• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2 s.62
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• pp.140-151
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• 2005

Objectives: Cinnamomi Ramulus (CR), the young twig of Cinnamomum loureirri nees, has been used for treating symptoms related to pain, rheumatic arthritis and inflammation in Korean herb medicine. This study was carried out to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of CR in vivo and in vitro. Methods: Extracts of CR were prepared and the chemical components of the extracts were examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The extracts were administrated to the rat paw edema model induced by carrageenan to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of CR. The expressions of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 were also quantified in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)­induced RAW 264.7 macrophages to survey the effect of CR in vitro. The main components were cinnamaldehyde and coumarin. Results: We examined the anti-inflammatory activity of the $80\%$ ethanol extract of Cinnamomi Ramulus in vivo by using carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model. Maximum inhibition of $54.91\%$ was noted at the dose of l1000mg/kg after 2 hours of drug administration in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and this showed a potent anti-inflammatory effect. Conclusions: The results showed that Cinnamomi Ramulus suppressed dose-dependently LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages and also decreased iNOS protein expression. Cinnamomi Ramulus also showed a significant inhibitory effect in LPS-induced PGE2 production and COX-2 expression.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.389-396
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• 2002

In the present work, we examined the mechanism of vasorelaxant effect of scopoletin, an active constituent of Artemisia capillaris on rat thoracic descending aortic rings. Scopoletin induced a concentration-dependent relaxation in rat thoracic descending aortic rings pre-contracted with phenylephrine (EC/sub 50/ = 238.94±37.4 μM), while it was less effective in rat thoracic descending aortic rings precontracted with high potassium solution (KCI 30 mM). Vasorelaxation by scopoletin was significantly inhibited after endothelial removal, but recovered at high concentration. Pretreatment of rat thoracic descending aortic rings with N/sup G/-nitro-L-arginine (100 μM), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, and atropine (1 μM), a muscarinic receptor antagonist, significantly inhibited scopoletin-induced relaxation of rat thoracic descending aortic rings. Neither indomethacin (3 μM), an inhibitor of cydooxygenase, nor propranolol (1 μM), a β -adrenoceptor antagonist, modified the effect of scopoletin. The combination of N/sup G/ -nitro-L-arginine (100 μ M) and miconazole (10 μ M), an inhibitor of cytochrome P 450, did not modify the effect of scopoletin, when compared with pretreatment with N/sup G/-nitro-L-arginine(100 μM) alone. Vasorelaxant effect of scopoletin was inverted by pretreatment with diltiazem (10 μM), a Ca/sup 2+/-channel blocker, at low concentration, while restored at high concentration. Apamin (K/sub ca/-channel blocker, 1 μM), 4-aminopyridine (4-AP, K/sub v/-channel blocker, 1 mM), and tetrodotoxin (TTX, Na/sup +/-channel blocker 1 μM) potentiated the vasorelaxant effect of scopoledn, but glibendamide (K/sub ATP/-channel blocker, 10 μM), tetraetylammonium(TEA, non-selective K-channel blocker, 10 mM) did not affect the relaxation of scopoletin. Free radical scavengers (TEMPO, catalase, mannitol) did not modify vascular tone. These results suggest that nitric oxide, Ca/sup 2+/ -channels play a role in endothelium-dependent relaxations to scopoletin in rat aortas, that apamin, 4-AP, TTX but not glibenclamide, TEA potentiated relaxation to scopoletin mediated by these channels, and that free radicals do not concern to the vasorelaxant effect of scopoletin.