In vitro evaluation of the anti-inflammatory properties of Echinacea and Ginger in normal and pathological pregnancy

Background: Inflammation in pregnancy is a physiological con- dition common to all pregnancies, but it should be tightly regulated to prevent tissue injury as it occurs with the onset of pre-eclampsia (PE). Women afflicted by these pregnancy disorders exhibit a heightened inflammatory state and, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF- , IL-6 and IL-8 are elevated systemically and locally in placenta. Echinacea and Ginger are two natural com- pounds, whose anti-inflammatory properties have been already well demonstrated (Dall’Acqua et al., 2015). Because these com- pounds exert very low adverse effects, they can also be used during pregnancy, but little is known about their effect on placental cells. Material and methods: we isolated and characterized endothe- lial cells (EC) from pre-eclamptic ( Fig. 1) and normal decidua and set up an in vitro model to study the inflammatory state of this cells treated with Echinacea and Ginger (Echi/Gyn). Cytokines (IL-8, IL-6, MCP-1) and adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) expression, were evaluated by qPCR and ELISA. The same assays have been performed on a macrophage cell line (THP-1) cultured in gravid serum. Results: Echi/Gyn exert anti-inflammatory effects on macrophages down-regulating the expression of TNF- and IL-6; the treatment of EC with Echi/Gyn increase the expression of IL-8 and ICAM-1 but down-regulate the expression of MCP-1 and VCAM-1.