Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Modified Buyang Huanwu Decoction

Abstract

Background/Aims. Buyang Huanwu decoction (BHD) is a traditional Chinese and Korean herbal medicine prescription that has been widely used to treat various diseases including cerebral ischemia, gynecological disease, and neurological disorders. BHD is commonly used as a variable modified combination for synergistic therapeutic effects. However, the mechanism by which modified BHD (mBHD) produces anti-inflammatory effects has not been elucidated yet. The purpose of this study was to develop mBHD with diminished potential side effects and verify its anti-inflammatory effects. Methods. A cytotoxicity assay for BHD was performed using the MTT assay. Following treatment with BHD, mBHD-1, and mBHD-2 in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), nitric oxide (NO) secretion was detected in cell supernatants using a NO detection kit. The expression of proinflammatory mediators was detected using RT-PCR and western blotting. To verify the mechanism of mBHD, specific inhibitors of JNK (SP600125) or p38 (SB203580) were used for co-treatment with mBHD, and then the changes in NO and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were measured. Results. Both mBHD-1 and mBHD-2 showed greater anti-inflammatory effects than BHD. Both mBHD-1 and mBHD-2 inhibited NO secretion and decreased the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS. Treatment with a p38 inhibitor and a JNK inhibitor in mBHD-1- and mBHD-2-treated cells resulted in inhibition of NO and iNOS. Conclusion. We provided the first experimental evidence that mBHD may be a more useful anti-inflammatory than BHD. High concentrations or long-term use of BHD may be harmful to inflammatory status. Therefore, the length of treatment and concentration should be considered depending on the targeted disease.