Anti-inflammatory effects of aqueous extract from Dichroa febrifuga root in rat liver.
OBJECTIVE
To study the anti-inflammatory effects of aqueous extract from Dichroa febrifuga root (AEDF) for suppression in the process of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis in the rat liver.


METHODS
The inhibitory effect of AEDF on the alteration of inflammatory proteins was investigated by Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis.


RESULTS
Western blot analysis showed that the level of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaBp65 was markedly up-regulated and (I)-kappaBalpha was down-regulated by LPS (8 mg/kg) challenge. However, AEDF 100 mg/kg inhibited induction of NF-kappaBp65 and degradation of I-kappaBalpha in the liver of LPS-challenged rats. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that while the expression of the NF-kappaBp65, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) tended to increase, that of I-kappaBalpha was decreased in the hepatocytes of rats challenged with LPS. A slight decline of NF-kappaBp65, TNF-alpha and iNOS, but an increase of I-kappaBalpha were observed in the hepatocytes of the rats pretreated with AEDF.


CONCLUSIONS
AEDF may act as a therapeutic agent for inflammatory disease through a regulation of inflammation-related proteins.
Choi
Byung-Tae
BT
Department of Oriental Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Research Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dong-Eui University, Busan 614-052, Korea. choibt@dongeui.ac.kr
Lee
Jun-Hyuk
JH
Ko
Woo-Shin
WS
Kim
Young-Hee
YH
Choi
Yung-Hyun
YH
Kang
Ho-Sung
HS
Kim
Han-Do
HD
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D031995:Saxifragaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; C000606206:Nfkbia protein, rat; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat