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Regulatory T cells play an important role in autoimmunity and have been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects in allergic asthma. Mouse model of airway inflammation was used to examine the suppressive activity of luteolin-induced CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in vivo. In this study, BALB/c mice were sensitized with ovalbumin antigen (OVA) by aerosol challenge. Then, various biological processes were examined, including airway eosinophilia; mucus hypersecretion; elevation of OVA-specific IgE, expression of Th2 cytokines and chemokine levels; expression of eotaxin 2 and CCR3; and airway hyper responsiveness (AHR). Luteolin significantly inhibited OVA-induced increase in immune cell and eosinophil counts as well as IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and eotaxin levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL Fluid). Luteolin and cyclosporine A (CsA) which was a positive control also substantially reduced OVA-specific IgE levels, eotaxin 2 levels, and CCR3 expression in BAL Fluid. In contrast, luteolin significantly increased IL-10 and IFN-γ protein levels, as well as IL-10 and TGF-β1 mRNA expression in the lung. In vitro studies showed that the number of luteolin-induced CD4+CD25+ Treg (iTreg) cells was higher, with elevated levels of TGF-β1 and foxp3 mRNA expression in lungs tissue. Transfer of iTreg cells into OVA-sensitized mice reduced AHR, eosinophil recruitment, eotaxin, IgE, and Th2 cytokine expressions, and increased IFN-γ production in BAL Fluid after allergen challenge. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of iTreg cells prevented disease in a CD25-depleted mouse asthma model. Luteolin via induction of foxp3 and CD4+CD25+ Treg cells may represent a new strategy in the development of therapies for managing asthma.

Objective : Morus alba Linne Root Bark (MRAL) is a medicinal herb in Korean Medicine, known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties. However, its me chanisms of action and the cellular targets have not yet been found and the study was developed to investigate the allergic suppressive effect of MRAL. The purpose of this study is to investigate the allergic suppressive effects of MRAL on activation of MC/9 mast cells.Methods : Cytotoxic activity of MRAL (50, 100, 200, 400 µg/mL) on MC/9 mast cells measured using EZ-Cytox cell viability assay kit (WST reagent). The levels of interleuk in-5 (IL-5), IL-13 and IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13 mRNA expression were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent as say (ELISA) and real-time PCR respectively. The expression of transcription factors such as G ATA-1, GATA-2, NFAT, AP-1 and NF-κB p65 DNA binding activity were measured by western blot and electrop horesis mobility shift assay (EMSA).Results : Our results indicated that MRAL (50 µg/mL, 100 µg/mL) significantly inhibited PMA/Ionomycin-induced production of IL-5 and IL-13 and the expr ession of IL-4, IL-5, IL-6 and IL-13 mRNA in MC/9 mast cells. Moreover, MRAL (50 µg/mL, 100 µg/mL) inhibited PMA/Ionomycin-induced GATA-1, GATA-2, NFAT-1, NFAT-2, c-Fos protein expression and NF-κB p65 DNA binding activity in MC/9 mast cells.Conclusions : In conclusion, we suspect the anti-allergenic activities of MRAL, may be related to the regulation of transcription factors GATA-1, GATA-2, NFAT-1, NFAT-2, c-Fos and NF-κB p65 DNA binding assay causing inhibition of Th2 cytokines IL-5 and IL-13 in mast cells.Key words : Morus alba Linne Root Bark (MRAL), MC/9 mast cell line, Anti-allergy, Transcription factor, Th2 cytokines

This study was conducted to determine if oral administration of the novel herbal medicine, MA, and itsLactobacillus acidophilusfermented product, MA128, have therapeutic properties for the treatment of asthma. Asthma was induced in BALB/c mice by systemic sensitization to ovalbumin (OVA) followed by intratracheal, intraperitoneal, and aerosol allergen challenges. MA and MA128 were orally administered 6 times a week for 4 weeks. At 1 day after the last ovalbumin exposure, airway hyperresponsiveness was assessed and samples of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, lung cells, and serum were collected for further analysis. We investigated the effect of MA and MA128 on airway hyperresponsiveness, pulmonary eosinophilic infiltration, various immune cell phenotypes, Th2 cytokine production, OVA-specific IgE production, and Th1/Th2 cytokine production in this mouse model of asthma. In BALB/c mice, we found that MA and MA128 treatment suppressed eosinophil infiltration into airways and blood, allergic airway inflammation and AHR by suppressing the production of IL-5, IL-13, IL-17, Eotaxin, and OVA-specific IgE, by upregulating the production of OVA-specific Th1 cytokine (IFN-γ), and by downregulating OVA-specific Th2 cytokine (IL-4) in the culture supernatant of spleen cells. The effectiveness of MA was increased by fermentation withLactobacillus acidophilus.

