Preventative effect of an herbal preparation (HemoHIM) on development of airway inflammation in mice via modulation of Th1/2 cells differentiation

PLoS One. 2013 Jul 2;8(7):e68552. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068552. Print 2013.

Abstract

HemoHIM, an herbal preparation of three edible herbs (Angelica gigas Nakai, Cnidium officinale Makino, Paeonia japonica Miyabe) is known to increase the Th1 immune response as well as reduce the allergic response in human mast cells. Here, our goal was to determine whether or not HemoHIM could induce Th1 cell differentiation as well as inhibit the development of airway inflammation. To study Th1/Th2 cell differentiation, naive CD4(+) T cells isolated from C57BL/6 mouse spleens were cultured with or without HemoHIM. To examine airway inflammation, C57BL/6 mice were fed HemoHIM for 4 weeks before sensitization and provocation with ovalbumin (OVA). In an in vitro experiment, naive CD4(+) T cells displayed increased Th1 (IFN-γ(+) cell) as well as decreased Th2 (IL-4(+) cell) differentiation in a HemoHIM concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, in an airway inflammation mice model, eosinophil numbers in BALF, serum levels of OVA-specific IgE and IgG1, and cytokine (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) levels in BALF and the supernatant of splenocytes all decreased upon HemoHIM (100 mg/kg body weight) pretreatment (4 weeks). These results show that HemoHIM attenuated allergic airway inflammation in the mouse model through regulation of the Th1/Th2 balance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects*
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Eosinophils / immunology
  • Eosinophils / pathology
  • Female
  • Immunoglobulin E / blood
  • Immunoglobulin E / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Inflammation / prevention & control*
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Interleukin-13 / immunology
  • Interleukin-13 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-4 / immunology
  • Interleukin-4 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-5 / immunology
  • Interleukin-5 / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Ovalbumin / immunology
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Respiratory System / drug effects*
  • Respiratory System / immunology
  • Respiratory System / pathology
  • Th1 Cells / drug effects*
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Th1 Cells / metabolism
  • Th2 Cells / drug effects*
  • Th2 Cells / immunology
  • Th2 Cells / metabolism

Substances

  • HemoHIM
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Interleukin-13
  • Interleukin-5
  • Plant Extracts
  • Interleukin-4
  • Immunoglobulin E
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Ovalbumin

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a creative research project funded from Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Korea (KAERI 527910-12)(http://www.kaeri.re.kr/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.