Planta Med 2023; 89(05): 493-507
DOI: 10.1055/a-1878-5704
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers

Scutellaria baicalensis Pith-decayed Root Inhibits Macrophage-related Inflammation Through the NF-κB/NLRP3 Pathway to Alleviate LPS-induced Acute Lung Injury

Fanglei Zhang
1   School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, P. R. China
,
Chang Ke
1   School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, P. R. China
,
Zhongshi Zhou
1   School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, P. R. China
,
Kang Xu
1   School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, P. R. China
2   Hubei Research Center of Chinese Materia Medica Processing Engineering and Technology, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, P. R. China
,
Yan Wang
1   School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, P. R. China
,
Yanju Liu
1   School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, P. R. China
2   Hubei Research Center of Chinese Materia Medica Processing Engineering and Technology, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, P. R. China
,
Jiyuan Tu
1   School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, P. R. China
2   Hubei Research Center of Chinese Materia Medica Processing Engineering and Technology, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, P. R. China
› Institutsangaben
Gefördert durch: Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province 2021CFB227
Gefördert durch: Special project of guiding local science and technology development by the central government of Hubei Province 2020ZYYD030

Abstract

Acute lung injury (ALI) is one of the representative “lung heat syndromes” in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Scutellaria baicalensis is an herbal medicine used in TCM for treating lung diseases, due to its remarkable anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects. When used in TCM, S. baicalensis root is divided into two categories: S. baicalensis pith-not-decayed root (SN) and S. baicalensis pith-decayed root (SD). Compared to SN, SD has a better effect on lung diseases. We constructed a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) mouse model to study the pharmacodynamic mechanism of SD. The ethanolic extract of Scutellaria baicalensis pith-decayed root (EESD) significantly affected LPS-induced ALI by reducing alveolar interstitial thickening, pulmonary edema, and other pathological symptoms, decreasing the infiltration of inflammatory cells, especially macrophages, and inhibiting IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 transcription and translation. Furthermore, in the THP-1 macrophage model induced by LPS, EESD inhibited the expression of phosphorylated nuclear factor inhibitory protein alpha (p-IκBα), phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB P65 (p-p65), cleaved-caspase-1, cleaved-IL-1β protein, and the release of inflammatory factors in the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway, inhibiting macrophage function. In vivo experiments yielded similar results. Therefore, the present study clarified the potential of EESD in the treatment of ALI and revealed its potential pharmacodynamic mechanism by inhibiting the NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and suppressing the pro-inflammatory phenotype activation of lung tissue macrophages.

Supporting Information



Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 13. Januar 2022

Angenommen nach Revision: 18. Juni 2022

Accepted Manuscript online:
18. Juni 2022

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
07. November 2022

© 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 
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