Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Sosiho-Tang, a Traditional Herbal Formula, on Acute Lung Injury in LPS-Sensitized Mice and -Raw 264.7 Cells

Abstract

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a series of syndromes with persistent inflammation and abnormally increased vascular permeability. Sosiho-tang (SSHT), a traditional herbal formula consisting of a mixture of seven herbs, has been used to treat allergic reactions and chronic hepatitis disease in East Asia. In this study, we determined whether SSHT has an inhibitory effect against lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. 0.05, 0.55, and 5.55 mg/kg of SSHT were orally administered to C57BL/6J mice for 7 days prior to the administration of LPS. After 2 h of LPS sensitization, lung tissues were collected to confirm the lung histology and ALI-related inflammatory factors. SSHT ameliorated the LPS-induced alveolar hemorrhage, alveolar wall thickening, and the shrinkage of the alveolar spaces in the ALI mice model. Proinflammatory cytokines including IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in the lung tissue were significantly regulated in the SSHT-treated groups compared to the LPS only-treated group. Also, increases of IL-6 and TNF-α and decrease of IFN-γ expressions were dose-dependently modulated by SSHT treatment in LPS-induced raw 264.7 cells. Additionally, the translocation of NF-κB into nucleus and phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase were significantly attenuated by the treatment of SSHT in LPS-sensitized ALI mice. SSHT showed anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines and NF-κB signaling in LPS-induced ALI. This study demonstrates that SSHT has preventive effects on LPS-induced ALI by regulating inflammatory responses as an alternative for treating lung diseases.

Multitargeted Herbal Prescription So Shiho Tang: A Scoping Review on Biomarkers for the Evaluation of Therapeutic Effects

“…They concluded that SSHT inhibited nitric oxide, immune response cytokines, and NF-κB through the dephosphorylation of the MAPK pathway in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Choi et al also employed RAW 264.7 cells in LPSinduced model, and found a similar inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and TNF-α, via pretreatment or co-treatment with SSHT [50]. In a study of acute pancreatitis, Zhan et al used LPS-stimulated rat pancreatic AR42J cells, and SSHT played an important role in the treatment of acute pancreatitis by acting on the key genes of MAPK3, IL-6, and TP53, which were associated with inflammation [51].…”