title: [Study on effect of total saponins from Semen Nigellae on inflammatory mediators and ERK/MAPK pathway in stimulated macrophage].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the anti-inflammatory mechanism of total saponins from Semen Nigellae (TSSN).
  
  
  METHODS
  IFN-gamma plus LPS stimulated RAW 264. 7 macrophage has been used as inflammatory experimental model. Griess reaction for nitric oxide production, FRAP assay for total antioxidant capacity, RT-PCR for mRNA expression and Western blot for protein expression examination were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TSSN inhibited NO production in a dose-dependent manner. The gene and protein expression of iNOS were also suppressed by the herb extract. TSSN treatment significantly attenuated mRNA of inflammatory mediators such as COX-2, IL-1beta, IL-6 while increased PPAR-gamma gene and protein expression. Furthermore, phosphorylation of ERK (p-ERK) was markedly inhibited by TSSN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TSSN suppressed pro-inflammatory mediators such as COX-2, IL-1beta, IL-6 and increased anti-inflammatory mediator PPAR-gamma expression. Meanwhile, TSSN inhibited over production of NO and iNOS expression through ERK/MAPK pathway.
authors.affiliation: Murad Research Institute for Modernized Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China. izhangdd@126.com
authors.forename: Dandan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xuqiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Huijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Linhua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiaolu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jinwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012503:Saponins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human