Biyuanling suppresses the toluene-2, 4-diisocyanate induced allergic rhinitis in guinea pigs

Abstract

Allergic rhinitis (AR), one of the common diseases of the upper respiratory system, is associated with high risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Biyuanling Granules (BLG), a formulated preparation of traditional Chinese medicine, has been used in China for treatment of AR for more than a decade; however, its exact action against allergic rhinitis and the mechanism involved remain unclear. In this study, we studied the effects of BLG on allergic rhinitis induced by toluene-2, 4- diisocyanate (TDI) in guinea pigs. The anti-AR effects of BLG were evaluated by behavior observations, histological examinations of the nasal tissues stained with hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E), immunohistochemical analyses of pulmonary surfactant associated protein (SP), Bcl-2 Associated X Protei (Bax), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the nasal mucosa, and serum tests of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and human SARS-specific immunoglobulin (SIgE) levels. We observed that in the AR-positive animals treated with BLG, the symptom scores were significantly higher (P < 0.01), the nasal mucosa edemas and inflammatory infiltrates were significantly alleviated (P < 0.01) and the serum IL-4 and SIgE levels were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) as compared with the control group. Immunohistochemical examinations of the nasal mucosa demonstrated that the expressions of TNF-α, SP and VCAM-1 were significantly decreased (P < 0.01), whereas Bax expression was increased in the BLG treatment groups (P < 0.05). These results indicate that BLG can effectively suppress the TDI-induced AR, and that the protective effects of BLG were associated with reductions of TNF-α, SP and VCAM-1, and an elevation of Bax, suggesting that BLG exerts its AR-suppressive effects through inhibition of inflammatory response.

The Natural Products Targeting on Allergic Rhinitis: From Traditional Medicine to Modern Drug Discovery

“…aqueous extract, Syzygium formosum leaf extract, and Wild grape hot-water extract ameliorated allergic rhinitis by inhibiting IL-4 [55][56][57][58]66,69,71,72,79,86,103,104]. Among extract studies, Ethanol extract of Biyeom-Tang, Biyuanling, Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang, Hyeonggaeyeongyo-Tang, Mahuang Fuzi Xixin decoction, Pyeongwee-San extract, Qi-fang-bi-min-tang, Shenqi, So-Cheong-Ryong-Tang, and Yiqi Wenyang Fang reduced IL-4 expression [114][115][116][117][118][124][125][126]128,131]. Furthermore, IL-5 was inhibited by Albizia lebbeck bark ethanol extract, Artemisia vulgaris water extract, BGPP, BGPP ethanol extract, BCE, Citrus, Royal jelly, RMFE, Syzygium formosum leaf extract, and Wild grape hot-water extract [55][56][57]60,71,72,79,103,104].…”

“…TNF-α is associated predominantly with Th1-mediated inflammation and is essential for the production of Th2 cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-12 [140]. The release of TNF-α was reduced by Chrysin, Citrus, Elsholtzia ciliate water extract, Gencydo ® , Ostericum koreanum root methanol extract, Lindera obtusiloba water extract, Rosmarinic acid, Biyuanling, and KOB03 [58,60,61,63,64,66,68,116,122].…”

“…Biyuanling Granules were orally administered to TDI-induced AR guinea pigs at doses of 4, 8, or 16 mg/g for 7 days once a day [116]. The decoction inhibited the inflammatory response by increasing Bcl-2 Associated X Protein (Bax) expression and suppressing IL-4, human SARS-specific immunoglobulin (SIgE), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), pulmonary surfactant associated protein (SP), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and transcription factor p65 (P65).…”

“…Some experiments were conducted only in in vitro [57,58,[60][61][62][63]66,67,70,106]. The nasal symptoms and pathogenesis observed in the studies using the TDI-sensitized rhinitis model may differ from AR, an IgE mediated disease, as TDI-sensitized rhinitis is a non-IgE mediated disease [55,56,72,89,116,142]. Furthermore, this paper had shortcomings that should be remedied in the following studies.…”