title: Anti-inflammatory effect of Lycii radicis in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.
abstract: The root bark of Lycium barbarum (Lycii radicis cortex, LRC) is used as a cooling agent for fever and night sweats in East Asian traditional medicine. The inhibitory effect of LRC water extract on inflammation is unknown. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect of LRC was investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophage, RAW 264.7 cells. LRC extract significantly decreased the LPS-induced production of inflammatory mediators, nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin (PG) E2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in the cells. In addition, LRC extract inhibited the LPS-induced expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 mRNA and protein, and inflammatory cytokines mRNA in the cells. The action mechanism of LRC underlies the blocking of LPS-mediated p38 and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and the nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway. These results indicate that LRC extract inhibits the inflammatory response in activated macrophages by down-regulating the transcription levels of inflammatory mediators and blocking the MAPKs and NF-κB pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeongju 780-350, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hyo Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Seok Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Kyung-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong-Ki
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D032305:Lycium; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D024301:Plant Bark; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010936:Plant Extracts; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; C077623:Ptgs2 protein, mouse; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D015232:Dinoprostone
keywords: Inflammation; Lycii radicis Cortex; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Nuclear Factor κB; RAW 264.7 Macrophages