title: Extract from Calotropis procera latex activates murine macrophages.
abstract: Calotropis procera latex has long been used in traditional medicines. Extracts from C. procera latex have been reported to have various pharmacological actions, including protection from myocardial infarction, hepatoprotective action, antitumor activity, antinociceptive, and pro- and anti-inflammatory actions. To evaluate the immunomodulatory functions of the water-soluble C. procera extract (CPE), we investigated its ability to activate macrophages-effector cells in inflammatory and immune responses. Intraperitoneal injection of CPE in mice (2 mg/mouse) induced migration of macrophages to the intraperitoneal cavity, confirming the proinflammatory effects of water-soluble CPE. The direct effects of CPE on macrophages were then assessed by measuring the production of nitric oxide (NO) as an indicator for macrophage activation. Addition of CPE (1-10 microg/ml) to the culture medium of the murine monocyte/macrophage cell line RAW264.7 caused an increase in NO production in a time- and dose-dependent manner. CPE-elicited NO production was blocked by application of an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Expression of iNOS mRNA was induced by treatment of cultured macrophages with CPE. Injection of CPE in mice also resulted in an increase in plasma NO level. The results suggest that CPE activates macrophages and facilitates NO production via up-regulation of iNOS gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiology, Department of Basic Veterinary Science, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Abdel latif Shaker
authors.initials: Al
authors.lastname: Seddek
authors.forename: Motamed Elsayed
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Mahmoud
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiina
authors.forename: Haruko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: Momoe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwami
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyazawa
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nikami
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takewaki
authors.forename: Yasutake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D031107:Calotropis / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II