Armeniacae Amarum Semen Contributes to the Chemotaxis of Eosinophils and Secretion of Chemokines in A549 Human Epithelial Cells

Ju, Chang-yeop; Jung, Hee-jae; Jung, Sung-ki; Rhee, Hyung-koo

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine > Volume 27(1); 2006 > Article

Original Article

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine 2006;27(1): 208-220.

杏仁이 천식관련 chemokine 분비와 호산구 chemotaxis에 미치는 영향

주창엽, 정희재, 정승기, 이형구

경희대학교 한의과대학 폐계내과학 교실

Armeniacae Amarum Semen Contributes to the Chemotaxis of Eosinophils and Secretion of Chemokines in A549 Human Epithelial Cells

Chang-yeop Ju, Hee-jae Jung, Sung-ki Jung, Hyung-koo Rhee

Division of Respiratory System, Dept. of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence

Chang-yeop Ju ,Tel: 02-798-8275, Fax: 02-798-8276, Email: carpalis@yahoo.co.kr

Received: February 21, 2006, Accepted: February 27, 2006, Published online: March 30, 2006.

ABSTRACT

Objective :
Eosinophils are typically characterized by a bilobar nucleus with highly condensed chromatin and cytoplasm containing two major types of granules, specific and primary granules, and lipid bodies. The role of inflammation in asthma and other allergic diseases of the airways is widely appreciated, and airway inflammation is now included as a defining feature of asthma. The importance of the presence of eosinophils in the airways of patients with fetal asthma has long been recognized, but the mechanism by which these cells are recruited and retained in the lungs are only now being elucidated. Eotaxin is a potent and specific eosinophil chemoattractant that is mobilized in the respiratory epithelium after allergic stimulation.

Methods :
Water extracts of Armeniacae Amarum Semen(AAS) and pulmonary epithelial cell lines A549(alveolar typeⅡ epithelial cells) and human eosinophils were used. Cytotoxic effects of AAS and MTS assay were estimated, as well as the effects of AAS on chemokines from prestimulated A549 cells by sandwich ELISA and RT-PCR. Chemotaxis assay was conducted on prestimulated eosinophils treated with AAS.

Results:
In this study it is demonstrated that TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-1β induced the accumulation of chemokine mRNAs in the alveolar epithelial cell lines A549 in dose-dependent manner. Eotaxin and IL-8 were inhibited by AAS in dose-dependent manner(p<0.05). Eosinophil migration was inhibited at high concentrations of AAS(p<0.05).

Conclusions:
These findings are indicative of suppression of eotaxin and IL-8, and suggest that this is accomplished through AAS treatment. This raises the possibility that AAS is of therapeutic value in diseases such as asthma.

Key words: Armeniacae Amarum Semen, eosinophil, eotaxin, IL-8, asthma