JCICM-6, the extract of an anti-arthritic herbal formula composed of medicinal herbs of Sinomenium acutum, Aconitum carmichaeli DEBX., Curcuma Longa L., Paeonia lactiflora PALL., and Paeonia suffruticosa ANDR., was examined in the effectiveness and mechanism in reducing experimentally-induced
inflammation and nociception using nine animal models.
JCICM-6 was extracted from herbs and purified with
Amberlite XAD-7HP adsorbent resin and analyzed with HPLC-fingerprint for quality consistency. In acute inflammatory models, the paw
edema of rats was induced by
subcutaneous injection of
carrageenan or pro-inflammatory mediators, including
histamine,
serotonin,
bradykinin, and
prostaglandin E(2) (
PGE(2)) into the right hind paws of animals; while the ear
edema of mice was induced by applying
arachidonic acid or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) on the ear surface. In nociceptive models, the tail-flick response induced by radiant heat stimulation was measured and the numbers of abdominal writhing episodes of mice induced by
intraperitoneal injection of
acetic acid were recorded.
JCICM-6 orally administered in a range of dosages from 0.438 g to 1.75 g/kg significantly and dose-dependently suppressed the paw
edema of rats induced by
carrageenan or various pro-inflammatory mediators and the ear
edema of mice induced by
arachidonic acid or TPA.
JCICM-6 also significantly prolonged the reaction time of rats to radiant heat stimulation and reduced the numbers of writhing episodes of mice. These results indicated that
JCICM-6 possesses significant anti-inflammatory and
analgesic effects, which implies that it would be a potential candidate for further investigation as a new anti-arthritic botanical
drug for humans.