Anti-inflammatory effects of BT-201, an n-butanol extract of Panax notoginseng, observed in vitro and in a collagen-induced arthritis model.

Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS:

Although there has been some success with protein-based anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) therapeutics, the problems associated with protein-based drugs demand alternative approaches. We screened various herbal extracts for their ability to inhibit TNF-alpha secretions and found that BT-201, an n-butanol extract of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen (P. notoginseng) has such an ability.

METHODS:

The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic effects of BT-201. The anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated by measuring the effects of BT-201 on the production of TNF-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, inducible nitric oxide (iNO), and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), in vitro. The anti-rheumatic effects were evaluated by treating mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) using a daily oral administration of BT-201 at 15 mg/kg/day. In addition, the effects on NF-kappaB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were evaluated by Western blotting using phospho-specific antibodies.

RESULTS:

BT-201 significantly inhibited all the inflammatory parameters evaluated in vitro and delayed the onset and progression of CIA. BT-201 inhibited the activation of NF-kappaB, ERK, p38, and JNK pathways.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results demonstrated that BT-201 can modulate various aspects of inflammation in vitro and that it has disease-modifying, anti-rheumatic effects in vivo, suggesting that it can be a potential alternative to the current anti-TNF-alpha therapeutics for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disease.

• Authors: Sun-Hwa Chang, Youngnim Choi, Jung-Ae Park, Dong-Sik Jung, Jieun Shin, Ji-Hyun Yang, Seon-Yle Ko, Se-Won Kim, Jung-Keun Kim
• Journal: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) (Clin Nutr) Vol. 26 Issue 6 Pg. 785-91 (Dec 2007) ISSN: 1532-1983 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 17933436 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Interleukin-1beta
• Panax notoginseng extract
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
• Nitric Oxide
• Collagen
• Matrix Metalloproteinase 13

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (therapeutic use)
• Arthritis, Experimental (drug therapy)
• Cells, Cultured
• Collagen (toxicity)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (therapeutic use)
• Immunohistochemistry
• Interleukin-1beta (metabolism)
• Male
• Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 (metabolism)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred DBA
• Nitric Oxide (metabolism)
• Panax notoginseng (chemistry)
• Signal Transduction
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)