The Effect of Tibetan Medicine 15-Flavor Gentian Flower Pills Combined with Budesonide on the Expression of Inflammatory Factors in Asthmatic Mice

Objective: To investigate the effects of the Tibetan medicine 15-flavor gentian flower pills combined with budesonide on the expression of inflammatory factors in asthmatic mice. Methods: 50 healthy female BALB/c mice of 6–8 weeks were selected and randomly divided into five groups, including the control group, the asthma group, the budesonide group, the 15-flavor gentian flower pill group, and the combination group. The budesonide group was fed with budesonide suspension, the 15-flavor gentian flower pill group was fed with 15-flavor gentian flower pill suspension, and the combined group was fed with budesonide suspension and 15-flavor gentian flower pill suspension. Asthma symptoms of mice in the five groups were recorded. Serum ovalbumin (OVA)-specific antibody levels, the proportion of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and the relative expression of inflammatory factors were compared among the five groups of mice. Results: Mice in the asthma group, budesonide group, 15-flavor gentian flower pill group, and combination group presented asthma symptoms. The OVA-specific antibody levels, the proportion of eosinophils, and expression of inflammatory factors (IL-4, IL-33, IL-5, and TNF-α) in the budesonide group, the 15-flavor gentian flower pill group, and the combined group were significantly better than those in the asthma group (P < 0.05); the OVA-specific antibody levels, the proportion of eosinophils, and expression of inflammatory factors (IL-4, IL-33, IL-5, and TNF-α) in the combined group were significantly lower than those in the budesonide group and the 15-flavor gentian flower pill group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The Tibetan medicine 15-flavor gentian flower pills combined with budesonide can effectively inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors in asthmatic mice.