The Induction of Cytokine Gene Expression in Murine Peritoneal Macrophs by Pseudostellaria Heterophylla

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Abstract
We have previously shown that a mitogenic fraction (PH-I) separated from Pseudostellaria heterophylla (P. heterophylla) could act as a priming agent for the release of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in mice. In the present study, PH-I was further purified by gel filtration chromatography and the resulting three fractions (PH-I A, PH-I B and PH-I C) were assessed for the induction of TNF-α, interleukin-1-α (IL-1-α) and IL-1-ß gene expression in mice by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction. It was found that fraction PH-I C from P. heterophylla was the most potent priming fraction among the three fractions for the induction of TNF-α in serum and the TNF-α mRNA in murine macrophages. Moreover, all three fractions were found to increase the expression of IL-1-α mRNA while PH-I C showed the most potent activating effect on the expression of IL-1-ß mRNA.