Anti-inflammatory effects of trilinolein from Panax notoginseng through the suppression of NF-κB and MAPK expression and proinflammatory cytokine expression.

In this study, we have investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of trilinolein (TL) using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophage (RAW264.7) and carrageenan (Carr)-induced mouse paw edema model. When RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with different concentrations of TL together with LPS, a significant concentration-dependent inhibition of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1β), and IL-6 production was detected. Western blotting revealed that TL blocked the protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), IκBα, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). In the anti-inflammatory test, TL decreased the paw edema at the 5th h after λ-Carr administration in paw edema. We also demonstrated TL significantly attenuated the malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the edema paw at the 5th h after Carr injection. TL decreased the NO and TNF-α levels on the serum level at the 5th h after Carr injection. Western blotting revealed that TL decreased Carr-induced iNOS and COX-2 expressions at the 5th h in the edema paw. The anti-inflammatory mechanisms of TL might be related to the decrease in the level of iNOS, COX-2, IκBα, and MAPK pathway through the suppression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6.