Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang attenuates allergic airway inflammation and remodeling in re

[twinturbo]

A 2012 research update on a paper on a Chinese herbal formula originally in 2000. This is research is from Taiwan.

Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:
Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang (XQLT) has been used for centuries in Asia to effectively treat patients with bronchial asthma.

AIM OF THE STUDY:
We previously found that single and multiple doses of XQLT administered to sensitized mice before allergen challenge resulted in suppressed airway hyper-responsiveness and airway inflammation. In this study we aimed to investigate whether XQLT has the potential to attenuate the severity of asthma symptoms, and immunomodulatory mechanism of XQLT in a repetitive Dermatogoides pteronyssinus (D. pteronyssinus)-challenged chronic asthmatic mice model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:
BALB/c mice were intratracheally (i.t.) inoculated with five doses of D. pteronyssinus (50 μl, 1mg/ml) and orally administered of XQLT (1 g/kg) at 1-week intervals. At three days after the last challenge, mice were sacrificed to evaluate airway remodeling, inflammation, lung histological features, and the expression profiles of cytokines and various genes.

RESULTS:
XQLT significantly reduced bronchial inflammatory cell infiltration and airway remodeling. It inhibited D. pteronyssinus-induced total IgE and D. pteronyssinus-specific IgG1 in serum, and changed the "T(H)2-bios" in BALF by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB. Collagen assay and Histopathology indicated that XQLT reduced airway remodeling in the lung. Simultaneously, the RT-PCR analysis showed that XQLT downregulated IL-10, IL-13, RANTES, Eotaxin, and MCP-1 mRNA expression in the lung. Moreover, EMSA and immunohistochemistry staining demonstrated that XQLT inhibited NF-κB expression in the nucleus of bronchial epithelial cells.

CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest that XQLT exhibits anti-airway inflammatory, anti-airway remodeling, and specific immunoregulatory effects in a chronic asthmatic mice model.

[twinturbo]

2013 research on XQLT on allergic reaction. Should be open access as well.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3820713/

(XQLT) Soluble toll-like receptor 4 reversed attenuating effect of Chinese herbal Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang on allergen induced nerve growth factor and thymic stromal lymphopoietin

REN-SHIU CHANG,1,2 YU-CHIN WANG,3 and SHUNG-TE KAO3,4
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Abstract
Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang (XQLT) is known to regulate allergic immune reactions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of XQLT on allergen-induced cytokines and associated signaling pathways. An acute allergic mouse model was used to investigate the effects of XQLT on nerve growth factor (NGF) during an allergic reaction, while human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells (HPAEpiCs) were used to investigate the effects of XQLT on Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus group 2 (Der p 2)-induced NGF, p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) expression. XQLT was demonstrated to inhibit NGF- and p75NTR-related allergic reactions in the mouse model. XQLT also reduced the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the lungs of the model mice. XQLT inhibited Der p 2-induced NGF, TSLP and p75NTR expression in the HPAEpiC cell line. The use of recombinant soluble TLR4 (sTLR4) in a competitive assay partially attenuated the inhibitory effect of XQLT on NGF, TSLP and p75NTR expression in HPAEpiC cells. The inhibitory effect of XQLT on the Ser536 phosphorylation of p65 (nuclear factor-κB; NF-κB), a TLR4-induced factor, was also attenuated by sTLR4. In conclusion, XQLT inhibited Der p allergen-induced NGF, p75NTR and TSLP expression. This inhibition was attenuated by sTLR4. The mechanism of action of XQLT may be correlated with TLR4, a primary receptor in the innate immune system. The findings of this study may focus the search for pharmacological targets of XQLT onto TLR4, which is important in the allergen presentation pathway.

Keywords: Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang, nerve growth factor, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, soluble Toll-like receptor 4
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Introduction
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), such as Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang (XQLT), is frequently used in Asia for the clinical treatment of bronchial allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis (1,2). It has beneficial effects in relieving allergic inflammation reactions in the airways of allergic animal models (3–6). XQLT is highly popular in TCM and complementary medicine. The identification of potential pharmacological targets of XQLT may provide a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of XQLT in controlling allergic reactions.