title: [Effects of emodin on expression of cytokines induced by lipopolysaccharide in corneal fibroblasts].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of emodin on expression of cytokines induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in cultured human corneal fibroblasts in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary human corneal fibroblasts of passages 4 were used in this research. Cells were treated with 10 microg/L LPS for 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours, which were pretreated with or without emodin for 30 minutes before LPS challenge. The degeneration of inhibitor of kappaB-alpha (I kappaB-alpha) and the effect of emodin on it were analyzed by Western blot analysis with a specific antibody. The cellular abundance of the mRNA of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 from corneal fibroblasts under different conditions was determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with cells without LPS treatment, I kappaB-alpha level significantly decreased in every time point after LPS challenge (P < 0.01). Emodin inhibited the LPS-induced degeneration of I kappaB-alpha by corneal fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Compared with cells without LPS treatment, the expressions of IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA significantly increased in every time point after LPS challenge (P < 0.01). At the same time, the expressions of the mRNA of IL-6 and IL-8 induced by LPS in corneal fibroblasts were also inhibited by emodin in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Emodin can inhibit the expressions of IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA induced by LPS in corneal fibroblasts, which maybe via inhibiting the degeneration of I kappaB-alpha and suppressing the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan 250012, China. cgl7198@163.com
authors.forename: Guo-Ling
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hong-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Lu-Wan
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Zhi-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004336:Drug Antagonism; D004642:Emodin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004642:Emodin