Cimicifugae Rhizoma has been used as a medicinal herb for fever, pain, and inflammation in East Asia. We conducted this study because the effect of Cimicifugae Rhizoma extract (CRE) on allergic asthma has not yet been evaluated. To induce allergic airway inflammation, we intraperitoneally injected ovalbumin (OVA) mixed with aluminum hydroxide into mice twice at intervals of 2 weeks (Days 0 and 14) and then inhaled them thrice with 1% OVA solution using a nebulizer (Days 21 to 23). CRE (30 and 100 mg/kg) was administered orally daily for 6 days (Days 18 to 23). The mice showed remarkable reduction in allergic inflammation at 100 mg/kg of CRE, as evidenced by decreased inflammatory cell counts, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, OVA-specific immunoglobulin E level, airway hyperresponsiveness, and production of mucus. Additionally, these effects were involved with the enhancement of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression and reduction of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) phosphorylation and matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression. Our findings indicated that CRE effectively protected against OVA-induced inflammation and oxidative stress via upregulation of the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling and downregulation of NF-κB phosphorylation in asthma caused by OVA.

Allergic rhinitis (AR), caused by immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated inflammation, generally occurs in the upper respiratory tract. T helper type 2 (Th2) cell-mediated cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13, are important factors in AR pathogenesis. Despite various treatment options, the difficulty in alleviating AR and pharmacological side effects necessitate development of new therapies. The root of Pulsatilla koreana Nakai (P. koreana), a pasque flower, has been used as a herbal medicine. However, its effects on AR remain unclear; therefore, we aimed to explore this subject in the current study. The therapeutic effects of P. koreana water extract (PKN) on the pathophysiological functions of the nasal mucosa was examined in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR mice. The effect of PKN on Th2 activation and differentiation was evaluated using concanavalin A-induced splenocytes and differentiated Th2 cells from naïve CD4⁺ T cells. We also investigated the effect of changes in JAK/STAT6/GATA3 signaling on IL-4-induced Th2 cells. In OVA-induced AR mice, PKN administration alleviated allergic nasal symptoms and decreased the total number of immune cells, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils in nasal lavage fluid; serum levels of OVA-specific IgE, histamine, and IL-13 were also significantly reduced. PKN also ameliorated OVA-induced nasal mucosal tissue thickening by inhibiting inflammation and goblet cell hyperplasia. PKN treatment significantly inhibited Th2 activity and differentiation through the IL-4/STAT-6/GATA3 pathway in Th2 cells. PKN is an effective AR treatment with the potential to improve patients' daily lives by regulating the allergic inflammatory response induced by Th2 cells.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a well-documented type 2 helper T (Th2) cell-mediated allergic disease that is accompanied by symptoms such as nasal rubbing, sneezing, itching, and rhinorrhea. Angelica gigas (AG) is traditional oriental medicine, and its dried root is widely used for the treatment of anemia, as a sedative, and as a blood tonic. The effects of AG on allergic diseases including AR are currently unclear; therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of AG extract (AG-Ex) in ameliorating AR. The cytotoxicity of AG-Ex was analyzed by EZ-Cytox or MTS assay in splenocytes, differentiated Th2 cells, and human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpC). The changes of Th2 cells activation were determined by the secretion levels of cytokines and chemokines using cytometric bead array in splenocytes and differentiated Th2 cells. The expression levels of eotaxin-3 and periostin were analyzed using an ELISA. AR was induced by ovalbumin in BALB/c mice and the ameliorating effects of AG-Ex were assessed by their clinical symptoms. The secretion of Th2 cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 was inhibited by the AG-Ex treatment in the splenocytes and differentiated Th2 cells. The treatment also suppressed allergic responses including the secretion of eotaxin-3 and periostin in human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpC). Moreover, the administration of AG-Ex to the OVA-induced AR mice improved their clinical symptoms, including behavioral tests, immune cell counts, histopathological analysis, and changes in serum parameters. The results of this study suggest that AG-Ex ameliorates AR by inhibiting Th2 cell activation and could thus be utilized as a treatment for Th2-mediated allergic diseases in the future.

Obesity, a condition where excess body fat accumulates to the extent, causes a negative effect on health. Previously, we reported the extract of Dolichos lablab L. (DLL-Ex) inhibited high-fat diet (HFD)-induced increases in body weight and body fat mass and ameliorated increases in body weight. In the present work, we studyed the molecular mechanism for the inhibitory effect of DLL-Ex or Chikusetsusaponin IVa (CS-IVa), as isolated from Dolichos lablab L. (DLL) seeds extract, on adipocyte differentiation. We evaluated the effect of DLL-Ex, an anti-obesity agent, and CS-IVa, an active component of DLL-Ex, on 3T3-L1 cell differentiation via Oil red O assay and Q-PCR, along with their effects on CCAAT element binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) mRNA transcriptions. FAS and FABP4 protein expression levels after exposure to CS-IVa were also tested. The results showed that DLL-Ex and CS-IVa have potent inhibitory activity on adipocyte differentiation. Therefore, DLL and CS-IVa may be developed as a functional food material to treat obesity.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disease that is rising in prevalence worldwide. Therapeutic strategies for patients with NAFLD are limited by a lack of effective drugs. In this report, we show that Dolichos lablab water extract (DLL-Ex) protects against free fatty acid (FFA)-induced lipid accumulation and attenuates expression of genes involved in lipid droplet accumulation in cellular NAFLD models. The hepatoprotective effects and underlying mechanism of DLL-Ex were assessed using an in vitro cellular model in which NAFLD was simulated by inducing excessive FFA influx into hepatocytes. HepG2 cells were treated with DLL-Ex and FFAs for 24 h, after which intracellular lipid content was observed by using Nile Red and Oil Red O staining. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure expression levels of genes related to FFA-mediated cellular energy depletion. Western blotting was used to measure protein levels of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase, AMP-activated protein kinase alpha (AMPKα), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1 alpha. In HepG2 cells, DLL-Ex inhibited expression of CD36, which regulates fatty acid uptake, as well as BODIPY-labeled fatty acid uptake. Additionally, DLL-Ex significantly attenuated FFA-mediated cellular energy depletion and mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Furthermore, DLL-Ex enhanced phosphorylation of AMPK, indicating that AMPK is a critical regulator of DLL-Ex-mediated inhibition of hepatic lipid accumulation, possibly through its antioxidative effect. These results demonstrate that DLL-Ex exerts potent anti-NAFLD activity, suggesting that it could be a potential adjuvant treatment for patients with NAFLD.

Sho-saiko-to (SST) (also known as so-shi-ho-tang or xiao-chai-hu-tang) has been widely prescribed for chronic liver diseases in traditional Oriental medicine. Despite the substantial amount of clinical evidence for SST, its molecular mechanism has not been clearly identified at a genome-wide level.