Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects of Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb extract on murine cell lines and OVA-induced airway inflammation

Ethnopharmacological evidence Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb (Rosaceae, AP) has long been used as a traditional medicine in Korea and other Asian countries to treat various diseases. Aim of the study In the present study, the anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects of AP extract in in vitro cell lines and in vivo mouse model of inflammation and the molecular mechanisms involved were reported. Materials and methods Using Raw 264.7 murine macrophages the effects of methanol extract of AP in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of inflammatory mediators were measured. Further IgE-DNP-induced interleukin (IL)-4 production and degranulation in RBL-2H3 rat basophilic cell lines was also estimated. To investigate the anti-asthmatic effect of AP in vivo , airway inflammation in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced mouse model was used. Results AP attenuated the production of inflammatory mediators such as NO, PGE 2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines in LPS-induced Raw 264.7 cells. Further, AP inhibited IL-4 production and degranulation in IgE-DNP-induced RBL-2H3 cells. Furthermore, AP attenuated the infiltration of immune cells into lung, cytokines production in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and airway-hyperresponsiveness (AHR) on OVA-induced mouse model of inflammation. Conclusion Our results showed that AP attenuated the activation of macrophages, basophils, and inhibited the OVA-induced airway inflammation. The molecular mechanisms leading to AP's potent anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects might be through regulation of TRIF-dependent and Syk-PLCγ/AKT signaling pathways, suggesting that AP may provide a valuable therapeutic strategy in treating various inflammatory diseases including asthma.