Chinese herb pair Paeoniae Radix Alba and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma suppresses LPS-induced inflammatory response through inhibiting MAPK and NF-?B pathway.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The combination of Radix Paeoniae Alba (RPA) and Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (RAM) has long been used as a classic herb pair for the treatment of gynecologic and gastrointestinal diseases, but the underlying mechanisms of the herb pair remain unknown. This study aims to explore the anti-inflammatory potentials of RPA-RAM herb pair and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Methods

The bioactive parts of RPA-RAM were extracted and screened through the inhibitory effects against nitric oxide (NO) production. The effects of optimized RPA-RAM extracts (OPAE) on inflammation-associated mediators were investigated by Western blotting, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), Enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) and immunofluorescence staining.

Results

OPAE potently suppressed the productions of NO, TNF-?, IL-6 and MCP-1 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages, concentration-dependently inhibited protein level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), dramatically downregulated mRNA expression of iNOS, TNF-?, IL-6 and MCP-1. In addition, OPAE significantly prevented phosphorylation and degradation of inhibitory kappa B? (I?B?) and subsequently restrained the nuclear translocation of NF-?B p65. Pretreatment with OPAE also attenuated the LPS-induced phosphorylation of ERK, JNK and p38.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrated that OPAE suppressed inflammatory responses in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages by decreasing critical molecules involved in MAPK and NF-?B pathway, suggesting that the herb pair could be a promising therapeutic candidate for inflammation-related diseases.

SUBMITTER: Zhou Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6352364 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature