Salviae radix root extract inhibits immunoglobulin E-mediated allergic reaction

We investigated the effects of the aqueous extract of Salviae radix root (SRRAE) on immediate allergic reactions. SRRAE inhibited by 72.7% passive cutaneous anaphylaxis activated by anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) immunoglobulin E (IgE). SRRAE dose dependently inhibited histamine release and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production from the rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs) by anti-DNP IgE. However, SRRAE showed no significant inhibitory effect on compound 48/80-induced systemic allergic reaction and histamine release from RPMCs. The level of cAMP in RPMCs, when SRRAE was added, significantly increased compared with that of a normal control. These results indicate that SRRAE may contain compounds with actions that inhibit anti-DNP IgE-induced mast cell degranulation in rats. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.