Taraxacum officinale inhibits tumor necrosis factor-alpha production from rat astrocytes.
Substance P (SP) can stimulate production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) from astrocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of Taraxacum officinale (TO) on the production of TNF-alpha from primary cultures of rat astrocytes. TO (100 and 1000 microg/ml) significantly inhibited the TNF-alpha production by astrocytes stimulated with LPS and SP. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) has been shown to elevate TNF-alpha production from LPS-stimulated astrocytes while having no effect on astrocytes in the absence of LPS. We therefore examined whether IL-1 mediated inhibition of TNF-alpha production from primary astrocytes by TO. Treatment of TO (100 and 1000 microg/ml) to astrocytes stimulated with both LPS and SP decreased IL-1 production significantly. Moreover, the production of TNF-alpha by LPS and SP in astrocytes was progressively inhibited with increasing amount of IL-1 neutralizing antibody. Our results suggest that TO may inhibit TNF-alpha production by inhibiting IL-1 production and that TO has an antiinflammatory activity in the central nervous system.
Kim
H M
HM
College of Pharmacy, Center of Oriental Medicinal Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, South Korea. hmkim@wonnms.wonkwang.ac.kr
Shin
H Y
HY
Lim
K H
KH
Ryu
S T
ST
Shin
T Y
TY
Chae
H J
HJ
Kim
H R
HR
Lyu
Y S
YS
An
N H
NH
Lim
K S
KS
D000818:Animals; D019659:Asteraceae; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D013373:Substance P / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D007375:Interleukin-1; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013373:Substance P