<i>Echinacea purpurea</i> extract (cichoric acid) exerts an anti-inflammatory effect on yak PBMCs and regulates the TLR4 signalling pathway
Cai-hua Xue, A Shun-xian, Mengjie Wang, Qiang Wu, Jiahua Liu, Longfei Zhang, Yun Wu, Hua Wu, Shatuo Chai
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Inflammation is one of the main causes of impaired health in livestock and some of its processes weaken animal productivity and impact human health. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of echinacea extract (cichoric acid - CA) on yak peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), inflammatory-related factors, and the toll-like receptor (TLR)4 signalling pathway induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in these PBMCs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: . The proliferative activity of cells was detected using the cell-counting kit-8 method, the optimal stimulation concentration of LPS was selected, the effect of CA on the content of inflammation-related factors was evaluated using an ELISA kit, and the mRNA expression of these factors was detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS: CA inhibited the inflammatory response of yak PBMCs induced by LPS. CA inhibited gene and protein expression of key nodes of the TLR4 signalling pathway in yak PBMCs. CONCLUSION: the TLR4 pathway.