Effects of a polyherbal formulation on inflammation and histopathological alterations in mice with ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center and Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences

2 Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

3 Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

4 Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Objective: Allergic asthma is a complex inflammatory disorder that affects the airways. As an ancient medical system, Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) recommends a polyherbal formula called “Monzej-e-balgham” for the treatment of asthma. In the present investigation, the antiasthmatic effects of “Monzej-e-balgham” were examined in a murine model of allergic asthma.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight Balb/c mice weighing 15-20 g were allocated into 4 groups. As negative and positive controls, groups I and II received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and ovalbumin (OVA) solutions, respectively. Groups III and IV were first sensitized with OVA and then respectively treated with “Monzej-e-balgham” (63 mg/kg) and budesonide. Finally, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues of the animals were collected and used for eosinophil counting, Th2 type interleukins (IL-5, IL-13, and IL-33) measurement, and histological examinations.
Results: “Monzej-e-balgham” significantly reduced the number of eosinophils and the levels of IL-5, IL-13, and IL-33 in BALF specimens compared to OVA-sensitized group (p<0.05). It also ameliorated histopathological changes of the lung tissues such as goblet cells hyperplasia and mucus overproduction in comparison to group II. Interestingly, the results of the “Monzej-e-balgham”-treated group were comparable with those obtained for budesonide-inhaled mice.
Conclusion: The present data indicated a mechanism that involves Th2 inflammatory responses in allergic asthma and suggested a polyherbal mixture for the treatment of this disease.

