Astragalus saponinsInhibits Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation in Mouse Macrophages

Abstract

Excessive nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines are produced during the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases and cancer. It has been demonstrated that anti-inflammation contributes Astragalus membranaceus saponins (AST)'s beneficial effects in combination of conventional anticancer drugs. However, the immunomodulating property of AST has not been well characterized. In this study, we found that AST suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced generation of NO without causing cytotoxicity in the mouse macrophage RAW264.7. The gene and protein overexpression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) as well as the production of tumor necrosis factor-[Formula: see text], evoked by LPS, was consistently down-regulated by AST. AST also inhibited the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and suppressed nuclear factor (NF)-[Formula: see text]B activation and the associated I[Formula: see text]B[Formula: see text] degradation during LPS insult. Furthermore, AST induced growth inhibition in promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells and T-lymphocyte leukemic Jurkat cells, but exerted no cytotoxic effects in normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). It is known that the chemotherapeutic drug 5-FU can suppress the immune system, which can be identified by a reduced white blood cell count and decreased hematocrit, while the combination of AST and 5-FU can reverse the above hematologic toxicities. To summarize, non-cytotoxic concentrations of AST suppress LPS-induced inflammatory responses via the modulation of p38 MAPK signaling and the inhibition of NO and cytokine release. Importantly, AST can alleviate the hematologic side effects of current chemotherapeutic agents. These findings can facilitate the establishment of AST in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and inflammation-mediated tumor development.

Therapeutic effects of Qian-Yu decoction and its three extracts on carrageenan-induced chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome in rats

“…Among them, TS suppressed the production of TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS and NO more effectively, while the treatments with TP and TF resulted in relatively significant reduction in the levels of COX-2 and PGE2, respectively. The findings are in agreement with the previous works [32–37]. For instance, astragalus saponins inhibited the production of TNF-α, the overexpression of iNOS and the subsequent generation of NO in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophage RAW264.7 [32].…”

“…The findings are in agreement with the previous works [32–37]. For instance, astragalus saponins inhibited the production of TNF-α, the overexpression of iNOS and the subsequent generation of NO in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophage RAW264.7 [32]. In the same model, astragalus flavonoids reduced the release of TNF-α, IL-1β and NO in a dose-dependent manner [33].…”

Effects of the stems and leaves of Astragalus membranaceus on growth performance, immunological parameters, antioxidant status, and intestinal bacteria of quail

“…These results are likely due to the specific functions of various bioactive substances present in AMSL, such as saponins, including astragaloside; flavonoid, including isoquercitrin; and astragalus polysaccharides. A large number of studies have shown that these components contained in AMSL have various important physiological functions, including immunomodulatory (Du et al, ; Wang, Ren, et al, ), antioxidative (Shahzad, Shabbir, Wojcikowski, Wohlmuth, & Gobe, ), antiaging (Li et al, ), antifatigue (Kuo, Tsai, Loke, Wu, & Chiou, ), and antibacterial activities (Wang, Han, Dai, Wang, & Ao, ).…”

Investigation of Some Medicinal Plants Inhibitory Effect on NO Production in Oxidative Stressed PC12 Cells

“…Some of those studies were conducted with extracts enriched by specific class of compounds such as flavonoids, saponins or glycosides, therefore evaluation of the fractions of A. jolderensis seems to be valued. [18][19][20][31][32][33] In addition, C. commutatus extract inhibited NO production in stressed cells at all implied concentrations. Cytotoxic effect was not detected in the unstressed cells either in the present or in the previous study on this extract, however, it lowered the cell viability during the stress condition.…”

“…are hepatoprotective, immunostimulant and antiviral effects, and recent researches revealed promising positive effects of various Astragalus species in oxidative stress and inflammation. [18][19][20][21] In addition, researches revealed that Astragalus polysaccharides from Astragalus melittin protects against injuries of coxsackievirus B3-induced myocardial damage and inflammation. 22 Besides, the Convolvulaceae family, especially the genus Convolvulus, has a large number of medicinal plants and some species like C. arvensis, C. austro-aegypticus, C. pilosellifolius are widely used in folklore medicine of Asia and Africa.…”