Sweated and non-sweated Danshen () promoting macrophage M2 polarization through Notch1/Jagged1/ Hes1 pathway: a comparative research

To compare the effects of sweated and non-sweated Danshen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) extracts (SNSE) on macrophage M2 polarization.

After assessing the cytotoxicity of SNSE on RAW264.7 cells, the flow cytometry was applied to evaluate the proportion of CD86 and CD206. Meanwhile, real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to determine the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-12 (IL-12), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in RAW264.7 cells. Further, the regulation of SNSE in Notch1/Jagged1/Hes1 pathway were assessed by the Western blot.

The results of flow cytometry showed that the cells were polarized into M2 type in varying degrees after the intervention of SNSE. Additionally, the results of RT-qPCR and ELISA assays suggested that all the SNSE induced lower levels of IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α, and higher expression of IL-10. The results of Western blot revealed that the SNSE inhabited the protein expression of Notch1/Jagged1/Hes1 pathway. In the comparison of the above indexes, the effect of tanshinones extracts of sweated Danshen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) was more significant than that of non-sweated Danshen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae). However, there was no significant difference between their phenolic acid extracts.

As a result, both sweated and non-sweated Danshen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) extracts can promote anti-inflammatory macrophage M2 polarization viaregulating the Notch1/Jagged1/Hes1 signaling pathway. Further, the comparison results between the sweated and non-sweated Danshen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) extracts indicate that sweating can improve the efficacy of tanshinones extracts on the macrophages polarization.