Anti-inflammatory and relaxation effects of Ulmus pumilla L. on EGF-inflamed bronchial epithelial and asthmatic bronchial smooth muscle cells

Background: Ulmus Pumila L. (UPL), the roots of a tree species of elm, has been prescribed for immunity-related diseases, such as dermatitis, mastitis, and edema. Despite having been prescribed for a long period of time, there are few scientific studies of UPL and asthma. Asthma, affecting 300 million people worldwide, is classified as chronic inflammation, hyperplasia, and hyper-contraction in the bronchi. Objectives: To determine whether UPL can prevent inflammation, epidermal growth factor (EGF) in a recombinant form (10 ng/ml) was exposed to A549 cells, a type of human bronchial epithelial cell, to induce inflammation. In addition, asthmatic human bronchial smooth muscle (hBSM) cells were studied to assess the anticontraction effects of UPL. Results: The results showed that a pretreatment with UPL, especially at the highest dosage (100 μg/ml), had significant suppressing effects on ERK/NF-κB activity compared to an EGF-only treatment group. The inhibited ERK/NF-κB activity by UPL resulted in decreased expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and its associated cytokines, in this case interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6 and TNF- α. Furthermore, the UPL treatment was determined to have anticontraction effects by regulating factors related to smooth muscle contraction, such as phospholipase C (PLC)β, inositol trisphosphate 3 receptor (IP3R) and myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK). Conclusion: From these results, we suggest the possibility of UPL as a therapeutic agent for asthma given how it prevents inflammation and restrains bronchial smooth muscle contractions.