Effect of Scrophularia buergeriana extract on the degranulation of mast cells and ear swelling induced by dinitrofluorobenzene in mice.

Abstract

Scrophularia buergeriana Miquel (Scrophulariaceae, SB) is a biennial plant native to Korea, northern China, and Japan that plays an important role in traditional medicine. The dried root of SB has long been used in oriental medicine for treatment of fever, swelling, constipation, pharyngitis, neuritis, and laryngitis. In the present study, we evaluated the ethanol extract of SB (SBE) to determine if it exerted any anti-allergic effects that had not previously been demonstrated. SBE markedly inhibited β-hexosaminidase and histamine release and suppressed the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-4 cytokines by RBL-2H3 mast cells. In addition, topical treatment with SBE effectively reduced allergic inflammation in a dinitrofluorobenzene-induced contact hypersensitivity mouse model. These results strongly suggest that SBE is a promising source of anti-allergic agents.

• Authors: Jin-Kyung Kim, Yoon Hee Kim, Hee Hwan Lee, Soon Sung Lim, Kyung Woo Park
• Journal: Inflammation (Inflammation) Vol. 35 Issue 1 Pg. 183-91 (Feb 2012) ISSN: 1573-2576 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21318391 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Allergic Agents
• Plant Extracts
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
• Interleukin-4
• Dinitrofluorobenzene
• beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Allergic Agents (pharmacology)
• Cell Degranulation (drug effects)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Dermatitis, Contact (drug therapy)
• Dinitrofluorobenzene
• Ear
• Edema (drug therapy)
• Histamine Release
• Inflammation (drug therapy)
• Interleukin-4 (biosynthesis)
• Mast Cells (drug effects, immunology, metabolism)
• Medicine, East Asian Traditional
• Mice
• Plant Extracts (pharmacology)
• Scrophularia
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (biosynthesis)
• beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases (metabolism)