Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects and molecular mechanisms of JCICM-6, a purified extract derived from an anti-arthritic Chinese herbal formula

The anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects and the molecular mechanisms of JCICM-6, a purified extract derived from an anti-arthritic Chinese herbal formula composed of Caulis Sinomenii, Aconiti laterralis Preparata, Rhizoma Curcumae longae, Radix Paeoniae albae, and Cortex Moutan, were examined for the first time. JCICM-6 was prepared using pharmaceutical extraction technology, purified by Amberlite XAD-7HP polymeric resin. Pharmacologically, in carrageenan-induced edema and carrageenan-evoked thermal hyperalgesia in paws of rats, the oral administration of JCICM-6 at dosages of 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 g/kg demonstrated significant inhibition with a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistic studies showed that JCICM-6 effectively decreased the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines of IL-6 and IL-1β and expression of COX-2 and iNOS proteins, and simultaneously elevated the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 in the carrageenan-injected rat paw tissues and exudates. The positive reference drug, indomethacin at a dosage of 10 mg/kg, demonstrated inhibitory potency in both rat models, but it could not augment the production of IL-4, indicating JCICM-6 and indomethacin might possess different pharmacological properties and molecular mechanisms although both have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in rats. These results suggest that JCICM-6 would be a valuable candidate for further investigation as a new anti-arthritic drug.