Oral administration of Ulmus davidiana extract suppresses interleukin-1ß expression in LPS-induced immune responses and lung injury.

BACKGROUND: Ulmus davidiana (UD) is a traditional Korean herb medicine that is used to treat inflammatory disorders. UD has been shown to modulate a number of inflammatory processes in vitro or in vivo studies. However, the molecular mechanisms of UD on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury remain to be understood. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study is to determine the effect of UD bark water extract on LPS-induced immune responses and lung injury using both in vitro and in vivo models. METHODS: RAW 264.7 cells and a rat model of acute lung injury (ALI) were used to study the effects of UD on several parameters. Nitrite level, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were measured. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and plasma transaminase activities in blood were also determined. Pathological investigations were also performed. RESULTS: LPS infusion resulted in elevated IL-1ß mRNA expression, nitrite levels, TNF-α expression, and IL-1ß expression in RAW 264.7 cells. LPS infusion also increased levels of nitrite/nitrate, total protein, LDH, and TNF-α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, but reduced SOD levels in ex vivo and in vivo models. UD administration ameliorated all these inflammatory markers. In particular, treatment with UD reduced LPS-induced nitrite production in RAW 264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. UD treatment also counteracted the LPS-induced increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) activity in rat plasma, leading to a significant reduction in ALT and AST activity. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that UD treatment reduces LPS-induced nitrite production, IL-1ß mRNA expression, and TNF-α expression. In addition, LPS-induced decrease in SOD level is significantly elevated by UD administration. These results indicate that UD extract merits consideration as a potential drug for treating and/or preventing ALI.

Artemisolide from Artemisia asiatica: nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) inhibitor suppressing prostaglandin E2 and nitric oxide production in macrophages.

Aerial parts of Artemisia asiatica (Compositae) have been traditionally used as an oriental medicine for the treatment of inflammatory and ulcerogenic diseases. In the present study, artemisolide was isolated as a nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB inhibitor from A. asiatica by activity-guided fractionation. Artemisolide inhibited NF-kappaB transcriptional activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages RAW 264.7 with an IC50 value of 5.8 microM. The compound was also effective in blocking NF-kappaB transcriptional activities elicited by the expression vector encoding the NF-kappaB p65 or p50 subunits bypassing the inhibitory kB degradation signaling NF-kappaB activation. The macrophages markedly increased their PGE2 and NO production upon exposure to LPS alone. Artemisolide inhibited LPS-induced PGE2 and NO production with IC50 values of 8.7 microM and 6.4 microM, respectively, but also suppressed LPS-induced synthesis of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 or inducible NO synthase (iNOS). Taken together, artemisolide is a NF-kappaB inhibitor that attenuates LPS-induced production of PGE2 or NO via down-regulation of COX-2 or iNOS expression in macrophages RAW 264.7. Therefore, artemisolide could represent and provide the anti-inflammatory principle associated with the traditional medicine, A. asiatica.

Anti-inflammatory effect of the oligomeric stilbene alpha-Viniferin and its mode of the action through inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase.

The anti-inflammatory activity of alpha-viniferin, a trimer of resveratrol, has been demonstrated in an animal model of carrageenin-induced paw edema, and inhibitory effects of the compound on cyclooxygenase (COX) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) have been investigated in order to understand the mode of the observed action. alpha-Viniferin at doses > 30 mg/kg ( p. o.) or > 3 mg/kg ( i. v.) showed significant anti-inflammatory activity on carrageenin-induced paw edema in mice. alpha-Viniferin showed an inhibitory effect with an IC (50) value of 4.9 microM on COX-2 activity but a very weak inhibitory effect with 55.2 +/- 2.1 % of the control (100 %) at 100 microM on COX-1 activity. alpha-Viniferin at doses of 3 microM to 10 microM inhibited the synthesis of COX-2 transcript in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated murine macrophages Raw264.7. alpha-Viniferin showed an IC50 value of 2.7 microM on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-activated Raw264.7 cells when alpha-viniferin and LPS were treated simultaneously, but did not inhibit the NO production when alpha-viniferin was treated at 12 h after LPS stimulation. alpha-Viniferin inhibited synthesis of iNOS transcript with an IC50 value of 4.7 microM. Consequently, the inhibitory effect of alpha-viniferin on the release of prostanoids and NO could play an important role to show anti-inflammatory action.

Anti-inflammatory action of legume isoflavonoid sophoricoside through inhibition on cyclooxygenase-2 activity.

Soy is a main source of isoflavonoids which are of high dietary intake for the oriental population. In this study, the anti-inflammatory action of sophoricoside, an isoflavone glycoside isolated from immature fruits of Sophora japonica L. (Leguminosae), has been demonstrated. When administered orally at > 100 mg/kg or injected intravenously at > 10 mg/kg, sophoricoside showed significant reduction of carrageenin-induced paw edema in mice. Sophoricoside has been identified as a selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 activity with an IC50 value of 3.3 microM.