Rehmannia glutinosa inhibits tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 secretion from mouse astrocytes

Pharmacol Res. 1999 Aug;40(2):171-6. doi: 10.1006/phrs.1999.0504.

Abstract

We investigated whether an aqueous extract of Rehmannia glutinosa steamed root (RGAE) inhibits secretion of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) from primary cultures of mouse astrocytes. RGAE dose-dependently inhibited the TNF-alpha secretion by astrocytes stimulated with substance P (SP) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). IL-1 has been shown to elevate TNF-alpha secretion from LPS-stimulated astrocytes while having no effect on astrocytes in the absence of LPS. We therefore investigated whether IL-1 mediated inhibition of TNF-alpha secretion from astrocytes by RGAE. Treatment of RGAE to astrocytes stimulated with both LPS+SP decreased IL-1 secretion. Moreover, incubation of astrocytes with IL-1 antibody abolished the synergistic cooperative effect of LPS+SP. These results suggest that RGAE may inhibits TNF-alpha secretion by inhibiting IL-1 secretion and that RGAE has an anti-inflammatory activity in the central nervous system curing some pathological disease states.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies / pharmacology
  • Astrocytes / cytology
  • Astrocytes / drug effects*
  • Astrocytes / metabolism
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Synergism
  • Interleukin-1 / immunology
  • Interleukin-1 / metabolism*
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plants, Medicinal / chemistry*
  • Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
  • Substance P / pharmacology
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / drug effects*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Interleukin-1
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Plant Extracts
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Substance P