Puerarin Inhibits C‐Reactive Protein Expression via Suppression of Nuclear Factor κB Activation in Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Stable Angina Pectoris

Abstract: Puerarin (4′‐7‐dihydroxy‐8‐β‐d ‐glucosylisoflavone), the most abundant isoflavone‐C‐glucoside extracted from the root of the plant Pueraria lobata, has demonstrated anti‐inflammatory activity in cellular models of inflammation. In this report, we examined the ability of puerarin to modulate C‐reactive protein (CRP) expression and key molecules in the nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) pathway to determine its molecular target. The protein and mRNA levels of CRP were determined in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with unstable angina pectoris. Also, we detected the I‐κBα phosphorylation and the p65NF‐κB expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells under our experimental condition. The results indicated that puerarin inhibited the expression of the protein and mRNA levels of CRP in LPS‐induced peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Subsequently, we determined that the inhibition of CRP expression was because of a dose‐dependent inhibition of phosphorylation and degradation of inhibitor kappaB(I‐κB), which resulted in a reduction of p65NF‐κB nuclear translocation. We conclude that puerarin acts as an anti‐inflammatory agent by blocking NF‐κB signalling, and may possibly be developed as a useful agent for the chemoprevention of atherosclerosis.