Inhibition of cytokine-induced vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression:: possible mechanism for anti-atherogenic effect of Agastache rugosa

Adhesion molecules such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) play an important role during the early stages of atherogenesis. Agastache rugosa has an anti-atherogenic effect in low density lipoprotein receptor -/- mice. Moreover. A. rugosa reduced macrophage infiltration and VCAM-1 expression has been localized in aortic endothelium that overlies early foam cell lesions. This study ascertained that titianin (100 muM), a major component of A. rugosa inhibits the tumor necrotic factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced expression of VCAM-1 by 74% in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Also, tilianin (100 muM) reduced TNF-alpha -induced activation of nuclear factor-kappaB in HUVECs. (C) 2001 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.