Mediating macrophage immunity with wogonin in mice with vascular inflammation

Vascular inflammation may induce a number of diseases, including organ damage or failure, heart attack and stroke. The present study aimed to investigate the use of wogonin, a compound extracted from herbs, to mediate inflammatory reactions in vascular inflammation. Wogonin was loaded in a well‑characterized polymeric biomaterial carrier. In mice with streptozotocin‑induced vascular inflammation, wogonin treatment regulated the production of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin‑6, tumor necrosis factor‑α and granulocyte macrophage colony‑stimulating factor. To understand the impact of wogonin on major immune cells, macrophages were treated with wogonin in vitro. It was determined that wogonin did not affect macrophage viability, and that wogonin regulated the relative ratio of M1 versus M2 macrophages. In addition, in co‑culture, wogonin decreased inflammatory cytokine production and regulated the activation of macrophage surface markers including CD80, CD86 and CD40. Results from the present study may aid in our understanding of the effects of wogonin in regulating inflammation, especially its effects on macrophages.