title: Anti-inflammatory Effects of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill Fruit Through the Inactivation of Nuclear Factor-κB and Mitogen-activated Protein Kinases Signaling Pathways in Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated Murine Macrophages.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schisandrae Fructus, the dried fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (Magnoliaceae), is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of a number of chronic inflammatory diseases. This study examined the anti-inflammatory effects of Schisandrae Fructus ethanol extract (SF) on the production of pro-inflammatory substances in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.
  
  
  METHODS
  To measure the effects of SF on pro-inflammatory mediator and inflammatory cytokine's expression and production in RAW 264.7 cells, we used the following methods: cell viability assay, Griess reagent assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting analysis and immunofluorescence staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stimulation of the RAW 264.7 cells with LPS caused an elevated production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β, which was markedly inhibited by the pretreatment with SF without causing any cytotoxic effects. SF also inhibited the expression of inducible NO synthase, TNF-α, and IL-1β protein and their mRNAs in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, SF attenuated LPS-induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) by reducing inhibitory-κB degradation, and reduced the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), implying that SF regulated LPS-induced NF-κB-dependent inflammatory pathways through suppression of MAPKs activation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SF may be useful for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Soon
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Su-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences and Human Ecology, Dongeui University, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Cheol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Blue-Bio Industry RIC and Anti-Aging Research Center, College of Natural Sciences and Human Ecology, Dongeui University, Busan, Korea ; Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Natural Sciences and Human Ecology, Dongeui University, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Blue-Bio Industry RIC and Anti-Aging Research Center, College of Natural Sciences and Human Ecology, Dongeui University, Busan, Korea ; Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences and Human Ecology, Dongeui University, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Woo
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Herbal Medicine Resources Group, Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kim Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kyoung
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticultural Bioscience and Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, College of Natural Resource and Life Sciences, Pusan National University, Miryang, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Whan
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Cheol Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Korean Medicine, Busan, Korea ; Blue-Bio Industry RIC and Anti-Aging Research Center, College of Natural Sciences and Human Ecology, Dongeui University, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Yung Hyun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi
keywords: Anti-inflammation; Mitogen-activated protein kinases; Nuclear factor-kappa B; Schisandra chinensis