Inhibitory effects of epimedium herb water extract on the inflammatory response in vitro and in vivo

Epimedium Herb (EH) is a traditional herbal drug used for the treat genital pain, benign prostatic hyperplasia, low back pain, memory impairment in the middle-aged population, and inflammatory diseases, such as lymphadenopathy and genital inflammation in eastern Asia. Also, EH previously reported about several biological activities related to cancer, injury and asthma [1 – 3]. In the study described herein, we investigated the biological effects of Epimedium Herb water extract (EHWE) on 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 NF-κB and 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 NO, IL-6 and IL-1β. In addition, EHWE strongly suppressed iNOS, a NO synthesis enzyme, induced 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 demonstrate 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.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the grant K16281 awarded to Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM) from Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST), Korea.

Keywords: Epimedium herb, heme oxygenase-1, nuclear factor-kappaB, mitogen-activated protein kinase, anti-inflammatory effect, analgesic effect.

References:

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