title: A molecular pharmacology study into the anti-inflammatory actions of Euphorbia hirta L. on the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells through selective iNOS protein inhibition.
abstract: Euphorbia hirta L. has been widely used in India and Chinese society. The molecular pharmacology basis of its anti-inflammatory effect is revealed in this work. The ethanol extract of Euphorbia hirta L. (Eh) and its active component were studied in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophage cells (RAW 264.7) as an established inflammation model. After activation, nitric oxide (NO) production and expression of iNOS protein and iNOS mRNA were measured by using a colorimetric assay (Griess reagent), western blotting, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. The alteration in the content of PGE(2), TNFalpha, and IL-6 was concurrently monitored by ELISA. In results, we found that in the concentration range without showing cytotoxicity, Eh produced a remarkable anti-inflammatory effect via its active component of beta-amyrin and showed a dose-related inhibition of LPS-induced NO production. This phenomenon is in accordance with a substantial inhibition of iNOS protein. However, the expression of iNOS gene was unaffected by Eh treatments. Compared with indomethacin, Eh has much more potency and a specific action of NO inhibition but Eh works less specifically on PGE(2), IL-6, and TNF-alpha inhibition. The extract of Euphorbia hirta L. and its component beta-amyrin are able to block most of the iNOS protein functions and NO induction, and could therefore be new selective NO inhibitors with great potential in treating arthritis inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Mei-Fen
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: Yih-Dih
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chia-Rui
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Jong-Yuh
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cherng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D028481:Euphorbia / Q000737:chemistry*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D015232:Dinoprostone
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