title: Regulatory effects of Codonopsis lanceolata on macrophage-mediated immune responses.
abstract: Codonopsis lanceolata L. has long been used as a folk medicine in Korea, Japan and China for the treatment of lung inflammatory diseases. In this study, therefore, we aimed to demonstrate its ethnopharmacological activity by examining macrophage-function regulating effects. The total methanol extracts of fresh leaves (l-TME) or roots (r-TME) of Codonopsis lanceolata L. significantly suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory mediators (nitric oxide [NO] and tumor necrosis factor [TNF-alpha]) without altering mRNA levels. The expression of interleukin (IL)-3 and IL-6, however, was strongly diminished. According to the analysis of signaling enzyme activation by immunoblotting, phospho-IkappaB levels, a representative pro-inflammatory gene activation pathway, were not affected by the TMEs. By contrast, the Raf-ERK signaling pathway, which was involved in regulation of post-translational modification of pro-inflammatory gene products, was strongly blocked after 6-h of exposure. Moreover, l-TME down-regulated LPS-mediated phagocytic uptake and CD29-mediated cell-cell adhesion, while r-TME strongly up-regulated these two cellular events as well as fibronectin-cell adhesion. The surface levels of the costimulatory molecules (CD80 and CD86) of RAW264.7 cells were also enhanced by these extracts. l-TME also diminished functional activation (assessed by NO production) and the surface level of dectin-1, but not toll-like receptor (TLR)-2. Taken together, these data suggest that Codonopsis lanceolata may have the ability to modulate macrophage-mediated immune responses, thus contributing to its anti-inflammatory activity.
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Gyu
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Joo Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Se Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Byeon
authors.forename: Eock Kee
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Jaehwi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Man Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Hwa Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae Youl
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D029745:Codonopsis; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051917:Leukosialin / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D051379:Mice; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves; D018517:Plant Roots; D020298:U937 Cells
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D019012:Integrin beta1; D051917:Leukosialin; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D009569:Nitric Oxide