Cheongsangbangpung-tang ameliorated the acute inflammatory response via the inhibition of NF-κB activation and MAPK phosphorylation

• Published in: BMC complementary and alternative medicine 2017-01, Vol.17 (1), p.46-46, Article 46
• Main Authors: Kim, Seon Young, Park, Sang Mi, Hwangbo, Min, Lee, Jong Rok, Byun, Sung Hui, Ku, Sae Kwang, Cho, Il Je, Kim, Sang Chan, Jee, Seon Young, Park, Sook Jahr
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: animal models; Animals; anti-inflammatory activity; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; carrageenan; complement; Cyclooxygenase 2 - genetics; Cyclooxygenase 2 - immunology; East Asia; edema; Edema - drug therapy; Edema - genetics; Edema - immunology; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Humans; inducible nitric oxide synthase; inflammation; interleukin-6; Interleukin-6 - genetics; Interleukin-6 - immunology; lipopolysaccharides; macrophages; Macrophages - drug effects; Macrophages - immunology; Male; Mice; mitogen-activated protein kinase; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - genetics; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - immunology; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism; necrosis; NF-kappa B - immunology; NF-kappa B - metabolism; nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II - genetics; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II - immunology; phosphorylation; Phosphorylation - drug effects; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; prostaglandin synthase; prostaglandins; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; RAW 264.7 Cells; transcription factor NF-kappa B; Western blotting
• ISSN: 1472-6882; 1472-6882
• DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1501-6

Cheongsangbangpung-tang (CBT) is a traditional herbal formula used in Eastern Asia to treat heat-related diseases and swellings in the skin. The present study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of cheongsangbangpung-tang extract (CBTE) both in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro effects of CBTE on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of inflammation-related proteins were examined in RAW 264.7 cells. The levels of nitric oxide (NO) were measured with the Griess reagent. Inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandin E (PGE ) were detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Inflammation-related proteins were detected by Western blot. The effect of CBTE on acute inflammation in vivo was evaluated using carrageenan (CA)-induced paw oedema. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect, paw oedema volume, thickness of the dorsum and ventrum pedis skin, number of infiltrated inflammatory cells, and number of COX-2-, iNOS-immunoreactive cells were measured. In an in vitro study, CBTE inhibited the production of NO and PGE and also decreased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumuor necrosis factor-α. In LPS-activated macrophages, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling is a pivotal pathway in the inflammatory process. These plausible molecular mechanisms increased the phosphorylation of I-κBα, while the activation of NF-κB and the phosphorylation of MAPK by LPS were blocked by CBTE treatment. In our in vivo study, a CA-induced acute oedematous paw inflammation rat model was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of CBTE. CBTE significantly reduced the increases in paw swelling, skin thicknesses, infiltrated inflammatory cells and iNOS-, COX-2 positive cells induced by CA injection. Based on these results, CBTE should favourably inhibit the acute inflammatory response through modulation of NF-κB activation and MAPK phosphorylation. Furthermore, the inhibition of CBTE in rat paw oedema induced by CA is considered to be clear evidence that CBTE may be a useful source to treat inflammation.