Regulatory effects of Codonopsis lanceolata on macrophage-mediated immune responses

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 112; no. 1; pp. 180 - 188
• Main Authors: Lee, Yong Gyu, Kim, Joo Young, Lee, Ji Yeon, Byeon, Se Eun, Hong, Eock Kee, Lee, Jaehwi, Rhee, Man Hee, Park, Hwa Jin, Cho, Jae Youl
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 30.05.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; anti-inflammatory agents; Biological and medical sciences; biosynthesis; Campanulaceae; Cell Adhesion; chemical constituents of plants; Codonopsis; Codonopsis lanceolata; Cytokines - biosynthesis; ethnobotany; General pharmacology; herbal medicines; Humans; immune response; Immunologic Factors - pharmacology; Immunomodulatory effect; inflammation; Integrin beta1 - metabolism; leaves; Leukosialin - metabolism; Lipopolysaccharides - pharmacology; Macrophage functions; macrophages; Macrophages - drug effects; Macrophages - metabolism; Macrophages - physiology; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Medicine, East Asian Traditional; Mice; nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - biosynthesis; Phagocytosis - drug effects; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Leaves; Plant Roots; respiratory tract diseases; roots; traditional medicine; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; U937 Cells; South Korea; Japan; China; Immunomodulatory effect; Codonopsis lanceolata; Macrophage functions; Campanulaceae; Pharmacognosy; Medicinal plant; Immunomodulator; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Plant origin; Spermatophyta; Macrophage; Immune system
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2007.02.026

Codonopsis lanceolata L. has long been used as a folk medicine in Korea, Japan and China for the treatment of lung inflammatory diseases. In this study, therefore, we aimed to demonstrate its ethnopharmacological activity by examining macrophage-function regulating effects. The total methanol extracts of fresh leaves (l-TME) or roots (r-TME) of Codonopsis lanceolata L. significantly suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory mediators (nitric oxide [NO] and tumor necrosis factor [TNF-α]) without altering mRNA levels. The expression of interleukin (IL)-3 and IL-6, however, was strongly diminished. According to the analysis of signaling enzyme activation by immunoblotting, phospho-IκB levels, a representative pro-inflammatory gene activation pathway, were not affected by the TMEs. By contrast, the Raf-ERK signaling pathway, which was involved in regulation of post-translational modification of pro-inflammatory gene products, was strongly blocked after 6-h of exposure. Moreover, l-TME down-regulated LPS-mediated phagocytic uptake and CD29-mediated cell–cell adhesion, while r-TME strongly up-regulated these two cellular events as well as fibronectin-cell adhesion. The surface levels of the costimulatory molecules (CD80 and CD86) of RAW264.7 cells were also enhanced by these extracts. l-TME also diminished functional activation (assessed by NO production) and the surface level of dectin-1, but not toll-like receptor (TLR)-2. Taken together, these data suggest that Codonopsis lanceolata may have the ability to modulate macrophage-mediated immune responses, thus contributing to its anti-inflammatory activity.