Eleutherococcus senticosus extract attenuates LPS-induced iNOS expression through the inhibition of Akt and JNK pathways in murine macrophage.
Eleutherococcus senticosus (Araliaceae) is immunological modulator which has been successfully used for anti-inflammatory effectors on anti-rheumatic diseases in oriental medicine. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and Akt modulate the transcription of many genes involved in the inflammatory process. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of Eleutherococcus senticosus on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-activated macrophages. Finally, we studied the involvement of MAPKs and Akt signaling in the protective effect of Eleutherococcus senticosus in LPS-activated macrophages. Eleutherococcus senticosus significantly attenuated LPS-induced iNOS expression but not COX-2 expression. In using the standard inhibitors (MAPKs and Akt), our results show that Eleutherococcus senticosus downregulates inflammatory iNOS expression by blocking JNK and Akt activation.
Jung
Chang Hwa
CH
Laboratory of Clinical Biology and Pharmacogenomics, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University, Seoul 130-701, South Korea.
Jung
Hee
H
Shin
Yong-Cheol
YC
Park
Jong-Hyeong
JH
Jun
Chan-Yong
CY
Kim
Hyung-Min
HM
Yim
Hee-Sun
HS
Shin
Min-Gyu
MG
Bae
Hyun-Soo
HS
Kim
Sung-Hoon
SH
Ko
Seong-Gyu
SG
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D028001:Eleutherococcus / Q000737:chemistry*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases