Galgeun-tang Attenuates Cigarette Smoke and Lipopolysaccharide Induced Pulmonary Inflammation via IκBα/NF-κB Signaling

Abstract

Galgeun-tang water extract (GGWE) is used to treat various diseases such as the common cold, eczema and asthma in China and Korea. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of GGWE using a cigarette smoke (CS)- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced induced pulmonary inflammation mouse model. The mice were exposed to CS for a total of seven days (eight cigarettes per day for 1 h) and LPS was administered intranasally to mice on day 4. GGWE was administered by oral gavage at doses of 50 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg 1 h before exposure to CS. GGWE decreased inflammatory cell counts, and expression of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from mice exposed to CS and LPS. GGWE reduced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), as well as the phosphorylation of inhibitor of kappa-B subunit alpha (IκBα) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in CS- and LPS-exposed mice. Histological examinations revealed that GGWE suppressed inflammatory cell infiltration into lung tissue compared to untreated CS- and LPS-exposed mice. In conclusion, GGWE effectively suppressed CS- and LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation. Our results indicate that GGWE may be used as a protective drug to control pulmonary inflammation diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Triterpene Acids of Loquat Leaf Improve Inflammation in Cigarette Smoking Induced COPD by Regulating AMPK/Nrf2 and NFκB Pathways

“…In CS-induced COPD inflammation, the expression of iNOS notably increased [43,44], which was involved in the activation of NFκB. Anti-inflammatory activity in CS-induced COPD was closely associated with suppression of the NFκB pathway, which resulted in a reduction in iNOS expression [13,45,46]. In the present study, TA treatment could effectively suppress elevated NFκB/iNOS in mice with CS-induced COPD inflammation.…”

Targeting cell signaling in allergic asthma

“…83–86 On the other hand, iNOS and COX-2 themselves are involved in the activation of NF-κB, which can subsequently induce other inflammatory mediators and cells. 87,88 Therefore, modulating iNOS and COX-2 is necessary for controlling inflammation in the lung and airways.…”

The alleviative effect of flavonol‐type Nrf2 activator rhamnazin from Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino on pulmonary disorders

“…RN, Dex, and tBHQ were dissolved in DMSO, and the optimal dosage of RN was based on previously published animal studies (Wu, Dai, Li, & Jiang, 2017). For 10 consecutive days, the mice were placed in an 18‐L perspex exposure chamber and exposed to six sticks of Hongtashan cigarettes (Yunnan, China) with a 7 min's exposure to each cigarette smoke and followed by a 5 min smoke‐free interval between sticks after all solutions were intraperitoneally injected for 6 hr (Bezerra et al, 2006; Shin et al, 2018; Yang et al, 2020). The fresh air was simultaneously delivered into the chamber with a rate of 2 L/min by a peristaltic pump.…”