Aqueous extract isolated from Platycodon grandiflorum elicits the release of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-α from murine macrophages

• Published in: International immunopharmacology 2001-06, Vol.1 (6), p.1141-1151
• Main Authors: Choi, Chul Yung, Kim, Ji Young, Kim, Young Sup, Chung, Young Chul, Seo, Jong Kwon, Jeong, Hye Gwang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; beta-Galactosidase - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Female; General pharmacology; Immunoassay; Immunomodulators; Limulus Test; Luciferases - metabolism; Macrophages; Macrophages - drug effects; Macrophages - metabolism; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; NF-^KB protein; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - biosynthesis; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Nitrites - metabolism; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Roots - chemistry; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Platycodon grandiflorum; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA - biosynthesis; Transfection; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Tumor necrosis factor-α
• ISSN: 1567-5769; 1878-1705
• DOI: 10.1016/S1567-5769(01)00047-9

Herbal medicines are increasingly being utilized to treat a wide variety of disease processes. Aqueous extract from the root of Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC (Campanulaceae), Changkil (CK), is reported to have antitumor and immunomodulatory activities; however, the mechanism underlying its therapeutic effect is not known. In the present study we examined the effects of CK on the release of nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and on the gene expression of iNOS and TNF-α in mouse macrophages. CK elicited a dose-dependent increase in NO and TNF-α production in cultured macrophages. CK significantly affected secretion at concentrations of more than 5 μg/ml, and its maximum effect was at concentration of 100 μg/ml. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed that increases in NO and TNF-α secretion were due to an increase in inducible NO synthase mRNA and TNF-α mRNA, respectively. Transient expression assays with NF-κB binding sites linked to the luciferase gene revealed that CK-induced increase of inducible NO synthase mRNA and TNF-α mRNA were mediated by the NF-κB transcription factor complex. These results demonstrate that CK stimulates NO and TNF-α release and is able to upregulate iNOS and TNF-α expression through NF-κB transactivation and this may be a mechanism whereby this herbal medicine elicits its therapeutic effects.