氣喘是世界性普遍的疾病，而隨著工業的發展，病患發生氣喘或過
敏性鼻炎(rhinitis)等過敏性疾病的機率也有上升趨勢。在參與氣喘反應的免疫細胞中，肥大細胞(mast cell)扮演了相當重要的角色。肥大細胞可以接受不同過敏原的刺激而產生脫顆粒作用(degranulation)，並且非專一性的釋放出發炎媒介物，包括組織胺(histamine)、前列腺素(Prostaglandins)、白三烯素(Leukotrienes)以及介白素(Interleukins)等。在許多治療氣喘的藥物中，主要是以針對氣喘初期反應的支氣管擴張劑或後期發炎作用的抗發炎藥劑為主，例如Cromolyn Sodium 可以穩定肥大細胞避免脫顆粒作用的產生，藉以有效的避免初期、後期氣喘反應的發生。在傳統中國醫學對於氣喘之症狀及治療多有記載，但是對於其在生理、病理的機制上並沒有確切的認知、解釋與證實。本實驗主要是以肥大細胞脫顆粒劑Compound 48/80 來刺激老鼠的肥大細胞株P815，藉以引發肥大細胞的脫顆粒作用釋放出氣喘媒介物組織胺及介白素4，當給予肥大細胞株P815 刺激之前，先以各種不同中藥，如麻黃、細辛、桂枝、防風、紫蘇、杏仁、白芍、甘草、金銀花及魚腥草的水萃取物來處理，並在處理之後評估IL-4、IL-5 以及histamine 等媒介物質及細胞激素的變化，藉以篩選可以治療氣喘之中草藥。實驗結果顯示，老鼠肥大細胞株P815 在以compound 48/80 處理前會先經過這些中藥的前處理後，發現細辛、麻黃、紫蘇都可以明顯降低P815 對IL-4 的釋放，而細辛及麻黃更可以減少P815 釋放histamine。此外，實驗也蒐集與細辛同科之港口馬兜鈴(Aristolochia zollingeriana)及異葉馬兜鈴(A. heterophylla)等植物之乾燥果實進行測試，發現也能降低histamine 及IL-4 的釋放。因此，推測細辛、港口馬兜鈴及異葉馬兜鈴等馬兜鈴科(Aristolochiaceae)的植物可能具有穩定肥大細胞之功效。馬兜鈴科植物在野外除了作為鳳蝶的主要食草，本實驗也證實港口馬兜鈴及異葉馬兜鈴可抑制老鼠肥大細胞株組織胺及介白質4之釋放。生物多樣性除了可以維持生態系平衡外，也提供人類如醫藥等服務。我們必須要進行更多生物多樣性的研究，以免在我們發現其對人類及生態系的好處之前就在地球上消失。

Asthma is a worldwide allergic disease. With industrial development on the rise, The incidence of allergic diseases, including asthma and rhinitis, are also on the rise. Mast cell plays an important role in asthma, it can receive different sources of allergy to cause degranulation, and release many inflammation mediators, such as histamine, postaglandins, leukotrienes and interleukins. To treat asthma, bronchodilators are used in Early asthmatic response (EAR) and anti-inflammation drugs in Late asthmatic response (LAR), for example, Cromolyn Sodium is a mast cell stabilizer to block degranulation, it avoid EAR and LAR effectively. Treatment used by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been also recorded, but there are no explanation and verification on the mechanisms of physiology, pathology to TCM. In this experiment, we used the mastocytoma cell line P815 was pre-treated with different TCM (Ephedrae Herba, Asari Radix, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Saposhinkoviae Radix, Perillae Folium, Amarum Semen, Peony Radix, Licorice Radix, Lonicerae Flos, Houttuyniae Herba) before compound 48/80 inducement, and the level changes on IL-4 and histamine were detected for screening the effective TCM that can cure asthma. The results show, pretreated with Ephedrae Herba, Asari Radix, Perillae Folium, reduced the level of IL-4 release by P815, and Ephedrae Herba, Asari Radix also reduced the release of histamine. Furthermore, it was also found that Aristolochia zollingeriana and A. heterophylla, which are the member of Aristolochiaceae same as Asari Radix, can reduce the level of IL-4 and histamine release. So, we presume that Asari Radix, A. zollingeriana and A. heterophylla have a stabilizing effect on mast cells. Aristolochiaceae is the main food of the phoenix butterfly, and in present study, the study proved that it can be induced the releasing of histamine and interleukin-4. Biodiversity maintains balance of the ecosystem, and on the other hand, provide many beneficial effects, such as medicine. Therefore, we must carry out more research on biodiversity, conserve the biological resources and explore its beneficial effects to human before it becomes extinct.

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