In the present study, we investigated the effects of a Kampo medicine hangeshashinto (TJ-14) on the production of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 by human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Porphyromonas gingivalis. HGFs proliferation was dose-dependently decreased with hangeshashinto at days 3 and 7. However, treatment with LPS (10 ng/ml), hangeshashinto (up to 1 mg/ml) and their combinations for 24 h did not affect the viability of HGFs. Hangeshashinto dose-dependently suppressed LPS-induced PGE 2 production but did not alter basal PGE 2 level. Hangeshashinto weakly decreased LPS-induced IL-6 and IL-8 productions. Hangeshashinto decreased cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 activities to approximately 60% at 1 mg/ml. Hangeshashinto decreased cytoplasmic phospholipase A 2 (cPLA 2 ) expression and LPS-induced COX-2 expression but not affected annexin1 expression. Hangeshashinto weakly suppressed LPS-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation, which is known to lead to ERK activation and cPLA 2 phosphorylation. These results suggest that hangeshashinto decreased PGE 2 production by (1) suppression of cPLA 2 and LPS-induced COX-2 expression, and to a lesser extent, (2) inhibition of COX-2 activity and (3) inhibition of cPLA 2 phosphorylation and its activation via inhibition of ERK phosphorylation. Moreover, it is also suggested that hangeshashinto may be useful to improve gingival inflammation in periodontal disease.