Andrographolide attenuates interleukin-1β-stimulated upregulation of chemokine CCL5 and glial fibrillary acidic protein in astrocytes

Andrographolide is a bioactive molecule isolated from Andrographis paniculata with anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we tested the effects of andrographolide on astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammatory responses. Cultured rat primary astrocytes were treated with proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 beta with or without pretreatment with andrographolide, and then processed for measurements of chemokine C-C motif ligand 5 (CCL5) and glial fibrillary acidic protein. The activation status of nuclear factor-kappa B activation that may underlie CCL5 upregulation was also measured. Andrographolide pretreatment was found to attenuate the upregulation of CCL5 and glial fibrillary basic protein as well as reduce the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B p65 and I kappa B alpha after interleukin 1 beta stimulation. These data suggest that andrographolide should be evaluated further as a therapeutic for central nervous system diseases characterized by astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammatory processes. (c) c 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.