Inhibition of methanol extract from the aerial parts of Saururus chinensis on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide and prostagladin E2 production from murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells

Abstract

As an attempt to search for bioactive natural products exerting antiinflammatory activity, we have evaluated the effects of the methanol extract from the aerial parts of Saururus chinensis (LOUR.) BAILL (Saururaceae) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE2) release by the macrophage cell line RAW 264.7. Our data indicate that this extract is a potent inhibitor of NO production and it also significantly decreased PGE2 release. Consistent with these observations, the protein and mRNA expression level of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 was inhibited by MeOH extracts of the aerial part of S. chinensis (SCM) in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, SCM inhibited the LPS-induced DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), which was associated with decreased p65 protein levels in the nucleus. These results suggest that SCM inhibits LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 expression by blocking NF-κB activation.