Rosae Multiflorae Fructus Hot Water Extract Inhibits a Murine Allergic Asthma Via the Suppression of Th2 Cytokine Production and Histamine Release from Mast Cells

Mast cell-mediated anaphylactic reactions are involved in many allergic diseases, including asthma and allergic rhinitis. In Korea, where it has been used as a traditional medicine, Rosae Multiflorae fructus (RMF) is known to have potent antioxidative, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities and to have no obvious acute toxicity. However, its specific effect on asthma is still unknown. In this study, we evaluated whether or not RMF hot water extracts (RMFW) could inhibit ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma and evaluated compound 48/80-induced mast cell activation to elucidate the mechanisms of asthma inhibition by RMFW. Oral administration of RMFW decreased the number of eosinophils and lymphocytes in the lungs of mice challenged by OVA and downregulated histological changes such as eosinophil infiltration, mucus accumulation, goblet cell hyperplasia, and collagen fiber deposits. In addition, RMFW significantly reduced T helper 2 cytokines, TNF-α, IL-4, and IL-6 levels in the BAL fluid of mice challenged by OVA. Moreover, RMFW suppressed compound 48/80-induced rat peritoneal mast cell degranulation and inhibited histamine release from mast cells induced by compound 48/80 in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that RMFW may act as an antiallergic agent by inhibitingTh2 cytokine production from Th2 cells and histamine release from mast cells, and could be used as a therapy for patients with Th2-mediated or mast cell-mediated allergic diseases.