Inhibitory Effects of Epimedium Herb on the Inflammatory ResponseIn VitroandIn Vivo

Abstract

Epimedium Herb (EH) is a medicinal herb used in traditional Eastern Asia. In this study described, we investigated the biological effects of Epimedium Herb water extract (EHWE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated inflammation in macrophages and local inflammation in vivo. We also investigated the biological effects of EHWE on the production of inflammatory mediators, pro-inflammatory cytokines and related products, as well as nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in LPS-stimulated macrophages. The analgesic effect of the acetic acid-induced writhing response and inhibitory activity on xylene-induced ear edema was also evaluated in mice. EHWE exhibited anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β. In addition, EHWE strongly suppressed inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), a NO synthesis enzyme, induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, and inhibited NF-κB activation as well as MAPK pathway phosphorylation. Furthermore, EHWE exhibited an analgesic effect on the writhing response and an inhibitory effect on ear edema in mice. For the first time, we demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects and inhibitory mechanism in macrophages, as well as the inhibitory activity of EHWE in vivo. Our results indicate a potential use of EHWE as an inflammatory therapeutic agent developed from a natural substance.

Wen-Luo-Tong Decoction Attenuates Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy by Regulating Linoleic Acid and Glycerophospholipid Metabolism Pathways

“…Meanwhile, some pharmacological studies of herbs also indicated that constituents of WLT could be helpful for alleviating neuropathy (Kou et al, 2013 ; Sun et al, 2016 ). A study showed that epimedium extract promotes peripheral nerve regeneration in rats (Oh et al, 2015 ). Another study showed icariin, a flavonoid glycosides extracted from epimedium herb, promoted the expression of nNOs after neural injury (Shindel et al, 2010 ).…”

Citrus unshiu peel extract alleviates cancer-induced weight loss in mice bearing CT-26 adenocarcinoma

“…RNA concentrations were measured using a NanoDrop ND-1000 spectrophotometer (NanoDrop Technologies, Wilmington, DE) and 3 μg RNA was reverse transcribed using 1 st Strand cDNA Synthesis kit (BioAssay Co.). Quantitative real-time PCR was performed using QuantStudio 6 Flex Real-Time PCR system (Thermo Scientific, Rockford, IL, USA) as described previously 40 . For each gene, the Ct values were normalized to those of β-actin and then presented as fold differences compared to untreated control cells.…”

Botanicals and Their Bioactive Phytochemicals for Women’s Health

“…Icaritin might also have the potential to modulate estrogen metabolism, because icaritin has been shown to compete with TCDD at the AhR (IC 50 ≈ 1 μ M) and to induce CYP1A1 ( Tiong et al, 2012 ). Moreover, investigations with a water extract of herba Epimedii demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities in macrophages as well as in an in vivo inflammation model ( Oh et al, 2015 ). The extract inhibited NF- κ B activation and thus reduced iNOS and subsequent NO formation as well as reduced IL-6 and IL-1 β .…”