Total flavonoids of Bidens bipinnata L. a traditional Chinese medicine inhibits the production of inflammatory cytokines of vessel endothelial cells stimulated by sera from Henoch-Schönlein purpura patients.

Objectives: Bidens bipinnata L. is well known as a traditional antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic medicine in China. This study was designed to evaluate the role of total extracted flavonoids from B. bipinnata (TFB) in inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines.

Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were used to examine the effect of TFB on the production of inflammatory cytokines. The supernatant interleukin (IL)-8, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and nitric oxide (NO) levels of HUVEC were measured with ELISA methods. Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and fractalkine expression was evaluated by RT-PCR and Western blot methods, respectively.

Key Findings: We observed that IL-8, TNF-α and NO release of HUVEC incubated with sera from active Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) was significantly increased. TFB intervention may significantly suppressed the supernatant IL-8, TNF-α and NO levels of HUVEC. Similarly, TFB obviously suppressed the NF-κB and fractalkine mRNA and protein expression.

Conclusions: These results suggested that TFB may be useful for improving microvascular inflammation in HSP patients.