BACKGROUND Anti-inflammation via inhibition of NF-κB pathways in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is one therapeutic approach to hepatic fibrosis. Tanshinone IIA (C19H18O3, Tan IIA) is a lipophilic diterpene isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, with reported anti-inflammatory activity. We tested whether Tan IIA could inhibit HSC activation. MATERIALS AND METHODS The cell line of rat hepatic ...

D’Angio, Carl T., Michael B. LoMonaco, Carl J. Johnston, Christina K. Reed, and Jacob N. Finkelstein. Differential roles for NFB in endotoxin and oxygen induction of interleukin-8 in the macrophage. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 286: L30–L36, 2004. First published August 8, 2003; 10.1152/ajplung.00360.2002.—The alveolar macrophage is an important source of interleukin (IL)-8 during pulmona...

Acute lung injury (ALI) is associated with an inflammation-mediated process, and the transcription factor, Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5), might play a crucial role in inflammatory lung disease. In this study, we evaluated KLF5, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and inflammatory responses in a lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced ALI model to elucidate the role of KLF5 in ALI. Our data indicated that ...

OBJECTIVE T cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule-4 (Tim-4) receives much attention as a potentially negative regulator of immune responses. However, its modulation on macrophages has not been fully elucidated so far. This study aimed to identify the role of Tim-4 in nitric oxide (NO) modulation. METHODS Macrophages were stimulated with 100 ng/ml LPS or 100 U/ml IFN-γ. RT-...

BACKGROUND Black tea has been shown to elicit anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-mutagenic properties. In this study, we investigated the impact of black tea extract (BTE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NF-κB signaling in bone marrow derived-macrophages (BMM) and determined the therapeutic efficacy of this extract on colon inflammation. METHODS The effect of BTE ...

Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) is a transcription factor family critical in the activation of pro- inflammatory responses. The NF-κB pathway is regulated by oxidant-induced post-translational modifications. Protein S-glutathionylation, or the conjugation of the antioxidant molecule, glutathione to reactive cysteines inhibits the activity of inhibitory kappa B kinase beta (IKKβ), among other NF-...

BACKGROUND Anesthetic propofol has immunomodulatory effects, particularly in the area of anti-inflammation. Bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces inflammation through toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 signaling. We investigated the molecular actions of propofol against LPS/TLR4-induced inflammatory activation in murine RAW264.7 macrophages. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Non-cytotoxic...

Endotoxic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a proinflammatory agonist produced by gram-negative bacteria and a contributor to the majority of the 400,000 septic shock cases recorded annually in US hospitals. The primary target cells for LPS are monocytes and macrophages. Their response consists of massive production of proinflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen- and nitrogen-intermediates, procoagula...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of zinc finger protein A20 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pulmonary inflammation/anti-inflammatory mediators in an acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) rat model. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty-eight ALI/ARDS rats were selected and assigned into normal saline (NS) (injected with NS), LPS (injected with ...

Although dendritic cell (DC) activation is a critical event for the induction of immune responses, the signaling pathways involved in this process have not been characterized. In this report, we show that DC activation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can be separated into two distinct processes: first, maturation, leading to upregulation of MHC and costimulatory molecules, and second, rescu...