title: Achyranthes japonica exhibits anti-inflammatory effect via NF-κB suppression and HO-1 induction in macrophages.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The roots of Achyranthes japonica Nakai have been used in traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of edema and arthritis in Korea.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism responsible for anti-inflammatory effects of the aqueous extract of A. japonica roots (AJ) in LPS-stimulated macrophages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nitric oxide (NO) production and as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression were examined in TG-elicited peritoneal macrophages and RAW 264.7 cells. Cell viability was monitored by MTT assay. Protein and mRNA expressions were determined by Western blotting and RT-PCR, respectively. The activity of NF-κB and Nrf2 were examined by EMSA, immunocytochemistry or reporter assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AJ inhibited LPS-induced NO secretion as well as iNOS expression, without affecting cell viability. Furthermore, AJ suppressed LPS-induced NF-κB activation, degradation of IκB-α, phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38. Further study demonstrated that AJ induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene expression via nuclear translocation and transactivation of Nrf2. In addition, the inhibitory effects of AJ on iNOS expression were abrogated by small interfering RNA-mediated knock-down of HO-1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that AJ suppresses LPS-induced NO production and iNOS expression in macrophages through the inhibition of IκB/NF-κB and MAPK as well as the Nrf2-mediated HO-1 induction. These findings provide the scientific rationale for anti-inflammatory therapeutic use of A. japonica roots.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, South Korea.
authors.forename: Soo Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: Ji-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hee-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Ji
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sun Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sang Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Younghee
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D029044:Achyranthes; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; D016328:NF-kappa B; C495636:Nfe2l2 protein, mouse; C000606205:Nfkbia protein, mouse; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; C496542:Hmox1 protein, mouse