Article · Volume 10, Issue 37S · pp. S80–S85

Antiasthmatic effects of schizandrae fructus extract in mice with asthma

Hyungwoo Kim², Yong‑Tae Ahn³, Youn Sook Kim⁴, Su In Cho⁵, Won Gun An⁵

¹Associate Professor.
²Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungdong University, Goseong‑gun, Gangwon‑do, South Korea.
³Master of Science.
⁴Professor, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Pusan.

Abstract

Background: Schizandrae fructus (SF), the fruit of Schisandra chinensis, has been used for the treatment of cough, wheezing, dry mouth, hepatitis, cardiovascular disease, and as a tonic and astringent in China, Japan, and Korea.Objective: Investigation of the antiasthmatic effects of SF.Materials and Methods: We investigated the effects of SF on airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to methacholine, production levels of antigen‑specific antibodies, and histopathological changes in the lung tissue in a mouse model (Balb/c) of asthma induced by repeated intranasal instillation of an antigen.Results: SF lowered AHR to methacholine (P < 0.05), antigen‑specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) level (P < 0.01), and immune cell infiltration in mice with asthma. Prednisolone (PD) effectively decreased AHR (P < 0.01), total antibody (P < 0.01) and IgE (P < 0.01) levels, and immune cell infiltration. SF and PD did not affect the levels of antigen‑specific IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies.Conclusion: Our data suggest that SF has possible application as an antiasthmatic drug. We also suggest that SF could be used as a complementary or alternative medicine to glucocorticoids.

Keywords: Asthma; hyperresponsiveness; IgE; schizandrae fructus

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