musk and Inflammation

To study the effects of drug plasma of musk and olibanum (DP-M&O) on the release of inflammatory cytokines from monocytes and the expressions of the proteins associated with inflammation of prostatic or endothelial cells induced by prostate antigen (PAg) stimulation.. We prepared DP-M&O using SD rats and monocytes and PAgs using BALB/c mice. We pre-treated the monocytes with DP-M&O at the gradient concentrations of 0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20% for 1 hour, activated them with PAgs, and then cultured them for 96 hours, followed by detection of the release of inflammatory cytokines. We co-cultured the prostate RWPE-1 cells with the endothelial EA. hy926 cells, pre-treated them with the same gradient concentrations of DP-M&O as above for 1 hour, activated with PAgs, and cultured for 96 hours. Then we determined the expression levels of the proteins associated with inflammation of RWPE-1 and EA. hy926 cells by Western blot.. DP-M&O decreased the levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 and increased that of IL-10 in a concentration-dependent manner. Significant differences were found between the 20% P-M&O and PAg groups in the release of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha (70.8 +/- 22.3 vs. 277.1 +/- 65.5, P < 0.01) , IL-113 (277.5 +/- 22.6 vs. 630.4 +/- 89.7, P <0.01), IL-6 (232.7 +/- 62.7 vs. 994.2 vs. 182.3, P < 0.01), IL-8 (227.3 +/- 79.2 vs. 769.3 +/- 284.1, P < 0.01), and IL-10 (640.2 +/- 201.2 vs. 271.1 +/- 55.8, P < 0.01). Compared with the PAg group, the 10 and 20% P-M&O groups showed remarkable decreases in the protein expression of MCP-1/CCL2 in the RWPE-1 cells (1.12 +/- 0.34 vs. 0.56 +/- 0.11 and 0.34 +/- 0.08) and that of VCAM-1 in the EA. hy926 cells (0.94 +/- 0.22 vs. 0.52 +/- 0.17 and 0.38 +/- 0.12) (P < 0.05 or 0.01).. The compatibility of musk and olibanum can decrease the expression of MCP-1/CCL2 in prostate cells and VCAM-1 in vascular endothelial cells, blocking the adhesion of leucocytes and suppressing inflammatory response.

Topics: Animals; Blotting, Western; Cytokines; Endothelial Cells; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Frankincense; Inflammation; Interleukin-10; Interleukin-1beta; Interleukin-6; Interleukin-8; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Monocytes; Prostate; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

To observe the effects of musk and carterii birdw on the pathology and the expressions of inflammatory cytokines in chronic non-bacterial prostatitis (CNBP) rats treated with polygonum extract.. Five male Wistar rats were used for the preparation of SC purified prostate protein solution, and another 48 randomly divided into four groups: polygonum extract, polygonum extract + musk and carterii birdw, CNBP model control and normal control. CNBP models were established by injecting SC purified prostate protein solution and Freund's complete adjuvant. At 60 days after modeling, the CNBP model control and normal control rats were treated with normal saline, and the other two groups with polygonum extract and polygonum extract + musk and carterii birdw, respectively (polygonum 1.575 g per kg per d, musk 0.021 g per kg per d, and carterii birdw 1.05 g per kg per d). After 14 days of continuous intragastric medication, all the rats were sacrificed for pathological examination, determination of the levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-8 in the prostate tissue homogenate by ELISA, and detection of the mRNA and protein expressions of inflammatory cytokines MCP-1 (CCL2) and CCR2 by RT-PCR and Western blot.. The polygonum extract + musk and carterii birdw group showed apparent improvement in the structure of the prostate tissue but no inflammatory infiltration, as was quite obvious in the polygonum extract group. Polygonum extract + musk and carterii birdw significantly decreased the inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha ( [11.04 +/- 4.07] pg/ml), IL-1beta ([16.94 +/- 4.26] pg/ml), IL-6 ([110.08 +/- 28.42] pg/ml) and IL-8 ([26.28 +/- 7.36] pg/ml) in the prostate tissue, as compared with polygonum extract alone ([63.21 +/- 21.37] pg/ml, [41.32 +/- 14.62] pg/ml, [177.64 +/- 42.65] pg/ml and [96.37 +/- 37.61] pg/ml) (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The former also exhibited significantly lower expressions of MCP-1 mRNA (0.32 +/- 0.17), MCP-1 protein (0.28 +/- 0.15), CCR2 mRNA (0.28 +/- 0.11) and CCR2 protein (0.11 +/- 0.04) than either the model control group (1.15 +/- 0.39, 0.93 +/- 0.34, 0.83 +/- 0.26 and 0.93 +/- 0.34) (P < 0.01), or the polygonum extract group (0.65 +/- 0.27, 0.56 +/- 0.22, 0.78 +/- 0.24 and 0.25 +/- 0.09) (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).. Musk and carterii birdw can enhance the effect of polygonum extract on chronic prostatitis, reduce inflammatory response and improve tissue repair of the prostate in rats.

