Ku-Shen (Sophora flavescens Ait), a single Chinese herb, abrogates airway hyperreactivity in a murine model of asthma*1

Abstract Rationale Ku-Shen (Sophora flavescens Ait) has been used for treating asthma in the practice of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Hawaiian herbal medicine. It is one of the major components in our anti-asthma herbal formula, MSSM-002. The purpose of this study was to investigate the pharmacological actions of Ku-Shen (KS) in a murine model of allergic asthma. Methods AKR/J mice (n=7-10 per group) were sensitized intraperitoneally twice and challenged 3 times intratracheally at 7-10 days intervals with conalbumin. KS was administered intragastrically 24 hours after the first challenge, and then twice daily for 17 days. The effects of KS on airway hyperreactivity (AHR), eosinophilic inflammation, IgE levels and Th2 production in vitro were determined. Results At the equivalent standard human adult dose, KS eliminated the development of AHR. Twice the usual dose (KS-2x) also significantly reduced airway inflammation as compared with the sham-treated group (13 ± 3 vs 43 ± 3%, p Conclusion KS suppressed allergic airway responses, reduced inflammation and down-regulated Th2 responses. These findings lend support to the anecdotal findings of Hawaiian and TCM practice that KS is of value in the treatment of asthma. Further studies are required to determine whether KS alone or with other herbs can be a useful alternative or complementary therapy in modern asthma treatment.