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Background/Aims: This study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of Erigeron canadensis (EC) on the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-, interleukin (IL)-4- and IL-1β-induced stimulation of A549 cells. Methods: In the present study, the anti-inflammatory effects of EC on TNF-α-, IL-4- and IL-1β-induced A549 cells were determined by analyzing eotaxin secretion using ELISA. In addition, the effects of ECon gene expression profiles in stimulated A549 cells were evaluated by microarray analysis. Results: Oligonucleotide microarray analysis revealed that inflammatory-related genes such as NOS1, NOS2A, IL-1β, IL-8 and CSF2 and cell adhesion-related genes such as SELE, MMP3, VCAM1, ICAM1, ITGA7 and ITGB2 were downregulated in EC-treated A549 cells that had been pretreated with TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-1β. In addition, significant decreases in Eotaxin, ICAM, VCAM and IL-8 gene expression were observed in EC-treated A549 cells. Conclusions: EC has an anti-inflammatory effect in stimulated A549 cells. Microarray-based genomic survey is a high-throughput approach that is suitable for the evaluation of gene expression in cell lines that have been treated with EC.

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Our previous study demonstrated that successive electroacupuncture (EA) at the ST36 acupoint reduces IgE production in BALB/c mice immunized with 2,4-dinitrophenylated keyhole limpet protein (DNP-KLH) by suppression of the Th2 cell lineage development. Here we report that pretreatment of phentolamine (¥á-adrenergic receptor antagonist, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) completely blocks the EA-induced suppression of antigen-specific and total IgE levels in serum, and IL-4 production in anti-CD3 mAb-activated splenocytes in DNP-KLH immunized mice. And pretreatment of Y-25130 (5HT3 receptor antagonist, 3 mg/kg, i.p.) partly blocks EA-induced suppression effect shown above. These results suggest that ¥á-adrenergic receptor play an important role in mediating the suppressive effects of EA on IgE production and Th2 cell response in DNP-KLH immunized mice, and 5HT3 receptor play as a minor factor. This work was supported by the Brain Korea 21 project in 2007