AUTHOR=Kianmehr Majid , Haghmorad Dariush , Nosratabadi Reza , Rezaei Abdolrahim , Alavinezhad Azam , Boskabady Mohammad Hossein 

TITLE=The Effect of Zataria multiflora on Th1/Th2 and Th17/T Regulatory in a Mouse Model of Allergic Asthma

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2017.00458

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2017.00458

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease with no definite treatment and more research is needed to overcome this condition. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the extract of <italic>Zataria multiflora</italic> (<italic>Z. multiflora</italic>) as a medicinal plant on cytokine genes expression in an experimental mouse model of asthma. Adult mice were randomly divided into the following groups: control (C), untreated asthma (A), asthmatic groups treated with dexamethasone (D) and <italic>Z. multiflora</italic> extract (200, 400, and 800 μg/mL; Z1, Z2, and Z3, respectively), (for groups C, A, and D <italic>n</italic> = 5 and for groups Z1, Z2, and Z3 <italic>n</italic> = 6). For induction of the mouse model of asthma, animals were sensitized with intraperitoneal injection and inhalation of ovalbumin (OVA). The number of T helper (Th) subtype cells (using flow cytometry) and the levels of IFN-γ, FOXP3, IL-4, TGF-β, IL-17 gene expression (by real time PCR) were assessed in mice splenocytes. The observed changes in spleen cells of group A compared to group C were increased number of Th<sub>2</sub> and Th<sub>17</sub> cells, enhancement of gene expression of IL-4, IL-17, and TGF-β (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001 for all cases), reduction of Th<sub>1</sub> cells and Th<sub>1</sub>/Th<sub>2</sub> ratio (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001 for both cases) and decrease in gene expression of IFN-γ, FOXP<sub>3</sub> and IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01 for IFN-γ and <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001 for other cases). The observed changes in spleen cells of treated compared to untreated A group were enhancement of Treg cells and Th<sub>1</sub>/Th<sub>2</sub> ratio (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001 for both cases), increase in IFN-γ (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) and FOXP<sub>3</sub> (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) gene expression and IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01) as well as reduction of Th<sub>2</sub> and Th<sub>17</sub> cells (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01 to <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), decrease gene expression of IL-4, IL-17, and TGF-β (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05 to <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001). The findings showed that the extract of <italic>Z. multiflora</italic> decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines in asthma (IL-4 and IL-17 and TGF-β) but increased anti-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ) gene expression and the number of Treg (FOXP3) in splenocytes of asthmatic mice which may indicate the specific therapeutic effect of the plant extract in allergy, autoimmunity, and infectious diseases via potentiating Th<sub>1</sub> and suppressing Th2 and Th<sub>17</sub> cells.</p>