Kyungheechunggan-Tang-01, a New Herbal Medication, Suppresses LPS-Induced Inflammatory Responses through JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway in RAW 264.7 Macrophages.

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:7383104. doi: 10.1155/2017/7383104. Epub 2017 Nov 29. Han HS1,2, Jang E3, Shin JS1, Inn KS4, Lee JH3, Park G2, Jang YP2,5, Lee KT1,2. Author information 1 Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea. 2 Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea. 3 Department of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea. 4 Department of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea. 5 Department of Oriental Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea. Abstract Medicinal plants have been used as alternative therapeutic tools to alleviate inflammatory diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate anti-inflammatory properties of Kyungheechunggan-tang- (KCT-) 01, KCT-02, and Injinchunggan-tang (IJCGT) as newly developed decoctions containing 3-11 herbs in LPS-induced macrophages. KCT-01 showed the most potent inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO, PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-6 production among those three herbal formulas. In addition, KCT-01 significantly inhibited LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 at protein levels and expression of iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 at mRNA levels. Molecular data revealed that KCT-01 attenuated the activation of JAK/STAT signaling cascade without affecting NF-κB or AP-1 activation. In ear inflammation induced by croton oil, KCT-01 significantly reduced edema, MPO activity, expression levels of iNOS and COX-2, and STAT3 phosphorylation in ear tissues. Taken together, our findings suggest that KCT-01 can downregulate the expression of proinflammatory genes by inhibiting JAK/STAT signaling pathway under inflammatory conditions. This study provides useful data for further exploration and application of KCT-01 as a potential anti-inflammatory medicine. PMID: 29348772 PMCID: PMC5733936 DOI: 10.1155/2017/7383104