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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Actinidia arguta (A. arguta) has been widely used in Asian countries as a traditional medicinal herb to treat inflammation-related diseases, such as gastritis, bronchitis, and arthritis., Aim of the Study: The inhibitory effect of A. arguta leaves' extract (AA) on inflammasome activation was investigated to verify its traditional use in treating inflammation-related diseases., Materials and Methods: Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) primed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were activated by selective inflammasome stimulators, and the effect of AA on inflammasome activation was investigated. A monosodium urate crystal (MSU)-induced peritonitis mouse model was used to study the in vivo efficacy of AA on inflammasome activation., Results: In the in vitro study, AA regulated NLRP3 ubiquitination and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) oligomerization, leading to the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated interleukin (IL)-1β secretion. The inhibitory effect of AA on inflammasome activation in vitro was further confirmed in vivo using an MSU-induced peritonitis mouse model., Conclusion: AA provided scientific evidence, substantiating the traditional claims for its use in the treatment of inflammation and inflammation-mediated metabolic disorders, including gout., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Cinnamomum cassia (C. cassia, Lauraceae family), commonly used for treating dyspepsia, gastritis, blood circulation, and inflammatory diseases is considered as one of the 50 fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine., Aim of the Study: The anti-inflammatory action of an ethanol extract of C. cassia (CA), and its underlying mechanisms were explored in both in vitro cellular and in vivo murine models., Materials and Methods: Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were used to study the regulatory effect of CA on inflammasome activation. A lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis mouse model and a monosodium urate (MSU)-induced gout model were employed to study the effect of CA on in vivo efficacy., Results: CA improved the survival rate in the LPS-induced septic shock mouse model and inhibited inflammasome activation including NLRP3, NLRC4, and AIM2, leading to suppression of interleukin-1β secretion. Further, ASC oligomerization and its speck formation in cytosol were attenuated by CA treatment. Furthermore, CA improved both survival rate of LPS-induced septic shock and gout murine model., Conclusions: CA treatment significantly attenuated danger signals-induced inflammatory responses via regulation of inflammasome activation, substantiating the traditional claims of its use in the treatment of inflammation-related disorders., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)