Posted on 06/30/2011 6:51:43 PM PDT by decimon
(Boston) - Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) using a traditional Korean medicine, SO-CHEONG-RYONG-TANG (SCRT) that has long been used for the treatment of allergic diseases in Asia, found that SCRT treatment alleviates asthma-like pulmonary inflammation via suppression of specific chemokines or proteins. These findings appear online in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
Asthma is a unique form of chronic respiratory disease characterized by reversible airway obstruction and pulmonary inflammation. It represents one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases affecting an estimated 300 million people worldwide with an expected increase to 400 million by 2025. The sharply rising prevalence and incidence of asthma causes global concern both in the developed as well as in developing countries.
“In order to elucidate the mechanism of how SCRT modulates the allergic response, we evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of SCRT in a murine model of asthma induced by a house dust extract containing cockroach allergens and endotoxin,” explained Jiyoun Kim, PhD, a research assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at BUSM. “In this study multiple aspects of pulmonary inflammation were examined including the production of inflammatory mediators and the pulmonary recruitment of inflammatory cells,” he added.
The researchers found SCRT treatment significantly reduced airway hyper-reactivity as measured by both whole body plethysmography and direct measurement of airway resistance. The researchers report that the immune response of pulmonary inflammation was significantly inhibited by SCRT treatment as demonstrated by reduced plasma IgE antibody levels and improved lung histology. SCRT significantly reduced the number of neutrophils in the bronchoalveolar (BAL) fluid and also significantly reduced the BAL levels of CXC chemokines both expressed as part of the immune response, providing a potential mechanism for the reduced inflammation.
(Excerpt) Read more at bu.edu ...
Ping
later
reference bump
Bump for later.
Mice can now breath easier.
Bump and an immunology ping. Thanks decimon, but I had no luck searching that Elsevier journal for SCRT.
“via suppression of specific chemokines or proteins”
Help, help, I’m being repressed!
If I knew what “SO-CHEONG-RYONG-TANG” is, I would have learned something from this.
The best field-expedient treatment for asthma I know of is hot, black coffee.
It works.
Try this:
"...whole body plethysmography..."
Sounds like a great, big, pneumatic hug.
Neurotics just love hugs.
>> “The best field-expedient treatment for asthma I know of is hot, black coffee.” <<
.
Don’t know ‘bout that, but if you live in the eastern half of the US, the best cure for asthma, and any other restriction of the bronchi, grows beside almost every road: Lobelia.
A plant with a pale blue to white blossom, and bladder-like seed pods (hence its slangular name - “Bladderpod). All you need to do is chew up some seeds, which will temporarily cause a scratchy sensation in your throat, and shortly after complete relief of the bronchial tightness.
No side effects either, (except a slight reduction in blood pressure for some) unless you consume pounds of the stuff.
Huh - never heard of it. Does it grow in VA?
Do you smoke it?
Yes, it grows wild all over the east.
Bump
Ahhh, I hate research assignments - now I gotta look it up.
The coffee thing works - believe me, I know. I have used it more than once on my kid, when albuterol didn’t work.
Inhale the vapor, and drink the coffee as fast as you can, without burning the heck out of yourself.
Had to apologize to the kid for my genetic contribution...
That line is from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
However, I might very well be neurotic. ;-)
I wasn't to referring to you; besides, neuroticism is passe.
I am having a hard time with asthma this year. I;m on Singulair, 2x daily asthma inhaler and a rescue inhaler but I am still having trouble breathing and feeling dizzy when rising or exerting.
This hot humid weather and the poor air quality it is causing are really making it hard on me.
Hie thee to a Korean grocery.
I don’t know if you’d find this stuff at any grocery but if you can find it and it’s not expensive then it could be worth a try.
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