TY - JOUR
T1 - Hypericum perforatum attenuates the development of carrageenan-induced lung injury in mice
AU - Menegazzi, Marta
AU - Di Paola, Rosanna
AU - Mazzon, Emanuela
AU - Muià, Carmelo
AU - Genovese, Tiziana
AU - Crisafulli, Concetta
AU - Suzuki, Hisanori
AU - Cuzzocrea, Salvatore
PY - 2006/3/1
Y1 - 2006/3/1
N2 - Hypericum perforatum is a medicinal plant species containing many polyphenolic compounds, namely flavonoids and phenolic acids. Since polyphenolic compounds have a high antioxidant potential, in this study we evaluated the effect of H. perforatum in an animal model of acute inflammation, carrageenan-induced pleurisy. We report here that H. perforatum extract (given at 30 mg/kg orally, bolus prior to carrageenan) exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects in an animal model of acute inflammation. Injection of carrageenan into the pleural cavity of mice elicited an acute inflammatory response characterized by fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity which contained a large number of neutrophils (PMNs) as well as an infiltration of PMNs in lung tissues and subsequent lipid peroxidation (as determined by thiobarbituric acid-reactant substance measurement) and increased production of tumor necrosis factor-α, (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1 β). All parameters of inflammation were attenuated by H. perforatum extract. Furthermore, carrageenan induced an upregulation of the expression of adhesion molecules ICAM-1, as well as an increase in the amounts of nitrotyrosine and poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR), as determined by immunohistochemical analysis of lung tissues. The degree of staining for the ICAM-1, nitrotyrosine, and PAR was significantly reduced by H. perforatum extract. Additionally, we demonstrate that these inflammatory events were associated with the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator transcription-3 (STAT-31) activation in the lung. NF-κB and STAT-3 activation were significantly inhibited by H. perforatum extract treatment. Taken together, our results indicate that prevention of the activation of NF-κB and STAT-3 by H. perforatum extract reduces the development of acute inflammation.
AB - Hypericum perforatum is a medicinal plant species containing many polyphenolic compounds, namely flavonoids and phenolic acids. Since polyphenolic compounds have a high antioxidant potential, in this study we evaluated the effect of H. perforatum in an animal model of acute inflammation, carrageenan-induced pleurisy. We report here that H. perforatum extract (given at 30 mg/kg orally, bolus prior to carrageenan) exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects in an animal model of acute inflammation. Injection of carrageenan into the pleural cavity of mice elicited an acute inflammatory response characterized by fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity which contained a large number of neutrophils (PMNs) as well as an infiltration of PMNs in lung tissues and subsequent lipid peroxidation (as determined by thiobarbituric acid-reactant substance measurement) and increased production of tumor necrosis factor-α, (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1 β). All parameters of inflammation were attenuated by H. perforatum extract. Furthermore, carrageenan induced an upregulation of the expression of adhesion molecules ICAM-1, as well as an increase in the amounts of nitrotyrosine and poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR), as determined by immunohistochemical analysis of lung tissues. The degree of staining for the ICAM-1, nitrotyrosine, and PAR was significantly reduced by H. perforatum extract. Additionally, we demonstrate that these inflammatory events were associated with the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator transcription-3 (STAT-31) activation in the lung. NF-κB and STAT-3 activation were significantly inhibited by H. perforatum extract treatment. Taken together, our results indicate that prevention of the activation of NF-κB and STAT-3 by H. perforatum extract reduces the development of acute inflammation.
KW - Carrageenan-induced pleurisy
KW - Hypericum perforatum
KW - Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity
KW - NF-κB, nuclear factor-κB
KW - ROS, reactive oxygen species
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33644662292&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33644662292&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2005.08.034
DO - 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2005.08.034
M3 - Article
C2 - 16520227
AN - SCOPUS:33644662292
VL - 40
SP - 740
EP - 753
JO - Free Radical Biology and Medicine
JF - Free Radical Biology and Medicine
SN - 0891-5849
IS - 5
ER -