title: Cardiospermum halicacabum ethanol extract inhibits LPS induced COX-2, TNF-alpha and iNOS expression, which is mediated by NF-kappaB regulation, in RAW264.7 cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cardiospermum halicacabum L. is well known for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities. It has been used in Ayurveda and folk medicine for the treatment of rheumatism, fever and earache. But its mechanism of anti-inflammatory and analgesic action is still unclear, hence in this context, the objective of our study is to reveal the mechanism of anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of Cardiospermum halicacabum L. which would form an additional proof to the traditional knowledge of Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study the ethanolic extract of the whole plant was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory action in mouse macrophage cell line RAW264.7 cells. The expression levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, COX-2, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and COX-2 protein expression by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kappaB) binding activity by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the ethanol extract dose dependently inhibit mRNA expression of COX-2, TNF-alpha, iNOS and COX-2 protein expression. But the extract did not affect the expression of COX-1 mRNA expression. Furthermore, Cardiospermum halicacabum L. ethanol extract inhibited the TNF-alpha induced DNA binding activity of NF-kappaB, which was associated with decreased p65 protein level in the nucleus in Jurkat cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results enabled to understand the mechanisms behind the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of Cardiospermum halicacabum L.
authors.affiliation: Bioprospecting and Molecular Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Molecular Medicine and Cancer Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sheeba
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Asha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D029631:Sapindaceae; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C498144:Rela protein, mouse; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2