Evidence supporting the use of TCM in asthma treatment in is increasing. Two American authors have reviewed promising TCM interventions for asthma and explored their mechanisms of action. Possible mechanisms at work include anti-inflammation, inhibition of airway smooth muscle contraction, and immunomodulation. One of the authors has recently presented some preliminary results from a clinical trial at a conference. Her team studied the effects of an anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention (ASHMI) consisting of three-herbs (Gan Cao, Ku Shen, and Ling Zhi), which has been shown to improve asthma symptoms. ASHMI was found to reduce total immunoglobulin (Ig)E levels in patients with allergic asthma. Suppression of IgE by ASHMI was tested in human myeloma cells. The most effective ratio of the three herbs was found to be 3:9:20. The three-herb combination lowered total IgE levels, from 850 to 500 kU/L. Ku Shen alone was found to suppress IgE production by approximately 95%. (Efficacy and mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicines for treating asthma and allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009 Feb;123(2):297-306; quiz 307-8. 2009 American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting: Abstracts 131).
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