Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603203, Tamil Nadu, India.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2022 Nov 15;298:115583. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115583. Epub 2022 Aug 23.
Vitex trifolia L. (V. trifolia L.), commonly known as the three-leaved chaste tree, is extensively employed in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat various conditions associated with inflammation.
The present study aimed to delineate the molecular mechanisms responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect of V. trifolia L. in carrageenan (CA)-induced acute inflammation in experimental rats.
CA-induced rat paw edema model was adopted to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of methanolic extract from leaves of V. trifolia L. (VTME) in vivo. Leukocyte infiltration into the site of inflammation was determined by histopathological analysis. Further, the effect of VTME on CA-induced local and systemic levels of specific cytokines was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Moreover, its impact on the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor Kappa B (NF-κB) was analyzed by employing the western blotting technique.
VTME at the doses of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg significantly inhibited the paw edema induced by CA (p < 0.05) and effectively reduced the inflammatory leukocyte infiltration. Further, VTME markedly inhibited the CA-induced levels of Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in tissue, and that of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC)-2/C-X-C motif chemokine (CXCL)3 and CINC-3/CXCL2 in tissue as well as in serum. On the other hand, VTME significantly upregulated the tissue concentration of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Moreover, VTME significantly attenuated the CA-induced IκBα degradation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65.
Our results demonstrate the potent anti-inflammatory effect of V. trifolia L. in vivo, providing insight into its molecular mechanism, which is mediated through down-regulation of NF-κB signal transduction.
三叶蔓荆（Vitex trifolia L.），俗称三叶荆，广泛应用于传统中药（TCM），用于治疗各种炎症相关病症。
本研究旨在描绘三叶蔓荆叶甲醇提取物（VTME）在角叉菜胶（CA）诱导的实验性大鼠急性炎症中的抗炎作用的分子机制。
采用 CA 诱导的大鼠足肿胀模型来研究 VTME 在体内的抗炎作用。通过组织病理学分析来确定炎症部位白细胞浸润的情况。进一步，通过酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）来定量测定 VTME 对 CA 诱导的局部和全身特异性细胞因子水平的影响。此外，采用蛋白质印迹技术来分析其对核转录因子 Kappa B（NF-κB）核易位的影响。
VTME 剂量为 100mg/kg 和 200mg/kg 时，可显著抑制 CA 诱导的足肿胀（p<0.05），并有效减少炎症性白细胞浸润。此外，VTME 明显抑制 CA 诱导的组织中白细胞介素（IL）-1β、IL-6、肿瘤坏死因子（TNF）-α水平，以及组织和血清中细胞因子诱导的中性粒细胞趋化因子（CINC）-2/C-X-C 基序趋化因子（CXCL）3 和 CINC-3/CXCL2 的水平。另一方面，VTME 显著增加了组织中抗炎细胞因子 IL-10 的浓度。此外，VTME 显著减弱了 CA 诱导的 IκBα降解和 NF-κB p65 的核易位。
我们的研究结果表明，三叶蔓荆具有潜在的体内抗炎作用，为其分子机制提供了深入的了解，即通过下调 NF-κB 信号转导来实现。
