Sodium houttuyfonate inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory response via suppressing TLR4/NF-ĸB signaling pathway in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Mastitis is an inflammatory reaction caused by microorganisms in the mammary gland which usually leads to the decrease of the dairy production. It vastly makes bad effect on the cattle industry all over the world. Nowadays, an increasing number of scientists keep a watchful eye on natural compounds to prevent mastitis. Sodium houttuyfonate (SH) has been reported to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. This experiment aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of SH on LPS-stimulated primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMEC). The effects of SH on TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 production were detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot analysis was used for detecting the effects of SH on TLR4/NF-κB signal pathways. The results showed that SH significantly inhibited LPS-stimulated TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 production. Furthermore, SH significantly inhibited LPS-induced TLR4 expression and NF-ĸB activation. In summary, these results suggested that SH inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory response by inhibiting TLR4/NF-ĸB signaling pathway. SH is a potential agent for the treatment of mastitis.