title: Reduction of adhesion molecule production and alteration of eNOS and endothelin-1 mRNA expression in endothelium by Euphorbia hirta L. through its beneficial β-amyrin molecule.
abstract: The inflammatory reaction in large blood vessels involves up-regulation of vascular adhesion molecules such as endothelial cell selectin (E-selectin), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM)-1, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1. These vascular dysfunctions are associated with the development of atherosclerosis. β-Amyrin, an active component of Euphorbia hirta L., has potent anti-inflammatory effects. So far, its preventive effects against the expression of inflammatory mediator-induced adhesion molecules have not been investigated. Endothelial cells (SVEC4-10 cell line) were treated with 50% RAW conditioned media (i.e., normal SVEC4-10 culture media contains 50% of lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophage culture media) without or with β-amyrin (0.6 and 0.3 µM). The production levels of E-selectin, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 in the SVEC4-10 cells were measured with ELISA assay kits. Under the same treatment conditions, expression of endothelin (ET)-1 and endothelial type of NO synthase (eNOS) mRNA were analyzed by RT-PCR and agarose gel. With β-amyrin, the 50% RAW conditioned media-induced E-selectin, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 levels as well as ET-1 gene expression were all suppressed. β-Amyrin treatment also restored the 50% RAW conditioned media-suppressed eNOS mRNA expression. These data indicate that β-amyrin is potentially useful in preventing chronic inflammation-related vascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy & Science, Tainan 717, Taiwan. meifenshih@mail.chna.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Mei Fen
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi 621, Taiwan. jycherng@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jong Yuh
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cherng
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D028481:Euphorbia / Q000737:chemistry*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009828:Oleanolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; C573420:ICAM1 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D009828:Oleanolic Acid; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C036380:beta-amyrin