“绿豆降火”，可能应用于治疗脓毒血症

Mungbean (Vigna Radiata) has been traditionally used in China both asnutritional food and herbal medicine against a number of inflammatoryconditions since the 1050s. A nucleosomal protein, HMGB1, has recentlybeen established as a late mediator of lethal systemic inflammation witha relatively wider therapeutic window for pharmacologicalinterventions. Here we explored the HMGB1-inhibiting capacity andtherapeutic potential of mung bean coat (MBC) extract in vitro and invivo. We found that MBC extract dose-dependently attenuated LPS-inducedrelease of HMGB1 and several chemokines in macrophage cultures. Oraladministration of MBC extract significantly increased animal survivalrates from 29.4% (in saline group, N = 17 mice) to 70% (in experimentalMBC extract group, N = 17 mice, P < 0.05). In vitro, MBC extractstimulated HMGB1 protein aggregation and facilitated both the formationof microtubule-associatedprotein-1-light-chain-3-(LC3-)containingcytoplasmic vesicles, and the production of LC3-II in macrophagecultures. Consequently, MBC extract treatment led to reduction ofcellular HMGB1 levels in macrophage cultures, which was impaired bycoaddition of two autophagy inhibitors (bafilomycin A1 and 3-methyladenine). Conclusion. MBC extract is protective against lethal sepsis possibly by stimulating autophagic HMGB1 degradation.