The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Fermented Herbal Roots of Asparagus cochinchinensis in an Ovalbumin-Induced Asthma Model

Abstract

Introduction: Roots of Asparagus cochinchinensis, which have pharmacologically active ingredients, have received great attention because they show good therapeutic effects for various inflammatory diseases without specific toxicity. This study investigated the anti-asthmatic effects of a butanol extract of Asparagus cochinchinensis roots that had been fermented with Weissella cibaria (BAW) and its possible underlying cholinergic regulation. Methods: Alterations of the anti-asthmatic markers and the molecular response factors were measured in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model after treatment with BAW. Results: Treatment with BAW decreased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in lipopolysaccharides (LPS) activated RAW264.7 cells. The results of the animal experiments revealed lower infiltration of inflammatory cells and bronchial thickness, and a significant reduction in the number of macrophages and eosinophils, concentration of OVA-specific IgE, and expression of Th2 cytokines in the OVA + BAW treated group. In addition, a significant recovery of goblet cell hyperplasia, MMP-9 expression, and the VEGF signaling pathway was observed upon airway remodeling in the OVA + BAW treated group. Furthermore, these responses of BAW were linked to recovery of acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) M3 downstream signaling pathway in epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and afferent sensory nerves of OVA + BAW-treated mice. Conclusion: Overall, these findings are the first to provide evidence that the therapeutic effects of BAW can prevent airway inflammation and remodeling through the recovery of cholinergic regulation in structural cells and inflammatory cells of the chronic asthma model.

Laxative Effect of Spicatoside A by Cholinergic Regulation of Enteric Nerve in Loperamide-Induced Constipation: ICR Mice Model

“…Furthermore, the crude extract of Viola betonicifolia containing alkaloid and saponins, and the aqueous extracts of Liriope platyphylla containing isoflavone and saponin, also effectively decreased the symptoms of constipation in the loperamide (Lop)-induced model [14,15]. Similar laxative effects have recently been observed in Lop-induced constipation rats treated with the red L. platyphylla extract (EtRLP) containing SpiA [16]. However, no study has showed direct evidence of the laxative effects and molecular mechanism of SpiA when administered as a single compound.…”

“…After quantification of the RNA concentration, the complement DNA (cDNA) was synthesized using a mixture of oligo-dT primer (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA), dNTP and reverse transcriptase (Superscript II, 18064-014, Invitrogen; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA). Q-PCR was then conducted using a cDNA template and 2×Power SYBR Green (TOYOBO Co., Osaka, Japan) as described in previous studies [ 16 ]. The primer sequences used in quantitative real-time PCR was the same as the one in semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis.…”

Anti-Inflammatory Response and Muscarinic Cholinergic Regulation during the Laxative Effect of Asparagus cochinchinensis in Loperamide-Induced Constipation of SD Rats

“…The ethanolic extract from A. cochinchinensis and methyl protodioscin (MP) effectively reduce acute and chronic skin inflammation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced mouse ear edema and inhibits the airway inflammation in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury model [ 31 , 32 ]. A SPA and butanol extract of A. cochinchinensis roots fermented with Weissella cibaria (BAW) have been shown to prevent airway inflammation and remodeling in the lung tissue of an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model [ 33 , 34 ]. However, there have been no studies investigating the anti-inflammatory response of A. cochinchinensis roots in the gastrointestinal tract of animals with inflammatory disease in spite of the above researches providing few evidences.…”

“…After the quantification of the RNA concentration, the complement DNA (cDNA) was synthesized using a mixture of oligo-dT primer (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA), dNTP, and reverse transcriptase (Superscript II, 18064-014, Invitrogen; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA). Q-PCR was then conducted using a cDNA template and 2×Power SYBR Green (TOYOBO Co., Osaka, Japan) as described in previous studies [ 34 ]. The primer sequences used to evaluate the various gene expressions were as follows: TNF-α sense primer 5′-CCTGT AGCCC ACGTC GTAGC-3′ and antisense primer 5‘-TTGAC CTCAG CGCTG ACTTG-3′; IL-1β sense primer 5′-GCACA TCAAC AAGAG CTTCA GGCAG-3′ and antisense primer 5′-GCTGC TTGTG AGGTG CTGAT GTAC-3′; IL-6 sense primer 5′-TTGGG ACTGA TGTTG TTGACA-3′ and antisense primer 5′-TCATC GCTGT TGATA CAATC AGA-3′; and β-actin sense and antisense primers 5′-TGGAA TCCTG TGGCA TCCAT GAAAC-3′ and 5′-TAAAA CGCAG CTCAG TAACA GTCCG-3′, respectively.…”

Four amino acids as serum biomarkers for anti-asthma effects in the ovalbumin-induced asthma mouse model treated with extract of Asparagus cochinchinensis

“…Inflammatory responses significantly suppressed with BAW treatment through differential regulation of the iNOSmediated COX-2 induction pathway and inflammatory cytokine expressions in LPS-activated RAW264.7 [11]. Treatment with BAW decreased the infiltration of inflammatory cells, bronchial thickness, serum concentration of OVA-specific IgE and expression of Th2 cytokines, while a significant recovery was observed on the goblet cell hyperplasia, MMP-9 expression, VEGF signaling pathway, acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) M3 downstream signaling pathway in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model after treatment with BAW [15]. These effect of BAW reached the maximum level in OVA-induced BALB/c mice treated with 500 mg/kg and that these effects can last for 48 h [16].…”