is widely used to treat respiratory inflammation, including laryngopharyngitis, tonsillitis, tracheitis, and bronchitis. Total alkaloids isolated from have shown a variety of beneficial bioactivities. However, available data on the effects of total alkaloids against allergic asthma has not been reported. In present study, the protective effect of total alkaloids was evaluated by using an ovalbumin-induced model of asthma. The asthma model was prepared by sensitizing and challenging mice with ovalbumin, and total alkaloids (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) were administrated to asthmatic mice by gavage. Histopathological analysis of pulmonary changes was detected by hematoxylin and eosin, and periodic acid-schiff staining. Inflammatory cell counts were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Total immunoglobulin E and ovalbumin-specific immunoglobulin E levels in serum, and T-helper 2 cytokines and chemokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were detected by an ELISA. Histological results demonstrated that total alkaloids significantly attenuated pulmonary inflammation in asthmatic mice. total alkaloid treatment exhibited marked effects on asthmatic mice in reducing inflammatory cell counts, decreasing interleukin-4, interleukin-5, and interleukin-13 concentrations, and downregulating TNF- and eotaxin levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In addition, total alkaloids could also inhibit the elevated serum levels of total immunoglobulin E and ovalbumin-specific immunoglobulin E. These findings confirmed that total alkaloids could suppress airway inflammation in ovalbumin-induced asthma through regulating the T-helper 2 response and chemokine level. total alkaloids may be a potential ethnopharmacological agent for asthmatic patients.
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

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