Tanshinone IIA fromSalvia miltiorrhizaInhibits Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression and Production of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in Activated RAW 264.7 Cells

Abstract

The inhibitory effects of tanshinone IIA, a diterpene isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza root, on the production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were investigated in activated RAW 264.7 cells. This compound markedly inhibited the production of NO, IL-1β and TNF-α, and suppressed the expression of iNOS in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the traditional use of S. miltiorrhiza as an anti-inflammatory herbal medicine may be explained, in part, by the inhibition of NO, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α production, and expression of iNOS.