title: Icariin ameliorates cigarette smoke induced inflammatory responses via suppression of NF-κB and modulation of GR in vivo and in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of icariin, a major constituent of flavonoids isolated from the herb Epimedium, on cigarette smoke (CS) induced inflammatory responses in vivo and in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vivo, BALB/c mice were exposed to smoke of 15 cigarettes for 1 h/day, 6 days/week for 3 months and dosed with icariin (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) or dexamethasone (1 mg/kg). In vitro, A549 cells were incubated with icariin (10, 50 and 100 µM) followed by treatments with CSE (2.5%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that icariin significantly protected pulmonary function and attenuated CS-induced inflammatory response by decreasing inflammatory cells and production of TNF-α, IL-8 and MMP-9 in both the serum and BALF of CS-exposed mice and decreasing production of TNF-α and IL-8 in the supernatant of CSE-exposed A549 cells. Icariin also showed properties in inhibiting the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 protein and blocking the degradation of IΚB-α protein. Further studies revealed that icariin administration markedly restore CS-reduced GR protein and mRNA expression, which might subsequently contribute to the attenuation of CS-induced respiratory inflammatory response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together these results suggest that icariin has anti-inflammatory effects in cigarette smoke induced inflammatory models in vivo and in vitro, possibly achieved by suppressing NF-κB activation and modulating GR protein expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lulu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Hangzhou Normal University, School of medicine, Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Changqing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hongying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jinfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Baojun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jingcheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; D016209:Interleukin-8; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; C056599:icariin
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