Anti-inflammatory effect of the water fraction from hawthorn fruit on LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells

The hawthorn fruit (Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge var. typica Schneider) is used as a traditional medicine in Korea. The objective of this study was to understand the mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory effects of the water fractionated portion of hawthorn fruit on a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cellular model. The level of nitric oxide (NO) production in the water fraction and LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells were determined with an ELISA. The cytotoxicity of the water fraction and LPS was measured with an MU assay. Expression of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) mRNA were analyzed with a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The water fraction of hawthorn fruit was determined to be safe and significantly inhibited NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and suppressed COX-2, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 expression. The observed anti-inflammatory effects of the water fraction of hawthorn fruit might be attributed to the down-regulation of COX-2, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 expression in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.