title: Effects of taraxasterol on inflammatory responses in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Taraxasterol, a pentacyclic-triterpene, was isolated from the Chinese medicinal herb Taraxacum officinale. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of taraxasterol in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 murine macrophages.
  
  
  METHODS
  RAW 264.7 cells were pretreated with 2.5, 5, or 12.5μg/ml of taraxasterol 1h prior to treatment with 1μg/ml of LPS. Nitric oxide (NO) level in supernatants from cells was examined by Griess reaction, the concentrations of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by ELISA. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation was evaluated by immunocytochemical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that taraxasterol inhibited NO, PGE(2), TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. Further studies revealed that taraxasterol prevented the LPS-induced NF-κB translocation from cytoplasm into nuclear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that taraxasterol has anti-inflammatory effect by blocking NF-κB pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine, Agricultural College of Yanbian University, Gongyuan Street, Yanji, Jilin 133002, PR China. zhangmeixue2000@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Huanzhang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Liben
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013261:Sterols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D013261:Sterols; D014315:Triterpenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C482199:lipopolysaccharide, E coli O55-B5; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C079988:taraxasterol; D015232:Dinoprostone