Effects of Gui Zhi Ma Huang Ge Ban Tang on the TLR7 Pathway in Influenza Virus Infected Mouse Lungs in a Cold Environment

Abstract EN

Objective.

We wished to investigate the effects of the traditional Chinese medicine Gui Zhi Ma Huang Ge Ban Tang on controlling influenza A virus (IAV) infection and improving inflammation in mouse lungs.

Method.

Mice were maintained in normal and cold environments and infected with IAV by intranasal application, respectively.

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure mRNA expression of TLR7, myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)p65 in the TLR7 signaling pathway and virus replication in lungs.

Western blotting was used to measure expression levels of TLR7, MyD88, and NF-κB p65 proteins.

Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of T-helper (Th)1/Th2 and Th17/T-regulatory (Treg) cells.

Results.

Application of Gui Zhi Ma Huang Ge Ban Tang in influenza-infected mice in a cold environment showed (i) downregulation of TLR7, MyD88, and NF-κBp65; (ii) inhibition of transcriptional activities of promoters coding for TLR7, MyD88, and NF-κBp65; (iii) reduction in the proportion of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg cells.

Conclusions.

Gui Zhi Ma Huang Ge Ban Tang had a good therapeutic effect on mice infected with IAV, especially in the cold environment.

It could reduce lung inflammation in mice significantly and elicit an anti-influenza effect by downregulating expression of the key factors in TLR7 signaling pathway.