title: Effect of an herbal mixture of Cinnamon Cortex, Persicae Semen, and Natril Sulfas on collagen-induced arthritis and lipopolysaccharides-induced nuclear factor-κ B signaling.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory effects of the mixture of three herbal agents, Cinnamon Cortex, Persica Semen, and Natril Sulfas (CPN), the major ingredients of Taoren Chengqi Decoction ().
  
  
  METHODS
  Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) was induced by immunization with bovine type II collagen on day 1 and 21. DBA/1J mice were orally administered the water extract of CPN (100 and 500 mg/kg) and indomethacin (1 mg/kg) or vehicle (water) 3 times per week for 6 weeks. Arthritic symptoms were recorded on day 29, 31, 33, 36 and 38. On sacrififi ce, serum was obtained for inflammatory markers and anti-collagen antibodies as well as arthritic joints were obtained for histologic analysis. For the evaluation of in vitro anti-inflammatory mechanism of CPN, peritoneal macrophages were isolated from thioglycollate injected C57BL/6 mice and stimulated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) for 15 min in the presence of CPN extract. Levels of inhibitor of NF-κB α isoform (IκBα), phospho-p38, phospho-C-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) were detected by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with mice in CIA group, oral administration of CPN signififi cantly reduced the clinical scores (P<0.05), histological analysis revealed the protective effect of CPN on inflamed joints. Serum levels of the pro-inflammatory markers tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and prostaglandin E2, but not anti-collagen antibodies, were significantly reduced (P<0.05). CPN did not affect the activation of p38, JNK and ERK1/2 but inhibited LPS-induced IκBα degradation, a required event prior to the translocation of NF-κB to the nucleus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ameliorating effect of CPN on arthritis progression seems to be mediated by its anti-inflammatory effect, without affecting antibody response. As a supplementary agent, CPN could be benefifi cial for treatment of CIA.
authors.affiliation: Department of East-West Medicine, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of East-West Medicine, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lew
authors.affiliation: Department of East-West Medicine, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Woo
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of East-West Medicine, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea. shehee@khu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Hee
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kang
keywords: Cinnamon Cortex; Natril Sulfas; Persica Semen; collagen-induced arthritis; inflammation; rheumatoid arthritis