The Impacts Of The Extract From The Chinese Traditional Medicine For Dispelling Sputum On Mucus Hypersecretion In Chronic Airway Inflammation

Objective:To investigate the impacts of the extract on mucus secretion of epithelia cells in vitro and their clinical efficacy in improving profiles of sputum in chronic airway inflammation. Methods:The spanonins were distilled from platycodonis, radix polygalae, senega and aster by water-alcohol method and were identified by thin-layer chromatography. These spanonins belong to oleanolic acid spanonins which was one kinds of the trierpenoidal spanonins with five rings. Epithelia cells were co-incubated with the ingredient in vitro for four days. MUC5AC contents in the supernant were measured by ELISA and it's mRNA in the cell were determined by Dot blot. The extracts were inhaled via aerosol nebulization in the patients with chronic airway inflammatory diseases and their clinical symptom and the profiles of sputum (sputum volume, dry/wet weight radio and the expression of membrane-bounded neutrophils elastase) were observed. Results:The MUC5AC content of experimental group was increased in supernant on the first day, but was decreased on the following three days. The decrement of MUC5AC contents was observed on the forth day compared to the first day. Meanwhile,there were no significant difference of MUC5AC mRNA level between the control group and experimental group. In the patients with chronic airway inflammation, the sputum production was increased the first day after aerosol nebulizeation but decreased significantly in the following days with alleviated symptoms, decreased dry/wet weight radio and the declined expression of membrane-bounded neutrophils elastase of sputum. Conclusions:The extract of platycodonis, radix polygalae, senega and aster could promote the exudation of MUC5AC but could not affect its synthesis, Aerosol nebulizeation of the trierpenoidal spanonins with five-ring could result in decrement of sputum in prolonged utility. Our data demonstrate this ingredient could improve the function of the mucus-cilia system, so it could be a compromise agent value in treatment of chronic pulmonary inflammation.