Pingchuanning Formula suppresses airway inflammation in a rat model of asthmatic cold syndrome by regulating the HMGB1/Beclin-1 axis-mediated autophagy.
10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2025.06.05
- Author:
Xinheng WANG
1
;
Xiaohan SHAO
2
;
Tongtong LI
2
;
Lu ZHANG
1
;
Qinjun YANG
1
;
Weidong YE
1
;
Jiabing TONG
1
;
Zegeng LI
1
;
Xiangming FANG
1
Author Information
1. College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China.
2. College of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Pingchuanning Formula;
airway inflammation;
asthmatic cold syndrome;
bronchial asthma;
cell autophagy;
lung function
- MeSH:
Animals;
Rats;
Autophagy/drug effects*;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley;
Asthma/pathology*;
Beclin-1;
HMGB1 Protein/metabolism*;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*;
Disease Models, Animal;
Male;
Lung/pathology*;
Inflammation
- From:
Journal of Southern Medical University
2025;45(6):1153-1162
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES:To explore the mechanism of Pingchuanning Formula (PCN) for inhibiting airway inflammation in rats with asthmatic cold syndrome.
METHODS:A total of 105 SD rats were randomized equally into 7 groups, including a control group, an asthmatic cold syndrome model group, 3 PCN treatment groups at high, medium and low doses, a Guilong Kechuanning (GLCKN) treatment group, and a dexamethasone (DEX) treatment group. In all but the control rats, asthma cold syndrome models were established and daily gavage of saline, PCN, GLCKN or DEX was administered 29 days after the start of modeling. The changes in general condition, lung function and lung histopathology of the rats were observed, and inflammatory factors in the alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), oxidative stress, lung tissue ultrastructure, cytokine levels, and expressions of the genes related to the HMGB1/Beclin-1 axis and autophagy were analyzed.
RESULTS:The rat models had obvious manifestations of asthmatic cold syndrome with significantly decreased body mass, food intake, and water intake, reduced FEV0.3, FVC, and FEV0.3/FVC, obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the lung tissue, and increased alveolar inflammation score and counts of neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, macrophages, and leukocytes in the BALF. The rat models also had significantly increased MDA level and decreased SOD level and exhibited obvious ultrastructural changes in the lung tissues, where the expressions of HMGB1, Beclin-1, ATG5, TNF-α, IL-6,IL-1β, and IL-13 and the LC3II/I ratio were increased, while the levels of Bcl-2 and IFN-γ were decreased. PCN treatment significantly improved these pathological changes in the rat models, and its therapeutic effect was better than that of GLKCN and similar to that of DEX.
CONCLUSIONS:PCN can effectively alleviate airway inflammation in rat models of asthmatic cold syndrome possibly by modulating the HMGB1/Beclin-1 signaling axis to suppress cell autophagy, thereby attenuating airway inflammatory damages.
