Acteoside, a component of Stachys sieboldii MIQ, may be a promising antinephritic agent (3): effect of aceteoside on expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in experimental nephritic glomeruli in rats and cultured endothelial cells.

It is known that adhesion molecules play a crucial role in the development of glomerulonephritis. Therefore, we investigated the effects of acteoside on the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in nephritic glomeruli, in vivo, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and rat mesangial cells, in vitro. Aceteoside treatment significantly decreased the up-regulation of ICAM-1 expression in nephritic glomeruli. Acteoside prevented the up-regulation of ICAM-1 expression mediated by inflammatory cytokines or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate on HUVECs and rat mesangial cells. Adhesion of neutrophils and macrophages to acteoside-treated HUVECs was suppressed to one half of that in untreated HUVECs. These data support the finding that acteoside inhibits the up-regulation of ICAM-1 in the nephritic glomeruli. Additionally, it is suggested that the antinephritic action of acteoside is due to the inhibition of intraglomerular accumulation of leukocytes through the prevention of the up-regulation of ICAM-1. This is the first paper demonstrating that the up-regulation of ICAM-1 in nephritic glomeruli is inhibited by a natural product, acteoside.