Effect Of Yiqi Wenyang Huwei Decoction On Ovalbumin-Induced Bronchial Asthma In Rats

Yiqi Wenyang Huwei decoction (YWHD) has been a commonly used traditional medicine for bronchial asthma. In this study, the therapeutic effects of YWHD in rats with ovalbumin-induced bronchial asthma were investigated. Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control, model, low dose YWHD, medium dose YWHD, and high dose YWHD groups (n=12 in each group). The asthma model was established and validated by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (INF-alpha) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) expression was determined by ELISA assay. The mRNA and protein expression of human beta-defensin (HBD)-1, HBD-2 and HBD-3 was determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. The model group showed a large number of inflammatory cells infiltration in bronchial submucosa and around the bronchial wall, wall thickening, narrowing of lumen, epithelial hyperplasia, smooth muscle hypertrophy, and thickening and irregular basement membrane. Compared with the model group, inflammatory cell infiltration and wall thickening in the low dose YWHD group showed no significant changes, inflammatory cell infiltration around the bronchioles decreased in the medium dose YWHD group, while wall thickening were significantly improved in the high dose YWHD group. At week 1 and 4, the TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta expression in the model group was significantly increased compared with normal control (P<0.05). At week 1 and 4, TNF-alpha expression in all YWHD groups was significantly decreased compared with the model group (P<0.05). At week 1, IL-1 beta expression in the medium and high dose YWHD groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05), while at week 4, the expression in all YWHD groups was significantly decreased compared with the model group (P<0.05). At week 1 and 4, expression of human beta-defensin (HBD)-1, HBD-2 and HBD-3 in the model group was significantly increased compared with normal control (P<0.05) while expression in all YWHD groups was significantly decreased compared with the model group (P<0.05). The effect of YWHD on asthma prevention was thus achieved through regulation of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta and defensin expression.