title: Astragalus polysaccharides suppress ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression in TNF-α-treated human vascular endothelial cells by blocking NF-κB activation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced inflammatory reactions in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  HUVECs were treated with TNF-α for 24 h. The amounts of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) were determined with Western blotting. HUVEC viability and apoptosis were detected using cell viability assay and Hoechst staining, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was measured by DHE staining. Monocyte and HUVEC adhesion assay was used to detect endothelial cell adhesive function. NF-κB activation was detected with immunofluorescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TNF-α (1-80 ng/mL) caused dose- and time-dependent increases of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression in HUVECs, accompanied by significant augmentation of IκB phosphorylation and NF-κB translocation into the nuclei. Pretreatment with APS (10 and 50 μg/mL) significantly attenuated TNFα-induced upregulation of ICAM-1 VCAM-1 and NF-κB translocation. Moreover, APS significantly reduced apoptosis, ROS generation and adhesion function damage in TNF-α-treated HUVECs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  APS suppresses TNFα-induced adhesion molecule expression by blocking NF-κB signaling and inhibiting ROS generation in HUVECs. The results suggest that APS may be used to treat and prevent endothelial cell injury-related diseases.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital and Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Ministry of Health, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Yu-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Ya-jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Bei-dong
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Man
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D027883:Astragalus Plant; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000633:toxicity*; D020298:U937 Cells; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1