Methanol extract of Ulmus pumila. L exerts potent anti‐inflammatory effects in murine macrophages and mouse skin

Ulmus pumila .L has been reported to be used as an oriental medicine for treating inflammation for centuries, but the effects and mechanism of its action have not been fully characterized. In this study, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo anti‐inflammatory effect of methanol extract of Ulmus pumila (UP). UP was found to inhibit significantly LPS‐induced nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 cells. UP significantly reduced the mRNA expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines including TNF‐α, iNOS, IL‐1β, COX‐2 and IL‐6 in LPS‐stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, nuclear translocation of p65 subunit was also dose dependently suppressed by UP treatment. In addition, UP also inhibited phorbol ester‐induced increase in ear swelling and skin water content in BALB/c mice. These results suggest that UP can be a potential candidate for inhibiting inflammation and can be used for the development of new anti‐inflammatory agents.