Anti-inflammatory activity of Ailanthus altissima in ovalbumin-induced lung inflammation

초록

As part of an ongoing investigation to find bioactive medicinal herbs exerting anti-inflammation activity, the effect of an ethanol extract from the parts of Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae) was evaluated in both in vitro and in in vivo system. The ethanol extract of A. altissima (EAa) inhibited generation of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) dependent phases of prostaglandin D-2 in bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 214.6 mu g/ml. However, this compound did not inhibit COX-2 protein expression up to a concentration of 400 mu g/ml in the BMMC, indicating that EAa directly inhibits COX-2 activity. In addition, EAa inhibited leukotriene C-4 production with an IC50 value of 25.7 mu g/ml. Furthermore, this compound inhibited degranulation reaction in a dose dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 27.3 mu g/ml. Ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mice were orally pretreated with EAa before aerosol challenges. EAa reduced the eosinophil infiltration into the airway and the eotaxin, IL-4, and IL-13 mRNA expression levels. These results suggest that the anti-inflammation activity of A. altissima in OVA-induced lung inflammation may occur in part via the down regulation of T(H)2 cytokines and cotaxin transcripts as well as the inhibition of inflammatory mediators.

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