Immune Homeostasis: Effects of Chinese Herbal Formulae and Herb-Derived Compounds on Allergic Asthma in Different Experimental Models

Abstract

Allergic asthma is thought to arise from an imbalance of immune regulation, which is characterized by the production of large quantities of IgE antibodies by B cells and a decrease of the interferon-γ/interleukin-4 (Th1/Th2) ratio. Certain immunomodulatory components and Chinese herbal formulae have been used in traditional herbal medicine for thousands of years. However, there are few studies performing evidence-based Chinese medicine (CM) research on the mechanisms and effificacy of these drugs in allergic asthma. This review aims to explore the roles of Chinese herbal formulae and herb-derived compounds in experimental research models of allergic asthma. We screened published modern CM research results on the experimental effects of Chinese herbal formulae and herb-derived bioactive compounds for allergic asthma and their possible underlying mechanisms in English language articles from the PubMed and the Google Scholar databases with the keywords allergic asthma, experimental model and Chinese herbal medicine. We found 22 Chinese herb species and 31 herb-derived anti-asthmatic compounds as well as 12 Chinese herbal formulae which showed a reduction of airway hyperresponsiveness, allergen-specifific immunoglobulin E, inflflammatory cell infifiltration and a regulation of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo, respectively. Chinese herbal formulae and herbderived bioactive compounds exhibit immunomodulatory, anti-inflflammatory and anti-asthma activities in different experimental models and their various mechanisms of action are being investigated in modern CM research with genomics, proteomics and metabolomics technologies, which will lead to a new era in the development of new drug discovery for allergic asthma in CM.

Gallic acid attenuates allergic airway inflammation via suppressed interleukin‐33 and group 2 innate lymphoid cells in ovalbumin‐induced asthma in mice

“…Asthma is a common disease characterized by bronchial hyperesponsiveness, lung infiltration of inflammatory cells, and airway remodeling . Around 300 million patients suffer from asthma on an annual basis, and the incidence has been increasing in the past 2 decades .…”

Dracocephalum heterophyllum (DH) Exhibits Potent Anti-Proliferative Effects on Autoreactive CD4+ T Cells and Ameliorates the Development of Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis

“…Regulatory T cells (Tregs), as well as transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) and IL-10, are known to have important inhibitory functions in CD4 + T-cell proliferation (34)(35)(36). In addition, a variety of plants have been implicated to have the ability to regulate immune response (37,38). Indeed, our current study revealed that DH exhibits potent anti-proliferative effects on autoreactive CD4 + T cells and ameliorates the development of experimental autoimmune uveitis.…”

Protective activity of mogroside V against ovalbumin‐induced experimental allergic asthma in Kunming mice

“…The chronicity of asthma imposes a heavy economic burden on the patients. Recently, a traditional Chinese medicine herb was reported to have a strong curative effect on asthma in a clinical study and in asthmatic animal models (Gandhi et al, ; Liu, Wang, He, & Ma, ). Some studies also reported the diterpene substance (such as phytol) with the antiradical, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities in vitro (Pejin, Ciric, Glamoclija, Nikolic, & Sokovic, ; Pejin, Kojic, & Bogdanovic, ; Pejin, Savic, et al, ).…”