Inhibitory effects of the stem bark of Catalpa ovata G. Don. (Bignoniaceae) on the productions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nitric oxide by the lipopolisaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.

In order to validate the use of the stem bark of Catalpa ovata G. Don. (Bignoniaceae) as an anti-inflammatory drug in the traditional Korean medicine, we have investigated the effects of the methanol extract of this folk medicine on the productions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and nitric oxide (NO) on RAW 264.7 macrophages activated with the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide. The extract inhibited the productions of TNF-alpha and NO with significant decreases in mRNA levels of TNF-alpha and inducible NO synthase, suggesting that the stem bark of Catalpa ovata may have therapeutic potential in the control of inflammatory disorders.