title: Anti-inflammatory effect of patchouli alcohol isolated from Pogostemonis Herba in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.
abstract: Pogostemonis Herba has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of inflammation-related disorders. Patchouli alcohol (PA) isolated from Pogostemonis Herba is a tricyclic sesquiterpene that is known to exert a variety of pharmacological activities. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of PA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Pre-treatment with PA at concentrations of 10, 20 or 40 μM dose-dependently decreased the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E(2) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, PA treatment also reversed the increased mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 caused by LPS in RAW264.7 cells. These results indicate that PA is an important anti-inflammatory constituent of Pogostemonis Herba and that its anti-inflammatory effect may be mediated, at least in part, by down-regulation of the mRNA expression of a panel of inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS and COX-2.
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,  Hong Kong  SAR;
authors.forename: Yan-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.forename: Yu-Cui
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Siu-Po
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ip
authors.forename: Zhi-Xiu
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xiao-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Zi-Ren
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Su