Anti‐inflammatory activity of arctigenin against PCV2 infection in a mouse model

Abstract

Arctigenin (ACT) is a novel anti-inflammatory lignan extracted from Arctium lappa L, a herb commonly used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism whereby ACT inhibits PCV2 infection-induced proinflammatory cytokine production in vitro and in vivo. We observed that in PCV2 infection+ACT treated PK-15 cells, proinflammatory cytokine production was significantly reduced, compared to the PCV2-infected cells. The transfection and luciferase reporter assay confirmed that ACT suppressed NF-κB signalling pathway activation following PCV2 infection in PK-15 cells. Furthermore, western blotting demonstrated that ACT suppressed the NF-κB signal pathway in PCV2 infection-stimulated PK-15 cells by inhibiting the translocation of p65 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and IκBα phosphorylation. BALB/c mice were used as a model to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of ACT in vivo. We found that the BALB/c mice inoculated with PCV2 infection + ACT treated showed a significant reduction of proinflammatory cytokine production in serum, lung and spleen tissue, compared to the PCV2-infected mice. Western blotting confirmed that ACT suppressed the NF-κB signal pathway in PCV2-infected mice by inhibiting the translocation of p65 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and IκBα phosphorylation in lung tissue. Our studies first demonstrate that ACT inhibits PCV2 infection-induced proinflammatory cytokine production by suppressing the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB in vitro and in vivo. These results will help further develop ACT as a Traditional Chinese herbal medicine remedy in the treatment of porcine circovirus-associated diseases.

Guifu Decoction Orchestrates Gut Homeostasis and Inhibits PCV2-Induced Inflammation and Enteritis Via the PPAR-γ/NF-κB Signaling Pathway

“…In line with a previous study by Sun et al [19], conventional drug-based therapies have led to certain side effects whereas traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) could ameliorate PCV2 infection in animal models [20]. Therefore, this model, could be used to study the mechanism of PCV2 infection as well as to evaluate the antiviral activities of Chinese herbal formulations.…”

Arctium lappa (Burdock): Insights from ethnopharmacology potential, chemical constituents, clinical studies, pharmacological utility and nanomedicine

“…Arctigenin 4 is a lignan purified from A. lappa seeds which exerted anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing the PI3K/AKT pathway and polarizing M1 macrophages to M2-like macrophages [93]. In another study, arctigenin 4 showed anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing a Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection that induced the production of proinflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB [94]. Arctigenin 4 also exhibited anti-inflammatory effects in a mouse model of colitis via suppressing MAPK and NF-κB pathways [95].…”