Antiasthmatic effects of Gleditsia sinensis in an ovalbumin-induced murine model of asthma.

This study evaluated the antiasthmatic effects of Gleditsia sinensis ethanolic extract (GSEE) and its underlying mechanisms, using an in vivo murine model of asthma. Female BALB/c mice were sensitized, challenged with ovalbumin, and then examined for asthmatic reactions. The results showed that GSEE exerted profound inhibitory effects on the accumulation of eosinophils in the airways and reduced the levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and immunoglobulin E (IgE) in BALF and plasma. Gleditsia sinensis ethanolic extract also suppressed the production of reactive oxygen species in BALF and inflammatory infiltration, in a dose-dependent manner, and it inhibited goblet-cell hyperplasia in lung tissue. Thus, GSEE shows antiasthmatic effects in a murine model of allergic asthma, which appeared to be mediated partially by the reduction of oxidative stress and airway inflammation. These results indicate that GSEE could be an effective novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of allergic asthma.