Herbal Formula, PM014, Attenuates Lung Inflammation in a Murine Model of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is characterized by airway obstruction, leads to, as the two major forms of COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of herbal formula, PM014, in a murine model of COPD. Balb/c mice were treated once with each herb extract in PM014 or PM014 mixture via an oral injection. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or elastase/LPS were administrated to the mice to induce a disease that resembles COPD. PM014 treatment significantly attenuated the increased accumulation of immune cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) compared to control mice. In addition, the TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in BALF were decreased in the PM014 mice. Furthermore, histological analysis demonstrated that PM014 attenuated the hazardous effects of lung inflammation. These data suggest that PM014 exerts beneficial effects against forms of COPD such as lung inflammation.