The potent anti-inflammatory agent escin does not increase corticosterone secretion and immune cell apoptosis in mice.

Escin exerts potent glucocorticoid-like anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the anti-inflammatory effect of escin is through the up-regulation of glucocorticoids and if escin induces pathological changes in immune organs. Mice were administrated with escin intravenously for 7 days before observing the relevant parameters. The results showed that escin exhibits a potent anti-inflammatory effect, but does not increase corticosterone secretion in mice, and does not increase immune cell apoptosis in the spleen and thymus of mice. These findings suggest that the anti-inflammatory effect of escin is not dependent on the release of corticosterone.