Background: Gamijinhae-tang (GJHT) has long been used in Korea to treat respiratory diseases. The therapeutic\r\neffect of GJHT is likely associated with its anti-inflammatory activity. However, the precise mechanisms underlying\r\nits effects are unknown. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of GJHT in a porcine\r\npancreatic elastase (PPE) and lipopolysaccharide(LPS) induced animal model of acute lung injury (ALI).\r\nMethods: In this study, mice were intranasally exposed to PPE and LPS for 4 weeks to induce chronic obstructive\r\npulmonary disease (COPD)-like lung inflammation. Two hours prior to PPE and LPS administration, the treatment\r\ngroup was administered GJHT extracts via an oral injection. The numbers of neutrophils, lymphocytes, macrophages\r\nand total cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were counted, and pro-inflammatory cytokines were also\r\nmeasured. For histologic analysis, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stains were\r\nevaluated.\r\nResults: After inducing ALI by treating mice with PPE and LPS for 4 weeks, the numbers of neutrophils,\r\nlymphocytes and total cells were significantly lower in the GJHT group than in the ALI group. In addition, the IL-1�Ÿ\r\nand IL-6 levels were significantly decreased in the GJHT group. The histological results also demonstrated the\r\nattenuation effect of GJHT on PPE- and LPS-induced lung inflammation.\r\nConclusions: The results of this study indicate that GJHT has significantly reduces PPE- and LPS-induced lung\r\ninflammation. The remarkable protective effects of GJHT suggest its therapeutic potential in COPD treatment.
Loading....