台灣金線連，是台灣常用之民間草藥，常被用來治療發燒、疼痛、肺部及肝臟疾病以及小孩發育不良。最近有證實可以用來當作抗發炎的藥物，而在我們先前的研究指出，台灣金線連有效分劃 (Anoectochilus formosanus effected fraction, AFEF)可以調節小鼠非特異性的免疫能力，增強巨噬細胞的吞噬能力。 在卵白蛋白所誘發的特異性免疫試驗結果發現，餵食AFEF對淋巴結細胞與脾臟細胞當中淋巴球細胞比例沒有顯著影響。而在細胞激素方面，AFEF可以減少脾臟細胞經由LPS刺激所產生的IFN-?及IL-4濃度。由於對脾臟細胞有抑制IL-4細胞激素的產生，是否對於過敏性疾患具有免疫調節的作用，我們進一步利用卵白蛋白誘發小鼠呼吸道過度反應(造型氣喘的動物模式)，來觀察AFEF的免疫調節能力。小鼠誘發呼吸道過度反應後，連續服用AFEF七天發現，支氣管肺泡沖洗液中IFN-?及IL-4濃度有下降趨勢而總細胞數目也有明顯下降。在誘發氣喘的連續時間點試驗中，我們發現AFEF對氣喘早期有促進肺部細胞增加的現象，以T淋巴細胞為主，但在後期能夠減少細胞的聚集，降低肺部發炎細胞的浸潤。在支氣管肺泡沖洗液當中細胞激素IFN-?及IL-4都有下降的趨勢，在特異性免疫方面，脾臟細胞的上清液也有出現IFN-?及IL-4下降的現象。而不同時間點誘發後犧牲發現，對頸部淋巴結、脾臟細胞增生都有不同時間點的顯著性差異。因此在氣喘早期AFEF是具有增加肺部T淋巴球細胞數目，而調節肺部發炎的免疫反應，減少發炎現象產生，氣喘晚期AFEF則是抑制了細胞激素的分泌，抑制了發炎的細胞激素如TNF-?及IFN-?，但也會促使肺部細胞傾向Th1反應。在CD25+/CD4+T cell則也會有增加的現象。綜合上述所述，AFEF對於免疫抑制的作用可能會透過CD25+/CD4+T cell作用的影響而達到免疫抑制的效果。; Anoectochilus formosanus HAYATA, a Chinese herb, has been used as a valued folk medicine for fever, pain, lung and liver diseases, and in underdeveloped children. Recently, this herbal drug was also used to modulate anti-inflammatory effect. In our previous study, Anoectochilus formosanus effected fraction (AFEF) had been used to modulate innate immunity of normal mice. The results of specific immune response showed that oral administation of AFEF did not affect the lymphocyte subpopulation of the trachea draining lymph node cells and splenocytes. Cytokine profiles demonstrated that AFEF can also significant decreased IFN-? ?and IL-4 production from splenocyte in administration AFEF. Furthermore, AFEF had been used to modulate ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized allergic airway inflammation in BALB/c mouse. When AFEF was orally administered one week after asthmiatic modeled mice, AFEF significantly reduced IL-4 and IFN-γ secretion in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) at 48 hr after the OVA inhalation. These results also suggest the modulated cytokine secretion in allergic asthma by AFEF. Modulated CD25/CD4 positive T regulatory cell (Treg) also indicated the increase the immuno-supression in the allergic lung imflammation. Taking these data in conclusion, administration of AFEF can modulate imflammatory cytokines and T helper cell regulatory cytokines secretion, inflammatory cell infilration and modulated the regulatory T lymphocyte in allergic asthma