Background and Objective. This study was aimed to analyse the curative effects ofPinellia ternata,Citrus reticulata, and their combination on airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to inhaled methacholine, pulmonary eosinophilic infiltration, Th2 cytokine production, and IgE and histamine production in a murine model of asthma.Methods. For this purpose, BALB/c mice were systemically sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) followed intratracheally, intraperitoneally, and by aerosol allergen challenges for 12 weeks. We examined the development of pulmonary eosinophilic accumulation, control of Th2 cytokine, immunoglobulin E (IgE), and histamine productions in a murine model of asthma.Results. Our data suggest that the therapeutic mechanism by whichPinellia ternata,Citrus reticulata, and their combinational prescription effectively treats asthma is based on reductions of eosinophil infiltration, eotaxin receptor (CCR3), histamine, OVA-specific IgE productions in serum, and Th2 cytokines (IL-5, IL-13) by marked reductions of IL-5 and IL-13 mRNA expression in lung tissue.Conclusions. These findings provide evidence thatPinellia ternata,Citrus reticulata, and their combination play a regulatory role in allergic inflammation and offer therapeutic approaches as novel CCR3 antagonists for treatment asthma. However, it is not clear whether pharmacological activities of prescription composed of two herbs are potentiated due to synergistic effect or additive effect.

In the whole paper, Lactobacillus acidophilus was incorrectly used. The correct name is Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The authors apologize for this error.

Advancements in rheumatoid-arthritis-(RA) therapies have shown considerable progresses in the comprehension of disease. However, the development of new potential agents with relative safety and efficacy continues and natural compounds have been considered as alternatives to identify new entities. Since previous in-vivo data and our in-vitro findings showed that torilin has a strong anti-inflammatory property, we further investigated its effect against collagen-induced-arthritis-(CIA) in mice. CIA-induced DBA/1J mice were treated with torilin or methotrexate (MTX) for 5-weeks. Arthritis severity was evaluated by arthritic score and joint histopathology. Draining lymph node (dLN), joint and peripheral-blood mononuclear-cell (PBMC) counts, and activation/localization of T-/B-lymphocytes, dendritic cells (DCs) and neutrophils were examined by FACS analysis. Serum anti-type-II-collagen-(CII) antibody levels and cultured-splenocyte and serum cytokines were also evaluated. Torilin markedly reduced CIA-induced arthritic score, histopathology and leukocyte counts. Besides, torilin suppressed CIA-activated T-cells including CD3+, CD3+/CD69+, CD8+, CD4+ and CD4+/CD25+ in dLNs or joints. It also modified CD19+ or CD20+/CD23+ (B-cells), MHCII+/CD11c+ (DCs) and Gr-1+/CD11b+ (neutrophil) subpopulations. It further depressed total anti-CII-IgG, anti-CII-IgG1 and anti-CII-IgG2a antibody productions. Moreover, while IFN-γ and IL-10 were not affected, torilin suppressed CIA-induced serum TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 levels. Interestingly, torilin also blocked IFN-γ, IL-17 and IL-6 cytokines while it did not affect IL-10 but enhanced IL-4 in splenocytes. These results show that torilin attenuated arthritis severity, modified leukocyte activations in dLNs or joints, and restored serum and splenocyte cytokine imbalances. Torilin may have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties with the capacity to ameliorate the inflammatory response in CIA-mice.

Background Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to allergens, airway oedema, increased mucus secretion, excess production of T helper-2 (Th2) cytokines, and eosinophil accumulation in the lungs. Corni fructus (CF) is a fruit of Cornus officinalis Sieb. Et. Zucc. (Cornaceae) and has been used in traditional Korean medicine as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and diuretic agent. To investigate the anti-asthmatic effects of CF and their underlying mechanism, we examined the influence of CF on the development of pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in a mouse model of allergic asthma. Methods In this study, BALB/c mice were systemically sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) by intraperitoneal (i.p.), intratracheal (i.t.) injections and intranasal (i.n.) inhalation of OVA. We investigated the effect of CF on airway hyperresponsiveness, pulmonary eosinophilic infiltration, various immune cell phenotypes, Th2 cytokine production, and OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) production. Results The CF-treated groups showed suppressed eosinophil infiltration, allergic airway inflammation, and AHR via reduced production of interleuin (IL) -5, IL-13, and OVA-specific IgE. Conclusions Our data suggest that the therapeutic effects of CF in asthma are mediated by reduced production of Th2 cytokines (IL-5), eotaxin, and OVA-specific IgE and reduced eosinophil infiltration.

Background and Objective. The features of asthma are airway inflammation, reversible airflow obstruction, and an increased sensitivity to bronchoconstricting agents, termed airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), excess production of Th2 cytokines, and eosinophil accumulation in the lungs. To investigate the antiasthmatic potential of hesperidin as well as the underlying mechanism involved, we studied the inhibitory effect and anti-inflammatory effect of hesperidin (HPN) on the production of Th2 cytokines, eotaxin, IL-17, -OVA-specific IgEin vivoasthma model mice.Methods. In this paper, BALB/c mice were systemically sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) followed intratracheally, intraperitoneally, and by aerosol allergen challenges. We investigated the effect of HPN on airway hyperresponsiveness, pulmonary eosinophilic infiltration, various immune cell phenotypes, Th2 cytokine production and OVA-specific IgE production in a mouse model of asthma.Results. In BALB/c mice, we found that HPN-treated groups had suppressed eosinophil infiltration, allergic airway inflammation, and AHR, and these occurred by suppressing the production of IL-5, IL-17, and OVA-specific IgE.Conclusions. Our data suggest that the therapeutic mechanism by which HPN effectively treats asthma is based on reductions of Th2 cytokines (IL-5), eotaxin, OVA-specific IgE production, and eosinophil infiltration via inhibition of GATA-3 transcription factor.