* Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine and Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
† Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan.
Am J Chin Med. 2017;45(4):847-861. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X17500458. Epub 2017 May 11.
Aloe, a polyphenolic anthranoid-containing Aloe vera leaves, is a Chinese medicine and a popular dietary supplement worldwide. In in vivo situations, polyphenolic anthranoids are extensively broken down into glucuronides and sulfate metabolites by the gut and the liver. The anti-inflammatory potential of aloe metabolites has not been examined. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of aloe metabolites from in vitro (lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 macrophages) and ex vivo (LPS-activated peritoneal macrophages) to in vivo (LPS-induced septic mice). The production of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-[Formula: see text] and IL-12) and NO was determined by ELISA and Griess reagents, respectively. The expression levels of iNOS and MAPKs were analyzed by Western blot. Our results showed that aloe metabolites inhibited the expression of iNOS, decreased the production of TNF-[Formula: see text], IL-12, and NO, and suppressed the phosphorylation of MAPKs by LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages. In addition, aloe metabolites reduced the production of NO, TNF-[Formula: see text] and IL-12 by murine peritoneal macrophages. Furthermore, aloe administration significantly reduced the NO level and exhibited protective effects against sepsis-related death in LPS-induced septic mice. These results suggest that aloe metabolites exerted anti-inflammatory effects in vivo, and that these effects were associated with the inhibition of inflammatory mediators. Therefore, aloe could be considered an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of sepsis.
芦荟，一种含有多酚蒽醌的库拉索芦荟叶，是一种中药，也是一种在世界范围内流行的膳食补充剂。在体内情况下，多酚蒽醌通过肠道和肝脏广泛分解为葡萄糖醛酸苷和硫酸盐代谢物。芦荟代谢物的抗炎潜力尚未得到检验。本研究旨在研究芦荟代谢物在体外（脂多糖（LPS）激活的 RAW264.7 巨噬细胞）、体外（LPS 激活的腹腔巨噬细胞）和体内（LPS 诱导的败血症小鼠）的抗炎作用。通过 ELISA 和 Griess 试剂分别测定促炎细胞因子（TNF-[Formula: see text]和 IL-12）和 NO 的产生。通过 Western blot 分析 iNOS 和 MAPKs 的表达水平。我们的结果表明，芦荟代谢物抑制 iNOS 的表达，降低 TNF-[Formula: see text]、IL-12 和 NO 的产生，并抑制 LPS 激活的 RAW264.7 巨噬细胞中 MAPKs 的磷酸化。此外，芦荟代谢物减少了小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞中 NO、TNF-[Formula: see text]和 IL-12 的产生。此外，芦荟给药可显著降低 LPS 诱导的败血症小鼠中的 NO 水平，并表现出对败血症相关死亡的保护作用。这些结果表明，芦荟代谢物在体内发挥抗炎作用，并且这些作用与抑制炎症介质有关。因此，芦荟可被视为治疗败血症的有效治疗剂。
