title: Gyeji-tang water extract exerts anti-inflammatory activity through inhibition of ERK and NF-κB pathways in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gyeji-tang (GJT, Guizhi Tang in Chinese, Keishi-to in Japanese) is a traditional herbal decoction composed of 5 medicinal herbs. GJT has been used to treat the common cold, headaches, and fever in Asian countries including Korea, China, and Japan. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of a water extract of GJT on inflammatory response using the murine macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7.
  
  
  METHODS
  RAW 264.7 macrophages were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to upregulate inflammatory genes. Cells were pretreated with various concentrations of GJT for 4 h and stimulated with LPS for an additional 20 h. Productions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Protein expressions of heme oxygenase (HO)-1, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) were analyzed by immunoblotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with the GJT extract enhanced expression of HO-1 in macrophages without cytotoxicity. GJT extract significantly inhibited proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated cells. GJT suppressed LPS-induced COX-2 expression, leading to a decrease in COX-2-derived PGE2level. In addition, GJT extract prevented phosphorylation of ERK and NF-κB translocalization to the nucleus in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that GJT has anti-inflammatory possibly through blocking ERK and NF-κB signaling pathways.
authors.affiliation: K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, 34054, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sae-Rom
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, 34054, Republic of Korea.|Mucosal Immunology Laboratory, Department of Convergence Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine/Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, 34054, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mee-Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: KM Convergence Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34054, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ohn-Soon
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, 34054, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Seob
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: K-herb Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, 34054, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeun-Kyoo
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: KM Convergence Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34054, Republic of Korea. sjijeong@kiom.re.kr.|Korean Medicine Life Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. sjijeong@kiom.re.kr.
authors.forename: Soo-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D000067996:RAW 264.7 Cells; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; C496542:Hmox1 protein, mouse; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
keywords: Extracellular signal-regulated kinase; Gyeji-tang; Macrophage; Nuclear factor kappa B; Supression of inflammation