Early antiallergic inflammatory effects of Rhus verniciflua stokes on human mast cells

Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) is a traditional medicine used in Korea, Japan and China to treat various diseases including catharsis, diaphoretic gastritis and stomach cancer. However, the effects of RVS on allergic inflammatory diseases are unknown to date. This study showed the antiallergic inflammatory effects of RVS on human mast cells (HMC‐1) which were stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and calcium ionophore A23187. RVS inhibited the expressions of TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐8 that were stimulated by treatment with both PMA and A23187. Among the mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs), extracts of RVS suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK and p38, whereas RVS increased the phosphorylation of JNK in HMC‐1. Consistent with the regulation of MAPKs, it was found that RVS inhibited the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)‐κB via inhibition of the phosphorylation of IκB‐α, which are important processes in controlling inflammatory responses. Taken together, these results suggest that RVS modulates the expressions of signal molecules related to allergic inflammatory responses mainly through the ERK signaling pathway, suggesting that RVS could be used as a treatment for mast cell‐derived allergic inflammatory diseases. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.