Shung-Te Kao1, Ching-Ju Liu2, Chia-Chou Yeh3. 1. School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Division of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. 2. Department of Chinese Medicine, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chia-Yi, Taiwan. 3. School of Post-baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chia-Yi, Taiwan. Electronic address: yehcc0530@gmail.com.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Lonicerae japonicae has shown antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antioxidant, antiviral, and protective effects in animal models of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the effects of Flos L. japonicae (FLJ), a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, on acute lung inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in vivo, using a murine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty 6-week-old female BALB/c mice were challenged with intratracheal LPS before treatment with FLJ or vehicle. FLJ was examined for its capacity to influence an LPS-induced increase in IL-10 and decrease in TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 as measured in murine bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF). RESULTS: FLJ increased nuclear Sp1 binding activity thereby enhancing the expression of IL-10 and decreased nuclear NF-κB binding activities thereby inhibiting the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the lung. The up-regulation of Sp1 activity by FLJ was through incremental phosphorylation of ERK. By contrast, the down-regulation of NF-κB activity by FLJ was through suppression of the phosphorylation of IκB, p38, and JNK. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated FLJ has protective activity against LPS-induced lung inflammatory cytokine release. Anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, may prove beneficial in the treatment of endotoxin-associated lung inflammation.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Lonicerae japonicae has shown antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antioxidant, antiviral, and protective effects in animal models of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the effects of Flos L. japonicae (FLJ), a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, on acute lung inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in vivo, using a murine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty 6-week-old female BALB/c mice were challenged with intratracheal LPS before treatment with FLJ or vehicle. FLJ was examined for its capacity to influence an LPS-induced increase in IL-10 and decrease in TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 as measured in murine bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF). RESULTS:FLJ increased nuclear Sp1 binding activity thereby enhancing the expression of IL-10 and decreased nuclear NF-κB binding activities thereby inhibiting the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the lung. The up-regulation of Sp1 activity by FLJ was through incremental phosphorylation of ERK. By contrast, the down-regulation of NF-κB activity by FLJ was through suppression of the phosphorylation of IκB, p38, and JNK. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated FLJ has protective activity against LPS-induced lung inflammatory cytokine release. Anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, may prove beneficial in the treatment of endotoxin-associated lung inflammation.