Chinese herbal medicine formula Gu‑Ben‑Fang‑Xiao‑Tang attenuates airway inflammation by modulating Th17/Treg balance in an ovalbumin‑induced murine asthma model

Ruan,Guiying; Tao,Baohong; Wang,Dongguo; Li,Yong; Wu,Jingyi; Yin,Genquan

doi:10.3892/etm.2016.3507

Chinese herbal medicine formula Gu‑Ben‑Fang‑Xiao‑Tang attenuates airway inflammation by modulating Th17/Treg balance in an ovalbumin‑induced murine asthma model

Authors:
- Guiying Ruan
- Baohong Tao
- Dongguo Wang
- Yong Li
- Jingyi Wu
- Genquan Yin
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Affiliations: Department of Paediatrics, Taizhou Municipal Hospital, Medical College of Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Taizhou Municipal Hospital, Medical College of Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China, Central Laboratory, Taizhou Municipal Hospital, Medical College of Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taizhou Municipal Hospital, Medical College of Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China
Published online on: July 5, 2016 https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2016.3507
Pages: 1428-1434
Copyright: © Ruan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Gu‑Ben‑Fang‑Xiao‑Tang (GBFXT) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula consisting of 11 medicinal plants, which has been used in the treatment of asthma. The present study aimed to determine the protective effects and the underlying mechanisms of GBFXT on ovalbumin (OVA)‑induced allergic inflammation in a mouse model of allergic asthma. A total of 50 mice were randomly assigned to the following five experimental groups: Normal, model, montelukast (2.6 mg/kg), 12 g/kg GBFXT and 36 g/kg GBFXT groups. Airway responsiveness was measured using the forced oscillation technique, while differential cell count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was measured by Wright‑Giemsa staining. Histological assessment was performed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, while BALF levels of Th17/Treg cytokines were measured by enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay, and the proportions of Th17 and Treg cells were evaluated by flow cytometry. The results showed that GBFXT suppressed airway hyperresponsiveness during methacholine‑induced constriction, reduced the percentage of leukocytes and eosinophils, and resulted in decreased absolute neutrophil infiltration in lung tissue. In addition, GBFXT treatment significantly decreased the IL‑17A cytokine level and increased the IL‑10 cytokine level in the BALF. Furthermore, GBFXT significantly suppressed Th17 cells and increased Treg cells in asthmatic mice. In conclusion, the current results demonstrated that GBFXT may effectively inhibit the progression of airway inflammation in allergic asthma, partially by modulating the Th17/Treg cell balance.

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