A matrine-oxymatrine in-situ gel for the treatment of allergic rhinitis

Abstract

Sophorae Flavescentis Radix (Ku Shen) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat damp-heat syndrome-related diseases, such as dysentery, jaundice, rhinitis, and skin inflammation. Recent studies have revealed the potential pharmacological value of its active alkaloid components, matrine (MAT) and oxymatrine (OMT), in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR). To develop a thermosensitive in-situ gel containing MAT and OMT for the intranasal treatment of AR, a thermosensitive matrix composed of Pluronic F127/ F68 was optimized using the Box-Behnken Response Surface Methodology. The biosafety of the formulation was evaluated using a palatal ciliary movement model. A guinea pig model of AR induced by ovalbumin and aluminum hydroxide was established. Pharmacodynamic effects were comprehensively assessed through behavioral scoring, histopathological analysis (hematoxylin and eosin) of nasal mucosa, and serum immunological markers (IgE, IL-4, and IFN-γ). The MAT-OMT in-situ gel showed no toxicity during ciliary movement in the toad palatal ciliary motility model. The MAT-OMT combination significantly alleviated nasal itching, sneezing, and rhinorrhea in guinea pigs with AR, mitigated mucosal edema and epithelial damage, and improved inflammatory cytokine levels, suggesting its efficacy in correcting Th1/Th2 immune imbalance. The comprehensive therapeutic effect of MAT-OMT was significantly superior to that of MAT or OMT alone and comparable to that of the positive control, budesonide.

Keywords

matrine / oxymatrine / combination / in-situ gel / allergic rhinitis

Funding sources

This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2024YFE0111300).

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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