ding Chuan-Tang could relieve the airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness,and inhibit the Th2 cytokines shift in a mouse model of asthma induced by OVA,which may be directly or indirectly mediated by GATA-3 signaling molecule.