Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 49, Issue 4 , Pages 135-140, August 2008

Effect of the Chinese Herb Extract Osthol on IL-4-induced Eotaxin Expression in BEAS-2B Cells

  • Pu-Rong Chiu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Department of Pediatrics, Yuan's General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Wei-Te Lee

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yu-Te Chu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Min-Sheng Lee

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yuh-Jyh Jong

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chih-Hsing Hung

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Tzyou 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan

Received 9 January 2008; received in revised form 20 May 2008; accepted 28 August 2008.

Article Outline

Background

Asthma is an allergic inflammatory disease of the airways. The interaction between bronchial epithelial cells and eosinophils is an important feature of an asthma attack. Eotaxin, an eosinophil-specific C-C chemokine, is a potent chemoattractant involved in the mobilization of eosinophils into the airway after allergic stimulation. Cnidii monnieri fructus, the dried fruit of Cnidium monnieri Cusson, has been used as an antipruritogenic agent in ancient China. Osthol is the major component of Cnidii monnieri fructus extract. We investigated the ability of osthol to regulate cytokine-induced eotaxin expression in the human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B.

Methods

BEAS-2B cells were pretreated with osthol at different concentrations (0.1–10 μM), and then stimulated with interleukin (IL)-4 alone, or in combination with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Eotaxin levels were determined by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. STAT6 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 6) and MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) expressions were evaluated by Western blotting, to detect possible intracellular signal transduction.

Results

IL-4 and TNF-α significantly induced eotaxin expression in BEAS-2B cells. Expression of eotaxin was suppressed by osthol (0.1–10 μM) in a dose-dependent manner. Osthol did not suppress IL-4-induced p38, ERK or JNK expression. Osthol did suppress IL-4-induced STAT6 in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusion

Osthol suppressed IL-4-induced eotaxin in BEAS-2B cells via inhibition of STAT6 expression. This data suggest that osthol might have potential for treating allergic airway inflammation.

KEY WORDS:  asthma BEAS-2B , eotaxin , IL-4 , osthol

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PII: S1875-9572(08)60028-5

doi:10.1016/S1875-9572(08)60028-5

Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 49, Issue 4 , Pages 135-140, August 2008

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