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Involvement of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the anti-inflammatory activity of Rubus idaeus L. on LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells

Fei Xiao, Jiang Zhu, Lei Zhao, Guo-Hua Zheng, An-Shu Yang, Jun-Yan Tao*, Bao-Hui Zhang, Zhi-Jun Huang, Fu-Liang Xiong   

  1. 1. Hubei & Wuhan Engineering Technology Center of Modernization Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan Jianmin Pharmacy of TCM Co., Ltd, Wuhan 430054, China
    2. Jiangxi Institute of Food Industry, Nanchang 330029, China
    3. Department of Hepatology & Infectious Disease, Union Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
    4. School of Pharmacy, Hubei College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, China
    5. State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China
  • Received:2009-09-18 Revised:2010-03-15 Online:2010-05-15 Published:2010-05-15
  • Contact: Jun-Yan Tao*

Abstract: Anti-inflammatory activity of Rubus idaeus L. and possible mechanisms involved were explored in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 cells. The effects of ethanol extract of R. idaeus on the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), as well as pro-inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were studied by Sandwich ELISA, real-time PCR, and Western blot analysis. Moreover, the effects of ethanol extract of R. idaeus on anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) and anti-inflammatory mediator heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were also investigated using the same methods. Furthermore, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) level was assayed by immunocytochemistry. The results showed that the production of IL-1β, IL-6, NO, TNF-α and COX-2 in LPS-treated cells could be significantly inhibited (P<0.01 or P<0.05) by ethanol extract of R. idaeus compared with that in the cells treated with LPS only. Meanwhile, the production of NF-κB was also inhibited by the extract. Based on these results, the anti-inflammatory activity of R. idaeus was attributed to the down-regulation of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α levels as well as gene expression of iNOS and COX-2 through the suppression of NF-κB activation, and induction of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and anti-inflammatory mediator HO-1.

Key words: Rubus idaeus L., RAW 264.7 cell, NF-κB, Pro-inflammatory cytokines, Anti-inflammatory cytokines

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