Zhike pingchuan granules improve bronchial asthma by regulating the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway

Yumei Ren; Yuling Liu; Shouchuan Wang; Zhen Lei; Yongbin Yan; Xutao Guan; Jianghong Hou; Shan Zhu; Haijun Shan; Xinlei Tian; Quan Wang; Caihong Cao; Yingying Zhang; Yunfeng Ma

doi:10.3892/etm.2021.10331

Zhike pingchuan granules improve bronchial asthma by regulating the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway

Exp Ther Med. 2021 Aug;22(2):899. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10331. Epub 2021 Jun 23.

Authors

Yumei Ren¹, Yuling Liu², Shouchuan Wang^{3

4}, Zhen Lei⁵, Yongbin Yan⁶, Xutao Guan⁷, Jianghong Hou⁸, Shan Zhu⁹, Haijun Shan⁹, Xinlei Tian⁹, Quan Wang¹⁰, Caihong Cao⁹, Yingying Zhang⁹, Yunfeng Ma¹¹

Affiliations

¹ Pediatric Department of The Second Clinical Medical College of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, P.R. China.
² Pediatric Department of Nanjing Pukou Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211800, P.R. China.
³ Pediatric Department of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, P.R. China.
⁴ The First Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P.R. China.
⁵ Central Laboratory of The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, P.R. China.
⁶ Pediatric Department of The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, P.R. China.
⁷ Oncology Department of The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, P.R. China.
⁸ Health Preserving Discipline of The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, P.R. China.
⁹ Pediatric Department of The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, P.R. China.
¹⁰ Experimental Center of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450046, P.R. China.
¹¹ Discipline of Bone Injury of The Second Clinical Medical College of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, P.R. China.

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of zhike pingchuan granules (ZKPC) on bronchial asthma and the underlying mechanism. A bronchial asthma mouse model was established by aerosol inhalation of ovalbumin. The changes in lung pathomorphology were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The levels of IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum were detected by corresponding ELISA kits. Levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase in lung tissues were analyzed using corresponding kits. The expression of proteins related to apoptosis and the IL-6/janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/STAT3 pathway was detected by western blot analysis. The results showed that ZKPC significantly restored the dry/wet ratio and alleviated lung pathomorphology of bronchial asthmatic mice. In addition, ZKPC inhibits inflammation, oxidative stress levels and cell apoptosis in bronchial asthmatic mice and also suppressed the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Fedratinib (a JAK2 inhibitor) further strengthened the alleviative effects of ZKPC on bronchial asthma. In conclusion, ZKPC improved bronchial asthma by suppressing the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

Keywords: IL-6/janus kinase 2/STAT3 pathway; bronchial asthma; inflammation; zhike pingchuan granules.

Grants and funding

Funding: This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation project: Experimental study on the regulation of TGF-1/VEGF expression in airway remodeling in asthmatic rats based on the new theory of ‘hidden wind stagnation and lodge phlegm’ pathogenesis (grant no. 81574020). Traditional Chinese Medicine Scientific Research Special Project of Henan Province (grant no. 20-21ZY2057); Henan Provincial Key Research and Development and Promotion Special Project (Science and Technology Targeted) (grant no. 212102311143)