Long-term Qipian® administration confers resistance to airway inflammation in OVA-induced asthmatic mice

Qipian® is an immunomodulatory agent with established short-term benefits in allergic asthma, but its long-term effects remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate its potential to attenuate the development of asthma in a murine model and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms.

Mice received oral Qipian® for 3 months prior to establishment of an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model. Samples (lung tissues, blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and feces) were collected. Analyses included quantification of eosinophils, immunoglobulins, and Th1/Th2 cytokines. Lung mucus was assessed via periodic acid-Schiff staining; dendritic cell and regulatory T (Treg) cell populations were characterized by flow cytometry; and gut microbiota was profiled via 16S rDNA sequencing. Asthmatic symptoms were scored concurrently.

Long-term Qipian® administration (LTQA) effectively reduced OVA-induced asthmatic symptoms, airway inflammation, inflammatory cell infiltration, and mucus hypersecretion. LTQA restored the Th1/Th2 balance by reducing IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, while elevating the expression of IFNγ and IL-10. Furthermore, LTQA was associated with the expansion of Tregs and CD103⁺ dendritic cells, reduction of OVA-elevated neurokinins [neurokinin A (NKA), neurokinin B (NKB)], and increased abundance of Lactobacillus.

This study indicates that LTQA may confer resistance to allergic airway inflammation by modulating immune responses and gut microbiota supporting the lung-gut axis as a promising target for novel clinical approaches in asthma management.