Keywords

References

Al-Harbi NO, Nadeem A, Al-Harbi MM, Imam
F, Al-Shabanah OA, Ahmad SF, SayedAhmed MM, Bahashwan SA. 2015.
Oxidative airway inflammation leads to
systemic and vascular oxidative stress in a
murine model of allergic asthma. Int
Immunopharmacol, 26: 237-245.
Amini F, Jaladat AM, Atarzadeh F, Mosavat
SH, Parvizi MM, Zamani N. 2019. A review
on the management of asthma in the
A herbal formulation against allergic asthma
AJP, Vol. 12, No. 5, Sep-Oct 2022 535
Avicenna's Canon of Medicine. J
Complement Integr Med, 16: 1-8.
Duque GA, Descoteaux A. 2014. Macrophage
cytokines: involvement in immunity and
infectious diseases. Front Immunol, 5: 1-12.
Arzani S. 2002. Mizan Al-teb, pp. 23-24, Qom,
Sama Cultural Institute.
Athari SS, Pourpak Z, Folkerts G, Garssen J,
Moin M, Adcock IM, Movassaghi M,
Ardestani MS, Moazzeni SM, Mortaz E.
2016. Conjugated alpha-alumina
nanoparticle with vasoactive intestinal
peptide as a Nano-drug in treatment of
allergic asthma in mice. Eur J Pharmacol,
791: 811-820.
Bochner BS, Rothenberg ME, Boyce JA,
Finkelman F. 2013. Advances in
mechanisms of allergy and clinical
immunology in 2012. J Allergy Clin
Immunol, 131: 661-667.
Braman SS. 2006. The global burden of asthma.
Chest, 130: 4-12.
Cho YS, Moon HB. 2010. The role of oxidative
stress in the pathogenesis of asthma. Allergy
Asthma Immunol Res, 2: 183-187.
Choi J, Choi BK, Kim JS, Lee JW, Park HA,
Ryu HW, Lee SU, Hwang KW, Yun WK,
Kim HC, Ahn KS, Oh SR, Lee HJ. 2016.
Picroside II attenuates airway inflammation
by downregulating the transcription factor
GATA3 and Th2-Related cytokines in a
mouse model of HDM-induced allergic
asthma. PLoS One, 11: 1-15.
Choi MS, Park S, Choi T, Lee G, Haam KK,
Hong MC, Min BI, Bae H. 2013. Bee venom
ameliorates ovalbumin induced allergic
asthma via modulating CD4+CD25+
regulatory T cells in mice. Cytokine, 61:
256-265.
Deo SS, Mistry KJ, Kakade AM, Niphadkar
PV. 2010. Role played by Th2 type
cytokines in IgE mediated allergy and
asthma. Lung India, 27: 66-71.
Fuseini H, Newcomb DC. 2017. Mechanisms
driving gender differences in asthma. Curr
Allergy Asthma Rep, 17: 1-15.
Guihua X, Shuyin L, Jinliang G, Wang S. 2016.
Naringin Protects ovalbumin-induced
airway inflammation in a mouse model of
asthma. Inflammation, 39: 891-899.
Hajimehdipoor H, Nikmanesh N, MohammadiMotamed S. 2019. Amla oil, a
pharmaceutical product based on traditional
knowledge for hair loss treatment. Res J
Pharmacogn, 6: 57-61.
Hasanloo T, Sepehrifar R, Hajimehdipoor H.
2011. Levels of phenolic compounds and
their effects on antioxidant capacity of wild
Vaccinium arctostaphylos L. (Qare-Qat)
collected from different regions of Iran.
Turkish J Biol, 35: 371-377.
Jackson DJ, Makrinioti H, Rana BM, Shamji
BW, Trujillo-Torralbo MB, Footitt J, Jerico
DR, Telcian AG, Nikonova A, Zhu J,
Aniscenko J, Gogsadze L, Bakhsoliani E,
Traub S, Dhariwal J, Porter J, Hunt D, Hunt
T, Hunt T, Stanciu LA, Khaitov M, Bartlett
NW, Edwards MR, Kon OM, Mallia P,
Papadopoulos NG, Akdis CA, Westwick,J,
Edwards MJ, Cousins DJ, Walton RP,
Johnston SL. 2014. IL-33-dependent type 2
inflammation during rhinovirus-induced
asthma exacerbations in vivo. Am J Respir
Crit Care Med, 190: 1373-1382.
Jesenak M, Zelieskova M, Babusikova E. 2017.
Oxidative stress and bronchial asthma in
children-causes or consequences? Front
Pediatr, 5: 1-8.
Kave H, Neamati A, Eftekhari H. 2013. Effect
of canola oil on number and types of white
blood cells in experimental asthmatic rats.
Horizon Med Sci, 19: 53-57.
Ko J, Lee JI, Muñoz-Furlong A, Li XM,
Sicherer SH. 2006. Use of complementary
and alternative medicine by food-allergic
patients. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol, 97:
365-369.
Lee HL, Jang JW, Lee SW, Yoo SH, Kwon JH,
Nam SW, Bae SH, Choi JY, Han NI, Yoon
SK. 2019. Inflammatory cytokines and
change of Th1/Th2 balance as prognostic
indicators for hepatocellular carcinoma in
patients treated with transarterial
chemoembolization. Sci Rep, 9: 3260.
Liang P, Peng S, Zhang M, Ma Y, Zhen X, Li
H. 2017. Huai Qi Huang corrects the balance
of Th1/Th2 and Treg/Th17 in an ovalbumininduced asthma mouse model. Biosci Rep,
37: 1-8.
Lloyd CM, Saglani S. 2015. Epithelial
cytokines and pulmonary allergic
inflammation. Curr Opin Immunol, 34: 52-
58.
Miller AM. 2011. Role of IL-33 in
inflammation and disease. J Inflamm, 8: 1-
12.
Millien VO, Lu W, Mak G, Yuan X, Knight JM,
Porter P, Kheradmand F, Corry DB. 2014.
Airway fibrinogenolysis and the initiation of
Hamzeloo-Moghadam et al.
AJP, Vol. 12, No. 5, Sep-Oct 2022 536
allergic inflammation. Ann Am Thorac Soc,
5: 277-283.
Nakano T, Shimojo N, Okamoto Y, Ebisawa M,
Kurihara K, Hoshioka A, Yamaguchi K, Ito
K, Fujisawa T, Kameda M, Suehiro Y,
Ogura H, Shibata R, Suzuki S, Takahashi Y,
Ikeda M, Kohno Y. 2012. The use of
complementary and alternative medicine by
pediatric food-allergic patients in Japan. Int
Arch Allergy Immunol, 159: 410-415.
Porsbjerg C, Baines K, Gibson P, Bergqvist A,
Erjefält JS, Sverrild A, Backer V. 2016. IL33 is related to innate immune activation and
sensitization to HDM in mild steroid-free
asthma. Clin Exp Allergy, 46: 564-574.
Préfontaine D, Nadigel J, Chouiali F,
Audusseau S, Semlali A, Chakir J, Martin
JG, Hamid Q. 2010. Increased IL-33
expression by epithelial cells in bronchial
asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 125: 752-
754.
Rezghi M, Mortazavi SA, Fahimi S, Choopani
R, Sheikholeslam A, Hamzeloo-Moghadam
M. 2021. Polyherbal tablet based on Iranian
traditional medicine. J Med Plants, 20: 15-
25.
Saikumar Jayalatha AK, Hesse L, Ketelaar ME,
Koppelman GH, Nawijn MC. 2021. The
central role of IL-33/IL-1RL1 pathway in
asthma: From pathogenesis to intervention.
Pharmacol Ther, 225: 1-18.
Slader CA, Reddel HK, Jenkins CR, Armour
CL, Bosnic-Anticevich SZ. 2006.
Complementary and alternative medicine
use in asthma: who is using what?
Respirology, 11: 373-387.
Soodi M, Saeidnia S, Sharifzadeh M,
Hajimehdipoor H, Dashti A, Sepand MR,
Moradi S. 2016. Satureja bachtiarica
ameliorate beta-amyloid induced memory
impairment, oxidative stress and cholinergic
deficit in animal model of Alzheimer's
disease. Metab Brain Dis, 31: 395-404.
Sparano A, Lathers DM, Achille N, Petruzzelli
GJ, Young MR. 2004. Modulation of Th1
and Th2 cytokine profiles and their
association with advanced head and neck
squamous cell carcinoma. Otolaryngol Head
Neck Surg, 131: 573-576.
Stoloff SW, Kelly HW. 2011. Updates on the
use of inhaled corticosteroids in asthma.
Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol, 11: 337-
344.
Volovitz B, Bilavsky E, Nussinovitch M. 2008.
Effectiveness of high repeated doses of
inhaled budesonide or fluticasone in
controlling acute asthma exacerbations in
young children. J Asthma, 45: 561-567.
White SR, Martin LD, Stern R, Laxman B,
Marroquin BA. 2010. Expression of IL4/IL-13 receptors in differentiating human
airway epithelial cells. Am J Physiol Lung
Cell Mol Physiol, 299: 681-693
Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine
Volume 12, Issue 5
September and October 2022
Pages 527-536

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics