Morin suppresses inflammatory cytokine expression by downregulation of nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated primary bovine mammary epithelial cells.

Morin, a flavonoid isolated from Chinese herbs of the Moraceae family, has been reported to possess antiinflammatory activity. However, the effects of morin on mastitis have not been investigated. The present study was conducted to elucidate the antiinflammatory properties of morin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMEC). The viability of bMEC was analyzed by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium] assay. Subsequently, bMEC were stimulated with LPS in the presence or absence of morin. Gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines was determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), inhibitory kappa B (IκBα) protein, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) were detected by Western blotting. The results showed that cell viability was not affected by morin. Moreover, morin inhibited the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-6, and IL-1ß in LPS-stimulated bMEC in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot analysis showed that morin suppressed the phosphorylation of IκBα, NF-κB unit p65, ERK, p38, and JNK in LPS-stimulated bMEC. In conclusion, the protective effects of morin on LPS-induced inflammatory response in bMEC may be due to its ability to suppress NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. These findings suggest that morin may be used as antiinflammatory drug for mastitis.

Anti-asthmatic activity of osthole in an ovalbumin-induced asthma murine model.

Osthole, an active coumarin extracted from the dried fruits of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson, is known to possess a variety of pharmacological activities. In the present study, we investigated and illuminated the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of osthole in an experimental model of allergic asthma. Our results show that osthole treatment significantly reduced the OVA-induced increase in serum IgE and inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and decreased the recruitment of inflammatory cells in BALF and the lung. It also effectively attenuated goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus overproduction in lung tissue. In addition, western blot analysis demonstrated that osthole blocked NF-κB activation, which may be associated with a reduction in inflammatory cytokine production. These data suggest that osthole attenuated OVA-induced allergic asthma inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB activation. The present study identified the molecular mechanisms of action of osthole, which support the potential pharmaceutical application of osthole treatment for asthma and other airway inflammation disorders.

Alpinetin attenuates inflammatory responses by suppressing TLR4 and NLRP3 signaling pathways in DSS-induced acute colitis.

Alpinetin, a composition of Alpinia katsumadai Hayata, has been reported to have a number of biological properties, such as antibacterial, antitumor and other important therapeutic activities. However, the effect of alpinetin on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of alpinetin on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. In vivo, DSS-induced mice colitis model was established by giving mice drinking water containing 5% (w/v) DSS for 7 days. Alpinetin (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) were administered once a day by intraperitoneal injection 3 days before DSS treatment. In vitro, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-differentiated monocytic THP-1 macrophages were treated with alpinetin and stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The results showed that alpinetin significantly attenuated diarrhea, colonic shortening, histological injury, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and the expressions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL-1ß) production in mice. In vitro, alpinetin markedly inhibited LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-1ß production, as well as Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mediated nuclear transcription factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that alpinetin had protective effects on DSS-induced colitis and may be a promising therapeutic reagent for colitis treatment.

Protective role of apigenin in cisplatin-induced renal injury.

This study aimed to investigate the effects and molecular mechanisms of the effects of apigenin on cisplatin (CP)-induced kidney injury in mice. Apigenin was intraperitoneally administered for 3 consecutive days before CP treatment. We found that apigenin pretreatment significantly attenuated the damage to the kidneys and decreased the levels of serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), which were increased by CP. Apigenin significantly decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß and TGFß in the kidneys. Additionally, apigenin inhibited the activations of CYP2E1, phospho-NF-κB p65 and phospho-P38 MAPK in CP-induced renal injury. These results suggest that the renoprotective effects of apigenin may be related to the suppressions of oxidative stress and inflammation in CP-induced renal injury in mice.

Baicalein attenuates inflammatory responses by suppressing TLR4 mediated NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways in LPS-induced mastitis in mice.

Baicalein is a phenolic flavonoid presented in the dry roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. It has been reported that baicalein possesses a number of biological properties, such as antiviral, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, and anticancer properties. However, the effect of baicalein on mastitis has not yet been reported. This research aims to detect the effect of baicalein on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis in mice and to investigate the molecular mechanisms. Baicalein was administered intraperitoneally 1h before and 12h after LPS treatment. The results indicated that baicalein treatment markedly attenuated the damage of the mammary gland induced by LPS, suppressed the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL-1ß) in mice with LPS-induced mastitis. Besides, baicalein blocked the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and then suppressed the phosphorylation of nuclear transcription factor-kappaB (NF-κB) p65 and degradation inhibitor of NF-κBα (IκBα) and, and inhibited the phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal pathway. These findings suggested that baicalein may have a potential prospect against mastitis.

Renoprotective mechanisms of morin in cisplatin-induced kidney injury.

In this study, we investigated the renoprotective effects of morin on cisplatin-induced kidney injury in mice. Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were determined according to the corresponding kits. The mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß in kidney tissues were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The activities of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65, P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Bax, p53 and cleaved caspase 3 were evaluated by western blotting. The results showed that the model of cisplatin-induced kidney injury was successfully replicated, and morin significantly attenuated histopathological changes and decreased the levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß in the kidneys. In addition, morin attenuated the activation of CYP2E1, phospho-NF-κB p65, phospho-P38 MAPK, Bax, phospho-p53 and cleaved caspase 3 in CP-induced kidney injury. In conclusion, these results indicated that the renoprotective mechanisms of morin may be attributed to the suppression of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in CP-induced kidney injury.