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Cryptotanshinone Suppressed Inflammatory Cytokines Secretion in RAW264.7 Macrophages through Inhibition of the NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways

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Abstract

Cryptotanshinone (CTS), a major constituent extracted from the medicinal herb Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has well-documented antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. In the present study, the pharmacological effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of CTS on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses were investigated. By enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we observed that CTS reduced significantly the production of proinflammatory mediators (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6) induced by LPS in murine macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells. Mechanistically, CTS inhibited markedly the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including ERK1/2, p38MAPK, and JNK, which are crucially involved in regulation of proinflammatory mediator secretion. Moreover, immunofluorescence and western blot analysis indicated that CTS abolished completely LPS-triggered nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. Taken together, these data implied that NF-κB and MAPKs might be the potential molecular targets for clarifying the protective effects of CTS on LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production in macrophages.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by research grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 30811120434, no. 30772576), the National Science and Technology Major Project of China “Key New Drug Creation and Manufacturing Program” [Grant 2009ZX09102-152, 2009ZX09303-007], Major Program in Key Field of People's Government of Guangdong Province (P. R. of China, no. 2003A30904), and the Key Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China (no. 7117380).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Wai Huan Dong Road 132, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China

    Shu Tang, Xiao-Yan Shen, He-Qing Huang, Suo-Wen Xu, Yang Yu, Chang-Hua Zhou, Shao-Rui Chen, Kang Le, Yu-Hua Wang & Pei-Qing Liu

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  1. Shu Tang
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Correspondence to Pei-Qing Liu.

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Tang, S., Shen, XY., Huang, HQ. et al. Cryptotanshinone Suppressed Inflammatory Cytokines Secretion in RAW264.7 Macrophages through Inhibition of the NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways. Inflammation 34, 111–118 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-010-9214-3

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