Abstract
BackgroundPoria cocos Wolf, a medicinal fungus, is widely used in traditional medicines in East Asian countries owing to its various therapeutic potentials. Although several studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory activity of this fungus, its underlying mechanisms have not yet been clearly defined.MethodsIn the present study, we have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extract of P. cocos (EEPC) in lipopolysaccaride (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. As inflammatory parameters, the productions of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were evaluated. We also examined the EEPC’s effect on the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway.ResultsOur results indicated that EEPC exhibits a potent inhibitory effect on NO production and inhibits PGE2 release in LPS-induced macrophages without affecting cell viability. EEPC also significantly attenuated LPS-induced secretion of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α. Additionally, LPS-induced expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, IL-1β, and TNF-α was decreased by pre-treatment with EEPC at the transcriptional level. Moreover, EEPC clearly inhibited LPS-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 subunits, which correlated with EEPC’s inhibitory effects on inhibitor kappaB (IκB) degradation. Moreover, EEPC clearly suppressed the LPS-induced DNA-binding activity of NF-κB, as well as the nuclear translocation of the NF-κB p65, which correlated with EEPC’s inhibitory effects on inhibitor kappaB (IκB) degradation.ConclusionsTaken together, our data indicates that EEPC targets the inflammatory response of macrophages via inhibition of iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, and TNF-α through inactivation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, supporting the pharmacological basis of P. cocos as a traditional herbal medicine for treatment of inflammation and its associated disorders.
Highlights
Poria cocos Wolf, a medicinal fungus, is widely used in traditional medicines in East Asian countries owing to its various therapeutic potentials
nitric oxide synthase (NOS) are comprised of three members, including endothelial NOS, neuronal NOS, and inducible NOS, which makes nitric oxide (NO) from L-arginine, and COX exists as two isozymes, COX-1 and COX-2, converting arachidonic acid into prostaglandins (PGs)
As a part of our on-going screening program to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potentials of medicinal mushrooms, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of an ethanol extract of P. cocos (EEPC) and the responsible underlying molecular mechanisms involved in an LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage model
Summary
Poria cocos Wolf, a medicinal fungus, is widely used in traditional medicines in East Asian countries owing to its various therapeutic potentials. Key pro-inflammatory stimuli including bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), mitogens, and cytokines modulate their effects by inducing the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), which regulates the expression of many genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses [9,10]. For this reason, inhibition of proinflammatory mediators and cytokines by these NF-κB response genes has been proposed to be a good approach for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases [11,12]
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