Immunomodulatory Effect of SINA 1.2 Therapy Protocol in Asthmatic Mice Model: A Combination of Oxymel and Sauna

Roghayeh Faryabi; Mahdi Alizadeh Vaghasloo; Seyyed Shamsadin Athari; Mohammad Hossein Boskabady; Bagher Minaii Zangii; Shahpar Kaveh; Mahdi Kabiri

doi:10.18502/ijaai.v21i2.9221

Roghayeh Faryabi Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahdi Alizadeh Vaghasloo Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Seyyed Shamsadin Athari Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
Mohammad Hossein Boskabady Applied Biomedical Research Center, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Bagher Minaii Zangii Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Shahpar Kaveh Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahdi Kabiri Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijaai.v21i2.9221

Keywords: Asthma; Persian Medicine; Thermotherapy; Traditional medicine

Abstract

Alternative medicine has become popular in asthmatic patients. We evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of the SINA 1.2 therapy protocol derived from Persian medicine in an asthmatic mice model.

Forty-two male BALB/c mice were divided into six groups: one control (sham) and five sensitized groups (by parenteral injection of 20 μg ovalbumin in 100 μL normal saline plus 50 μL alum on days 1 and 14). Sensitized groups were as: untreated, budesonide (1 mg nebulized budesonide: 200 μg/puff every 5 min for 25 min), dry sauna (30 min, 37°C), oral oxymel (gavaged: 0.2 mL of the syrup plus 0.8 mL of water), and SINA protocol No.1.2 (oxymel followed by sauna) groups. Treatments were given for 10 days from day 23 to 33 then sacrificed.

Significant gene expression reduction of interleukin(IL)-4, IL-5, and MUC5AC and increase of interferon(IFN)-γ and IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio and decreased perivascular and peribronchial inflammation, goblet cell hyperplasia, and subsequent mucus hypersecretion in SINA group were seen compared to the untreated group. SINA lowered IL-5 and MUC5AC gene expression levels similar to the budesonide and acted better than budesonide in increasing IFN-γ gene expression up to normal level. Compared with the asthma group, sauna alone only affected MUC5AC and IFN-γ gene expressions, and oxymel alone, only reduced IL-4 gene expression, perivascular and peribronchial inflammation, and mucus hypersecretion.

It seems that SINA therapy alleviates asthma via immune modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and improvement of pathological changes in ovalbumin-induced asthma in mice, supporting the notion of innate healing power mentioned in Persian medicine literature.