Asthma is a T helper 2 (Th2) cell-associated chronic inflammatory diseases characterized with airway obstruction, increased mucus production, and eosinophil infiltration. Conventional medications for asthma treatment cannot fully control the symptoms, and potential side effects are also the concerns. Thus, complement or alternative medicine (CAM) became a new option for asthma management. Ding Chuan Tang (DCT) is a traditional Chinese herbal decoction applied mainly for patients with coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and asthma. Previously, DCT has been proved to improve children airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in a randomized and double-blind clinical trial. However, the mechanisms of how DCT alleviates AHR remain unclear. Since asthmatic features such as eosinophil infiltration, IgE production, and mucus accumulation are relative with Th2 responses, we hypothesized that DCT may attenuate asthma symptoms through regulating Th2 cells. Ovalbumin (OVA) was used as a stimulant to sensitize BALB/c mice to establish an asthmatic model. AHR was detected one day before sacrifice. BALF and serum were collected for immune cell counting and antibody analysis. Splenocytes were cultured with OVA in order to determine Th2 cytokine production. Lung tissues were collected for histological and gene expression analyses. Our data reveal that DCT can attenuate AHR and eosinophil accumulation in the 30-day sensitization asthmatic model. Histological results demonstrated that DCT can reduce cell infiltration and mucus production in peribronchial and perivascular site. In OVA-stimulated splenocyte cultures, a significant reduction of IL-5 and IL-13 in DCT-treated mice suggests that DCT may alleviate Th2 responses. In conclusion, the current study demonstrates that DCT has the potential to suppress allergic responses through the reduction of mucus production, eosinophil infiltration, and Th2 activity in asthma.

中文翻译：

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丁川汤减轻卵白蛋白致敏哮喘小鼠气道炎症和嗜酸性粒细胞浸润

哮喘是一种与 T 辅助细胞 2 (Th2) 细胞相关的慢性炎症性疾病，其特征是气道阻塞、粘液产生增加和嗜酸性粒细胞浸润。治疗哮喘的常规药物无法完全控制症状，潜在的副作用也是令人担忧的问题。因此，补充或替代医学 (CAM) 成为哮喘管理的新选择。定喘汤（DCT）是一种传统的中药汤剂，主要用于咳嗽、喘息、胸闷和哮喘患者。此前，一项随机双盲临床试验已证明 DCT 可改善儿童气道高反应性 (AHR)。然而，DCT 如何缓解 AHR 的机制仍不清楚。由于哮喘特征如嗜酸性粒细胞浸润、IgE 产生、和粘液积累与 Th2 反应有关，我们假设 DCT 可能通过调节 Th2 细胞减轻哮喘症状。使用卵清蛋白 (OVA) 作为兴奋剂使 BALB/c 小鼠敏感以建立哮喘模型。在处死前一天检测到 AHR。收集 BALF 和血清用于免疫细胞计数和抗体分析。脾细胞与OVA一起培养以确定Th2细胞因子的产生。收集肺组织用于组织学和基因表达分析。我们的数据表明，DCT 可以减弱 30 天致敏哮喘模型中的 AHR 和嗜酸性粒细胞积累。组织学结果表明，DCT 可以减少支气管周围和血管周围部位的细胞浸润和粘液产生。在 OVA 刺激的脾细胞培养物中，DCT 处理的小鼠中 IL-5 和 IL-13 的显着减少表明 DCT 可以减轻 Th2 反应。总之，目前的研究表明，DCT 有可能通过减少粘液产生、嗜酸性粒细胞浸润和哮喘中的 Th2 活性来抑制过敏反应。