title: Anti-inflammatory activities and mechanisms of Artemisia asiatica ethanol extract.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Artemisia asiatica Nakai (Compositae) is a representative herbal plant used to treat infection and inflammatory diseases. Although Artemisia asiatica is reported to have immunopharmacological activities, the mechanisms of these activities and the effectiveness of Artemisia asiatica preparations in use are not known.
  
  
  METHODS
  To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activities of Artemisia asiatica ethanol extract (Aa-EE), we assayed nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in macrophages and measured the extent of tissue injury in a model of gastric ulcer induced in mice by treatment with HCl in EtOH. Putative enzymatic mediators of Aa-EE activities were identified by nuclear fractionation, reporter gene assay, immunoprecipitation, immunoblotting, and kinase assay. Active compound in Aa-EE was identified using HPLC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment of RAW264.7 cells and peritoneal macrophages with Aa-EE suppressed the production of NO, PGE2, and TNF-α in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and induced heme oxygenase-1 expression. The Aa-EE also ameliorated symptoms of gastric ulcer in HCl/EtOH-treated mice. These effects were associated with the inhibition of nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and activator protein (AP)-1, implying that the anti-inflammatory action of the Aa-EE occurred through transcriptional inhibition. The upstream regulatory signals Syk and Src for translocation of NF-κB and TRAF6 for AP-1 were identified as targets of this effect. Analysis of Aa-EE by HPLC revealed the presence of luteolin, known to inhibit NO and PGE2 activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The anti-inflammatory activities attributed to Artemisia asiatica Nakai in traditional medicine may be mediated by luteolin through inhibition of Src/Syk/NF-κB and TRAF6/JNK/AP-1 signaling pathways.
authors: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors: Deok
authors: D
authors: Jeong
authors: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors: Young-Su
authors: YS
authors: Yi
authors: Department of Herbal Crop Research, National Institutes of Horticultural & Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 441-707, Korea.
authors: Gi-Ho
authors: GH
authors: Sung
authors: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors: Woo Seok
authors: WS
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jae Gwang
authors: JG
authors: Park
authors: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors: Keejung
authors: K
authors: Yoon
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncehon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Deok Hyo
authors: DH
authors: Yoon
authors: Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors: Changsik
authors: C
authors: Song
authors: Department of Chemistry, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 139-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Yunmi
authors: Y
authors: Lee
authors: College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Man Hee
authors: MH
authors: Rhee
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncehon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Tae Woong
authors: TW
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Biosafety Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jhkim1@chonbuk.ac.kr.
authors: Jong-Hoon
authors: JH
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Genetic Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jaecho@skku.edu.
authors: Jae Youl
authors: JY
authors: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010936:Plant Extracts; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000431:Ethanol; D015232:Dinoprostone
keywords: Artemisia asiatica Nakai; Compositae; Gastric ulcer; Inflammatory mediator; Target enzyme; Transcription factor