OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of compound Chinese herbal monomer (CHM) recipe, consisted of ligustrazin (3.75 mg/kg x d), baicalin (7.5 mg/kg x d) and ginkgolide (2 mg/kg x d), on airway atopic inflammation and hyper-responsiveness in asthma.

METHODSModel guinea pigs of asthma were randomly divided into three groups, the model group, the CHM group and the cromlyn sodium (CS) group, they were treated by atomizing inhalation with normal saline, CHM and CS respectively. The eosinophil count and eosinophil cation protein (ECP) in blood and bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and total cell count in BALF were measured and compared. And the effect of treatment on the airway hyperresponsiveness and pathology among groups were compared.

RESULTSCHM showed significant inhibition on blood eosinophil count and BALF and total cell count in BALF, showing significant difference (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) as compared with those in the model group. The level of ECP was not different in the various groups. Airway responsiveness determination showed that CHM has significant inhibitory action on it. And the pathology of airway inflammation in the CHM group was significantly milder than that in the model group.

CONCLUSIONThe compound inhalation liquid consisted of ligustrazin, baicalin and ginkgolide, has the anti-asthmatic airway atopic inflammation and depression on airway hyper-responsiveness, suggesting that components of compound CHM recipe could inhibit the multiple pathogenetic asthmatic inflammation from different angles and on multiple targets, so as to cure asthma effectively.