This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory, antitussive, expectorant, and anti-asthmatic effects of Qinbaohong Oral Liquid in mouse experiments and explore its action mechanism based on network pharmacology. The mouse auricle swelling was induced by xylene for detecting the anti-inflammatory effect of Qinbaohong Oral Liquid, whose antitussive effect was then examined in mice with cough after exposure to ammonium hydroxide. The expectorant effect was determined based on the excretion of phenol red into the mouse trachea. The mouse model of asthma induced by histamine phosphate and acetylcholine chloride was used to observe the anti-asthmatic effect. The chemical components of Qinbaohong Oral Liquid were retrieved from TCMSP and literature, followed by target prediction based on BATMAN-TCM. The targets of inflammation, cough, expectoration, and asthma collected from GeneCards were intersected with drug targets for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis using Metascape. The results were imported into STRING for exploring protein-protein interactions and screening the key targets. As demonstrated by our findings, Qinbaohong Oral Liquid at 4.5 and 9.0 mL·kg~(-1) obviously decreased the weight(P<0.05) and thickness(P<0.01) of the right swelling ear and also the weight diffe-rence(swelling degree) between the two ears(P<0.05), prolonged the incubation period of cough(P<0.05), reduced the frequency of cough within 3 min(P<0.05), and increased the excretion of phenol red into the mouse trachea(P<0.01). Qinbaohong Oral Li-quid at 2.3, 4.5, and 9.0 mL·kg~(-1) dramatically prolonged the incubation period of asthma(P<0.05). A total of 324 chemical components and 1 245 targets were harvested for the Qinbaohong Oral Liquid, together with 10 272 inflammation targets, 4 400 cough targets, 192 expectoration targets, and 7 533 asthma targets. Their intersection revealed that the anti-inflammatory, antitussive, expectorant and anti-asthmatic effects of Qinbaohong Oral Liquid were correlated with such GO biological processes as the regulation of ion transport and blood circulation and such KEGG pathways as cancer-related signaling pathways and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. Qinbaohong Oral Liquid has been confirmed by both experiments and network pharmacology analysis to be efficient in anti-inflammation, stopping cough, eliminating phlegm, and relieving asthma.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use* ; Antitussive Agents/therapeutic use* ; Asthma/drug therapy* ; Cough/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice ; Network Pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo research the effects of Alligator Zhikegao on relieving cough, dispelling phlegm and anti-inflammation.

METHODThe coughing tests in mice, the phenol red secreting tests in mice, ear edema tests in mice,and paw edema tests and subcutaneous cotton ball granuloma in rats were adopted for observing the related pharmacological effects of Alligator Zhikegao.

RESULTAlligator Zhikegao could obviously prolong the latent period and decrease the times of mouse coughing, and remarkably inhibit the mouse ear edema (P < 0.001), the rat paw edema and the hyperplasia of subcutaneous cotton ball granuloma in rats. Alligator Zhikegao 11.70 g x kg(-1) could significant improve the carbonic clearances of macrophages (P <0.05) and the hemolysin level in serum (P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONAlligator Zhikegao has significant effects on relieving cough, dispelling phlegm, anti-inflammation and immunological regulation.

Alligators and Crocodiles ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Antitussive Agents ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Cough ; drug therapy ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Ear Diseases ; drug therapy ; Edema ; drug therapy ; Expectorants ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Glycosaminoglycans ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Granuloma ; drug therapy ; Male ; Materia Medica ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the additive effect of the Hedera helix (HH) and Rhizoma coptidis (RC) extracts mixture on antitussive and expectorant activities in animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expectorant assay was performed with phenol red secretion in mice trachea. Mice or guinea pigs were randomly divided into groups of 8 each, including negative and positive control groups. After gastric administration of the test extracts in mice, 2.5% phenol red solution (0.2 mL) was intraperitoneally injected. Trachea was dissected and optical density of tracheal secretion was measured. After gastric administration of the test extracts in guinea pigs, the antitussive activities were assessed using a citric acid-induced cough measurement. RESULTS: The extracts of HH and RC significantly increased tracheal secretion and inhibited cough. The mixture of HH and RC extracts in a 1:1 concentration at a dose of 200 mg/kg showed a more potent effect on phenol red secretion (25.25+/-3.14) and cough inhibition (61.25+/-5.36) than the individual use of each extracts [phenol red secretion; HH 13.39+/-4.22 (p=0.000), RC 20.78+/-2.50 (p=0.010), cough inhibition; HH 9.89+/-4.14 (p=0.010), RC 30.25+/-7.69 (p=0.000)]. A 3:1 ratio mixture of HH to RC demonstrated an optimal expectorant effect (p<0.001), and this mixture showed expectorant and antitussive effects in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence for antitussive and expectorant effect of a 3:1 mixture of HH and RC, which may be a useful therapeutic option for respiratory diseases.
Animals ; Antitussive Agents/*administration & dosage/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; *Behavior, Addictive ; Cough/*drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/*administration & dosage/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Ethanol ; Expectorants/*administration & dosage/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Guinea Pigs ; Hedera/*chemistry/metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts/*pharmacology ; Plant Roots/chemistry ; Trachea/drug effects/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of rhizoma Astilbes chinensis in abirritation, blood activation, cough relieving and sputum elimination.

METHODThe antalgic function of rhizoma A. chinensis was tested by hot-plate method and writhing reaction. The acute blood-stasis model rats were made by Injection of adrenaline hydrochloride along with stimulation by ice water. The effects of cough relieving and sputum elimination were observed by the ammonia water-induced tussive mice and excretion of phenol red in the airway of mice. The maximum tolerance dose of rhizoma A. chinensis was also determined during the acute toxicity test.

RESULTThe data were analyzed for statistical significance by t-test, which shows that the decoction of rhizoma A. chinensis is significantly effective in reducing the frequency of licking behavior of mice on hot-plate and writhing response induced by acetic acid, improving the hemarheology of acute blood-stasis model rats, prolonging the latent period, reducing the frequency of cough induced byammonia, and in increasing the quantity of phenol red output from the trachea in mice. The result acute toxicity test shows that maximum tolerance dose of gastrogavage in mice was 400 g x kg(-1). Which was 666. 7 times of that clinically used for human.

CONCLUSIONRhizoma A. chinensis has the effects of abirritation, blood activation, cough relieving and sputum elimination, and is safe in clinical application.

Animals ; Antitussive Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Blood Viscosity ; drug effects ; Cough ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Expectorants ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Pain Threshold ; drug effects ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Saxifragaceae ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo observe the antitussive, expectorant and antiashmatic effects of the extract from Citrus grandist var. tomentosa.

METHODThe cough models induced by ammonia liquor in mice and citric acid in guines pigs were used to observe the antitussive effects. The methods of phenel red execretion in mice and phlegm displacement of rats were used to investigate the expectorant effects. Bronchial asthma model induced by histamine-acetylcholine in guinea pigs was used to observe the antiasthmatic effects.

RESULTThe extract from the title plant could inhibit the cough induced by ammonia in mice, decrease the frequency of cough induced by citric acid in guineas pig and prolong the latent period of cough. The extract also could obviously increase phenol red output of trachea in mice, promote expectoration in rats and prolong the latent period of asthma induced by histamine-acetylcholine in guinea pigs.

CONCLUSIONThe extract from C. grandis var. tomenfosa has significant antitussive, expectorant and antiasthmatic effects.

Acetylcholine ; Ammonia ; Animals ; Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Antitussive Agents ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Asthma ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Citric Acid ; Citrus ; chemistry ; Cough ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Expectorants ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Guinea Pigs ; Histamine ; Male ; Mice ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley