Schisandrin B inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory response in human umbilical vein endothelial cells by activating Nrf2

•SchB inhibited the production of TNF-α and IL-8 in HUVECs stimulated with LPS.•SchB also inhibited LPS-induced VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expression.•SchB blocked the activation of NF-κB induced by LPS.•SchB increased the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in a concentration-dependent manner.•The inhibition of TNF-α and IL-8 production by SchB was blocked by transfection with Nrf2 siRNA.

Schisandrin B (SchB), an active ingredient extracted from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill, has been known to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanism of SchB in LPS-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The effects of SchB on VCAM-1, ICAM-1, NF-κB and Nrf2 expression were detected by western blot analysis. The effects of SchB on TNF-α and IL-8 production were detected by ELISA. The results showed that SchB strongly suppressed the production of TNF-α and IL-8 in HUVECs stimulated with LPS. SchB also inhibited LPS-induced VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expression. Furthermore, SchB blocked the activation of NF-κB induced by LPS. In addition, SchB increased the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in a concentration-dependent manner. And the inhibition of TNF-α and IL-8 production by SchB was blocked by transfection with Nrf2 siRNA. Our findings showed that SchB inhibited LPS-induced inflammation in HUVECs by activating Nrf2 signaling pathway.