The Inhibitory Effects of Haeyeol-tang in Expression of Pro-inflammatory Cytokine on LPS-stimulated THP-1 Cells

해열탕(解熱湯)이 LPS로 자극된 대식세포에 있어 염증관련 Cytokine 발현억제에 미치는 효과

  • Lee, Byeong-Sam (Division of Allergy, Immune & Respiratory System, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Kim, Hong-yeoul (Department of Biochemistry college of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Kim, Jin-Ju (Department of Orientalphysiology college of pharmacy Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Jung, Sung-Ki (Division of Allergy, Immune & Respiratory System, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Rhee, Hyung-Koo (Division of Allergy, Immune & Respiratory System, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Jung, Hee-Jae (Division of Allergy, Immune & Respiratory System, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University)
  • 이병삼 (경희대학교 한의과대학 폐계내과학교실) ;
  • 김홍렬 (경희대학교 한의과대학 생화학교실) ;
  • 김진주 (경희대학교 약학대학 한방생리학교실) ;
  • 정승기 (경희대학교 한의과대학 폐계내과학교실) ;
  • 이형구 (경희대학교 한의과대학 폐계내과학교실) ;
  • 정희재 (경희대학교 한의과대학 폐계내과학교실)
  • Published : 2008.06.30

Abstract

Background and Objective : Haeyeol-tang, composed of Houttuyniae Herba, Lonicerae Flos, Taraxaci Herba, and Scrophulariae Radix, is widely used for alleviating the symptom of various kinds of inflammatory pulmonary disease, including asthma and COPD. We want to know whether Haeyeol-tang has an anti-inflammatory effect by analyzing expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Materials and Methods : We differentiated the THP-1 cells into macrophage-like cells by treatment with PMA. Inflammation was induced by treatment with LPS and PMA. We found the safe concentration of Haeyeol-tang by using MTS assay and used PD98059 as a negative control for comparison of anti-inflammatory effect of Haeyeol-tang. Results : The RT-PCR analysis results show that the cell survival rate is over 100% within 1 ng/mL to 1 ug/mL of Haeyeol-tang and begins to decrease under 100% at 10 ug/mL. The gene expression of $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and $TGF-{\beta}$ levels were down-regulated when Haeyeol-tang was treated at concentrations between 1 ng/mL an 1 ug/mL on monocyte-derived macrophages. Interestingly, 1 ug/mL Haeyeol-tang-treated samples showed that the transcriptional activities of IL-8, $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-10 and $TGF-{\beta}$ were more down-regulated than those of PD098059 $(TNF-{\alpha}$ inhibitor). At protein level, the ELISA analysis results showed that there were more remarkable (p<0.001) decreases in expression of $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, IL-8 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ on both the 1 ug/mL Haeyeol-tang-treated group and the PD98059-treated group than the LPS-treated group. Conclusion : We conclude that Haeyeol-tang has an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines at mRNA and protein levels. These results may provide us a promising way to care for general inflammatory diseases as well as inflammatory pulmonary disease, including asthma and COPD, with further clinical study.

Keywords