Topics: Animals; Chronic Disease; Disease Models, Animal; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Inflammation; Male; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Polygonum; Prostatitis; Rats; Rats, Wistar

To investigate the protective effects of musk extract (ME) and its possible mechanism on rat's cerebral cortical neurons with inflammatory injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).. Neurons and astrocytes from newborn rat cerebral cortex were cultured in vitro respectively, and the astrocyte conditioned medium (ACM), obtained by treating astrocytes with 10 mg/L LPS and different concentrations of ME for 24 h, was added in the culture fluid of neurons. The survival rate and apoptotic rate of neurons were measured by MTT method and AO/EB stain; and the changes of inflammatory factors in the ACM were determined by ELISA.. The survival rate (%) of neurons treated by ACM with ME in concentrations of 18 mg/L, 36 mg/L, 72 mg/L and 144 mg/L was 52.55 +/- 3.52, 55.77 +/- 2.36, 64.89 +/- 3.45 and 73.67 +/- 1.80, respectively, significantly higher than that in the model neurons (43.62 +/- 4. 51, P < 0.05), while the apoptotic rate (%) in them, 68.11 +/- 2.16, 44.27 +/- 3.68, 32.56 +/- 2.14 and 21.89 +/- 2.46, respectively, was significantly lower than that in model neurons (71.33 +/- 3.25, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Level of IL-6 was decreasing along with the raising of ME concentration in the ACM, showing a concentration-dependent state.. ME shows apparent protective effect on neurons against inflammatory injury, especially in a high concentration (144 mg/L), which may be associated with the reduction of IL-6 secreted by astrocytes.

Topics: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Astrocytes; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Cerebral Cortex; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Inflammation; Interleukin-6; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Materia Medica; Neurons; Protective Agents; Rats; Rats, Wistar

The present work was designed to further study the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory action of musk from the viewpoint of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism: 1) effect on AA release; 2) action on leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and 5-HETE biosyntheses. Leukocytes obtained from rat inflammatory exudate by i.p. injection of 1% carrageenan were labelled with 14C-AA at 37 degrees C for 2 h. The 14C-AA labelled cells were incubated with the water soluble fraction of musk (MWF) and stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187 to release AA. The radioactivity released from the labelled leukocytes was determined as a criterion of AA release. In order to observe the influence of musk on the biosyntheses of LTB4 and 5-HETE, leukocytes were incubated with MWF and AA, and then stimulated with A23187. The LTB4 and 5-HETE produced were determined by RP-HPLC. The results showed that AA release decreased to 50-70% of the control at MWF concentration of 6.25-37.5 micrograms/ml. The biosyntheses of LTB4 and 5-HETE were not affected. However, AA release increased to 1.5-fold at the MWF concentration of 400 micrograms/ml. At the same time, biosyntheses of LTB4 and 5-HETE decreased by 66.7 and 90%, respectively, as compared with controls. This result indicates that MWF not only inhibited phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity, but also prevented AA peroxidation and inhibited LTB4 biosynthesis. These results suggest that inhibition of the AA metabolic pathway may play a major role in the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory action of musk.

Topics: Animals; Arachidonic Acid; Carrageenan; Exudates and Transudates; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acids; Inflammation; Leukocytes; Leukotriene B4; Rats