Evodiamine Inhibits Zymosan-Induced Inflammation In Vitro and In Vivo: Inactivation of NF-κB by Inhibiting IκBα Phosphorylation

Evodiamine (EVO), an important alkaloidal component extracted from the fruit of Evodiae fructus, has been known to possess anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and other therapeutic capabilities. In the present study, the effects of EVO on zymosan-induced inflammation and its underlying mechanism were investigated both in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that EVO effectively suppressed both protein and mRNA expression of interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in vitro. Zymosan-induced DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) was attenuated by EVO, which was achieved through inhibitory effects on the phosphorylation of inhibitory kappa B alpha and p65 nuclear translocation, but there was very little association with mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. In vivo, treatment with EVO markedly decreased TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in plasma. EVO also repressed inflammatory cytokine expression and ameliorated the abnormal state in both lung and intestine tissues by inactivation of NF-kappa B. Furthermore, EVO significantly reduced the mortality caused by zymosan. In summary, these results suggested that EVO could effectively suppress inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo, and may be a potential therapeutic agent against inflammatory disorders.