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Forsythia fructus Inhibits the Mast-Cell-Mediated Allergic Inflammatory Reactions

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Abstract

Mast cells are key as effector cells in the early phase allergic inflammation and in diverse immunological and pathological processes. Forsythia fructus (F. fructus) has used as a traditional medicine for inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we determined the effect of F. fructus extracts on compound 48/80-induced paw oedema and vascular permeability in vivo. In addition, we investigated in vitro whether F. fructus has inhibitory effects on compound 48/80-induced histamine releases from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC), and on phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus A23187-induced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) releases from human mast cells (HMC-1). In mice orally administrered F. fructus (100 μg/g) for 1 h, compound-48/80-induced oedema and vascular permeability were significantly reduced rather than those receiving intravenous injection of ketotifen, mast cell stabilizer. F. fructus dose-dependently inhibited the histamine release induced by compound 48/80 from RPMCs. Moreover, F. fructus had no cytotoxic effects on cell viability and had inhibitory effects on TNF-α secretion from HMC-1. These results suggest that F. fructus is a potential herb medicine for treatment of inflammatory diseases through downmodulating mast cell activation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oriental Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, 571–749, South Korea.

    Mi-Sun Kim, Ho-Jeong Na, Seung-Woo Han, Jong-Sik Jin & Seung-Heon Hong

  2. Department of Pharmacology, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoigi-Dong, Dongdaemun-Gu, Seoul, 130–701, Seoul, South Korea

    Mi-Sun Kim, Ho-Jeong Na & Hyung-Min Kim

  3. College of Oriental Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, 570–749, South Korea

    Un-Yong Song, Eon-Jeong Lee & Bong-Keun Song

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Kim, MS., Na, HJ., Han, SW. et al. Forsythia fructus Inhibits the Mast-Cell-Mediated Allergic Inflammatory Reactions. Inflammation 27, 129–135 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023865727780

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