Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
Open Access

Opuntia humifusa modulates morphological changes characteristic of asthma via IL-4 and IL-13 in an asthma murine model

3^rd Global Summit on Herbals & Traditional Medicine

October 18-20, 2017 Osaka, Japan

Soon-Young Lee, Chun-Sik Bae, Young-hoon Choi, Nam-Sook Seo, Chang-Su Na, Jin-Cheol Yoo, Seung Sik Cho and Dae-Hun Park

Dongshin University, Republic of Korea
Chonnam National University, Republic of Korea
Mokpo National University, Republic of Korea
Chosun University, Republic of Korea

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Med Aromat Plants

Abstract :

Asthma is a chronic pulmonary disease that affects an estimated 235 million people worldwide. Anti-asthmatic drugs such as inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene receptor antagonists, short/long-acting �?²2-agonists and anticholinergic drugs are used to treat asthma; however, they may cause serious adverse health effects. Opuntia humifusa (eastern prickly pear) has been used as a food and traditional medicine worldwide, however; its anti-asthmatic effects have not been reported. In this study, we evaluated O. humifusa as a potential therapeutic or preventive component of anti-asthmatic drugs. We divided ovalbuminsensitized mice into the following groups: Normal control, asthma-induced control, dexamethasone-treated group (positive control), 50 mg/kg O. humifusa-treated group, 100 mg/kg O. humifusa-treated group and 500 mg/kg O. humifusa-treated group. Levels of Th1/Th2/Th17-related cytokines were evaluated using RT-PCR, ELISA and immunohistochemistry. O. humifusa dose-dependently suppressed the morphological changes typically observed in asthma, such as goblet cell hyperplasia, inflammatory cell infiltration, mucous hyper-secretion and relative basement membrane thickening in the respiratory system. These results may be attributable to regulation of Th1-/Th2-/Th17-related factors, especially interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13. We conclude that O. humifusa is a potential anti-asthmatic drug candidate.

Biography :

Soon-Young Lee is an Associate Professor at the Department of Nursing at Dongshin University, Republic of Korea. He has received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Veterinary Basic Studies in Republic of Korea.