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Updated: Apr 14, 2026

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Published on: April 13, 2010
Samsoeum water extract attenuates allergic airway inflammation via modulation of Th1/Th2 cytokines and decrease of
Woo-Young Jeon1, In-Sik Shin2,3,4, Hyeun-Kyoo Shin5
1Herbal Medicine Formulation Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 483 Expo-ro, Yusung-gu, Daejeon, 305-811, Republic of Korea. ssamggun85@kiom.re.kr.
Background:
Samsoeum has long been used in Korea and other Asian countries as a traditional medicine to treat various diseases. In the present study, we investigated the antiasthma effect of the herbal medicine Samsoeum water extract (SSEW) using an in vivo ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthmatic model.
Methods:
Female BALB/c mice were sensitized by an intraperitoneal injection of OVA and subsequently challenged with nebulized OVA. We investigated the number of inflammatory cells, the production of Th1/Th2 cytokines and chemokine in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), histological changes in lung tissue, the infiltration of inflammatory cells and hyperplasia of goblet cells in lung tissue, the levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in BALF and plasma, and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in lung tissue.
Results:
Our findings indicated that SSEW decreased the accumulation of inflammatory cells (particularly, eosinophil and neutrophil) and regulated the balance in the production of Th1/Th2 cytokines and chemokine in BALF. Moreover, SSEW suppressed the level of IgE in BALF and plasma, and inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory cells, hyperplasia of goblet cells, and the expression of iNOS in lung tissue.
Conclusions:
Collectively, these results suggest that, because of its anti-inflammatory and antiasthma properties, SSEW may be useful in reducing airway inflammation in the treatment of allergic asthma.
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