title: Anti-inflammatory effects of Saururus chinensis aerial parts in murine macrophages via induction of heme oxygenase-1.
abstract: Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill. is a perennial plant distributed throughout Northeast Asia and its roots have been widely used as a traditional medicine for hepatitis, asthma, pneumonia, and gonorrhea. This study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of an extract of S. chinensis of the aerial parts (rather than the root), and the signaling pathway responsible for this effect in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine macrophages. The subfraction 4 (SCF4) from the n-hexane layer of the ethanol extract of the aerial parts of S. chinensis exhibited the highest nitrite-inhibitory activity. SCF4 significantly inhibited the production of nitrite and the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators via heme oxygenase-1 upregulation. SCF4 caused significant phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and Akt, which subsequently induced the nuclear translocation of p-p65 nuclear factor-κB and Nrf2. SCF4 also suppressed the phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (p-STAT1). The heme oxygenase-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin attenuated the inhibitory effect of SCF4 on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated nitrite production and expression of inflammatory mediators, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and p-STAT1. We identified sauchinone as the active compound in S. chinensis extract and SCF4. Sauchinone was shown to significantly inhibit nitrite production and inflammatory mediators expression via heme oxygenase-1 upregulation. These results suggest that S. chinensis extract, SCF4, and its active compound, sauchinone, could be used as an anti-inflammatory agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Gachon University, Seongnam 461-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Gachon University, Seongnam 461-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Inhye
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Gachon University, Seongnam 461-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Joon
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Gachon University, Seongnam 461-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Mi
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Gachon University, Seongnam 461-701, Republic of Korea sckang73@gachon.ac.kr ym473@nmr.kr.
authors.forename: Se Chan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001578:Benzopyrans / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000032:analysis; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009573:Nitrites / Q000032:analysis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D032134:Saururaceae / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001578:Benzopyrans; D004149:Dioxoles; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D009573:Nitrites; D010936:Plant Extracts; C410958:sauchinone; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1
keywords: Heme oxygenase-1; Saururus chinensis; anti-inflammation; nuclear factor-κB; phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 1; sauchinone