Anti-inflammatory effects of Hwang-Heuk-San, a traditional Korean herbal formulation, on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine macrophages.

摘要: Hwang-Heuk-San (HHS), a Korean traditional herbal formula comprising four medicinal herbs, has been used to treat patients with inflammation syndromes and digestive tract cancer for hundreds of years; however, its anti-inflammatory potential is poorly understood. The aim the present study was investigate effects HHS using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 macrophage model. inhibitory on LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production were examined Griess reagent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection kits. expression inducible NO synthase (iNOS), IL-1β TNF-α, their upstream signal proteins, including nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), activator (AP-1), also investigated. A noncytotoxic concentration significantly reduced NO, TNF-α in LPS-stimulated cells, which correlated iNOS, at mRNA levels. efficiently blocked phosphorylation MAPKs, especially that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) c-Jun NH2-terminal (JNK) but not p38 MAPK. inflammatory molecules by followed decreased activity NF-κB AP-1. These results suggest may offer therapeutic treating diseases accompanied activation.