title: Liujunzi Tang, a famous traditional Chinese medicine, ameliorates cigarette smoke-induced mouse model of COPD.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Liujunzi Tang is a traditional herbal medicine widely used in East Asia and clinically applied to treat Phlegm-Heat Syndrome. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of Liujunzi Tang on cigarette smoke-induced (CS) mouse model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and explore its potential molecular mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mice received 1h of cigarette smoke for 8 weeks. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were tested by biochemical methods. Histopathological alteration was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Additionally, the expressions of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κBp65) and (inhibitor of NF-κB)IκB-α were determined by western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Liujunzi Tang enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes and attenuated the levels of lipid oxidative production, meanwhile significantly inhibited the generations of inflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the phosphorylation of IκB-α and NF-κB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicated that Liujunzi Tang exhibited the protective effect on cigarette smoke-induced COPD mice by anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties through the inhibition of NF-κB activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Animal Experiment Center of China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Jingyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Xiayun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China. Electronic address: yantianhuabest@126.com.
authors.forename: Tianhua
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China. Electronic address: tongchencpu@163.com.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000097:blood*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016328:NF-kappa B; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; C084136:liu-jun-zi-tang
keywords: Anti-oxidation; Cigarette Smoke; Liujunzi Tang; NF-κB