Ancient Korean Herb's Method Observed

Ancient herbal remedies are sometimes worthwhile. In this case, the ancient Koreans using So-Cheong-Ryong-Tang (SCRT) to treat allergies may have been on to something.

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine examined a traditional Korean medicine, SCRT, that has long been used in Asia for the treatment of allergic diseases. They found that SCRT treatment alleviates asthma-like pulmonary inflammation by suppressing proteins in the lungs.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you should explore herbal remedies.

Jiyoun Kim, Ph.D., a research assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, reports how researchers were able to see the how SCRT changes the allergic response by evaluating immune response in laboratory animals.

The researchers analyzed the effect of SCRT on asthma induced by house dust extract of cockroach allergens and endotoxin, a toxin present inside bacterial cells. Multiple aspects of pulmonary inflammation were observed, which included the production of inflammatory mediators and the lung's recruitment of inflammatory cells.

The researchers found that SCRT treatment significantly reduced over-reaction in the airway and the immune response of pulmonary inflammation. This pulmonary inflammation reduction was due to less plasma IgE antibody levels and improved lung structure.

SCRT also reduced the number of neutrophils, which are types of white blood cells, both the bronchia and alveoli of the lungs and also reduced the bronchia and alveoli levels of CXC chemokines, which explains a potential mechanism for the reduced inflammation.

These findings appear online in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.