Therapeutic Effects of Kangzhi Syrup in a Guinea Pig Model of Ovalbumin-Induced Cough Variant Asthma.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the possible effects and underlying mechanisms of Kangzhi syrup on ovalbumin- (OVA-) induced cough variant asthma (CVA) in guinea pigs.

Methods: All 48 guinea pigs were randomly assigned to four experimental groups: normal, OVA model with or without Kangzhi syrup (OVA and OVA + KZ), and OVA with Dexamethasone (OVA + DM). After sensitizing the guinea pigs, a cough challenge was performed by the inhalation of capsaicin. The antitussive effect, inflammatory cells, cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue, and morphological changes were examined.

Results: Compared with model group, Kangzhi syrup effectively exerted an antitussive effect ( p < 0.0001) and reduced the pneumonic anaphylacticitis by inhibiting the infiltration of total inflammatory cells ( p < 0.0001) and reducing the percentage of eosinophil in BALF ( p < 0.0001). Moreover, evidence from morphological studies also demonstrated that Kangzhi syrup inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory cells and ameliorated the structure changes. NF- κ B and TGF- β 1 expression were attenuated in the OVA + KZ group versus the OVA group ( p < 0.0001). Additionally, a semiquantitative analysis of TGF- β 1 expression also demonstrated that the Kangzhi syrup attenuated this profibrogenic growth factor ( p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The results demonstrated that Kangzhi syrup exerted a considerable antitussive effect in CVA animal model, which depended on its marked impact on the anti-anaphylactic inflammation. Additionally, it could ameliorate the airway remodeling by inhibiting NF- κ B and TGF- β 1 signal pathway.