hypericum perforatum alleviates ovalbumin-induced asthma through downregulating th2 and upregulating th1 related parameters in balb/c mice

Background: allergic asthma is a chronic and inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract, which is characterized by inflammation, airway obstruction and swelling. anti-inflammatory compounds can be used to improve the disease severity. hypericum perforatum (hp)/ st. john’s wort has been used in the treatment of many diseases due to its anti-inflammatory effects. therefore, this study was performed to investigate the effects of hp on th1 and th2 parameters in an animal model of allergic asthma. methods: thirty balb/c mice were sensitized with subcutaneous injection and inhalation of ovalbumin and then administered different doses of hp post-sensitization. histological analysis of the lungs was performed. the effects of hp on mrna expression of t-bet and gata3 (th1 and th2 transcription factors, respectively), ifn-γ, il-4 and il-10 in the spleen were determined by real-time pcr. the protein levels of ifn-γ, il-4 and il-10 cytokines were also determined by elisa technique in the serum of mice. results: hp extract (hpe) reduced the clinical severity in asthma-induced mice, and a reduction in the inflammatory cell infiltration in the lung. furthermore, treatment with hpe inhibited asthma-related mediators as well as increased the anti-inflammatory parameters compared to the control. the study also showed that treatment with hpe significantly increased ifn-γ, il-10 and t-bet, while decreasing the level of il-4 and gata3 in mice treated with hpe. conclusion: the data indicated that hpe can attenuate allergic asthma autoimmune responses by inhibiting infiltration of immune cell in the lung and th2-related parameters. it is reasonable to assume that hpe has significant effects in the treatment of allergic asthma.