Abstract
Background:
Arctiin, isolated from Forsythia suspensa has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral effects in vitro. However, there has been a lack of studies regarding its effects on immunological activity. The aim of this study is to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential and possible mechanisms of arctiin in LPS-induced macrophages.
Methods:
We investigated the mRNA and protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines through RT-PCR and western blot analysis, followed by a FACS analysis for surface molecule changes.
Results:
Arctiin dose dependently decreased the production of NO and proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and PGE2, and it reduced the gene and protein levels as determined by RT-PCR and western blot analysis, respectively. The expression of co-stimulatory molecules such as B7-1 and B7-2 were also inhibited by arctiin. Furthermore, the activation of the nuclear transcription factor, NF-κB in macrophages was inhibited by arctiin.
Conclusion:
Taken together these results provide evidence of the bioactivity of arctiin in inflammatory diseases and suggest that arctiin may exert anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the pro-inflammatory mediators through the inactivation of NF-kB.
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