Effects of gentianine on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in male Sprague-Dawley rats treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

This study was undertaken to elucidate the mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of gentianine, a constituent of Gentiana Macrophylla. The effects of gentianine on lipopolysacharide (LPS)-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines were investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats. For the first time, we found that oral administration of gentianine (10-100 mg/kg) suppressed the increases in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) (ED(50), 37.7 mg/kg) and interleukin (IL)-6 (ED(50), 38.5 mg/kg) in the sera from the rats challenged with bacterial LPS (100 microg/kg; i.p.). However, LPS induced production of other interleukins, such as IL-alpha, was not significantly altered by gentianine. These results suggest that the potential anti-inflammatory action of gentianine might be at least partly based on the suppressed production of TNF-alpha and IL-6.