SunghyangJungki-San Ga Pogongyoung inhibits IL-1 mediated tumour necrosis factor-α secretion in astrocytes

• Published in: Phytotherapy research 2002-05, Vol.16 (3), p.248-252
• Main Authors: Kim, Hyung-Min, Hong, Seung-Heon, Lee, Ok-Youn, Kang, Hyung-Won, Lee, Ceon-Mok, Lim, Kyu-Sang, Lee, Kang-Chang, Park, Seung-Taeck, Lee, Seung Jae, Lyu, Yeoung-Su, An, Nyeon-Hyoung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; astrocytes; Astrocytes - drug effects; Astrocytes - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; General pharmacology; interleukin-1; Interleukin-1 - antagonists & inhibitors; Interleukin-1 - secretion; lipopolysaccharide; Lipopolysaccharides - pharmacology; Medical sciences; Medicine, East Asian Traditional; Mice; Microglia - drug effects; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Rats; substance P; Substance P - pharmacology; SunghyangJungki-San Ga Pogongyoung; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - antagonists & inhibitors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - secretion; tumour necrosis factor-α
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.847

Astrocytes play an important role in initiating and modulating inflammatory responses within the central nervous system (CNS). Extensive studies in rodents have shown that substance P induces inflammatory cytokine production in astrocytes. In this study we have examined whether an aqueous extract of SunghyangJungki‐San Ga Pogongyoung (SSGP) inhibits the secretion of TNF‐α from primary cultures of rat astrocytes. SSGP (10–1000 μg/mL) significantly inhibited the TNF‐α secretion by astrocytes ­stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and substance P (SP). Interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) has been shown to elevate TNF‐α secretion from LPS‐stimulated astrocytes while having no effect on astrocytes in the absence of LPS. We therefore examined whether IL‐1 mediated inhibition of TNF‐α secretion from ­primary astrocytes by SSGP. Treatment with SSGP (10–1000 μg/mL) to astrocytes stimulated with both LPS and SP decreased IL‐1 secretion significantly. Moreover, the secretion of TNF‐α by LPS and SP in astrocytes was progressively inhibited with an increasing amount of IL‐1 neutralizing antibody. Our results suggest that SSGP may inhibit TNF‐α secretion by inhibiting IL‐1 secretion and that SSGP has an antiinflammatory activity in the CNS. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.