Inhibition of LPS-Induced iNOS, COX-2 and Inflammatory Mediator Expression by Paeonol through the MAPKs Inactivation in RAW 264.7 Cells

We evaluated the in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of orally administered paeonol in mice, and also investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of paeonol in a cell line. Paeonol significantly reduced the edema induced by arachidonic acid in rats. The analgesic effects were assayed using 2 different models, i.e., by acetic acid-induced writhing response and by formalin induced licking and biting time. Moreover, we examined the effects of paeonol on the release of inflammatory mediators such as NO, PGE2 and IL-6. Our results demonstrated that paeonol inhibited LPS induced expression of NO, PGE2 and IL-6. Paeonol prevented LPS induced iNOS, COX-2 and ERK activation. Therefore, paeonol appears to have potential as a treatment for inflammatory disease and analgesic.