Korean Journal of Agricultural Science ISSN:2466-2402(Print) 2466-2410(Online) 농업과학연구

Due to the ban on the use of antibiotics, interest has been increasing for the development of therapeutic agents to treat various diseases using natural resources. Osthole, a natural coumarin compound used in traditional Chinese medicines, exerts an anti-inflammatory effect, but its effects in cows remain unknown. In this study, the effect of osthole on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- or concanavalin-A (Con-A)- stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was assessed. Jugular venous blood was collected from Korean calves, and PBMCs were isolated. They were then used to study the immune response of PBMCs to treatment with osthole and LPS or Con-A for 72 h by measuring inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Osthole significantly inhibited the mRNA secretion of TNF-α and IFN-γ in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, osthole inhibited LPS- or Con-A- induced TNF-α and Con-A-induced IFN-γ production significantly in dose-dependent manner. These results clearly suggest that osthole inhibited the LPS- or Con-A- stimulated upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner, without causing obvious cytotoxic effects. Osthole could also protect cows from LPS- or Con-A- induced endotoxin shock, possibly by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which suggests that osthole might be a novel therapeutic agent for the prevention of inflammatory diseases.