Introduction
Chronic (or acute) inflammation is a multiple process, which
is mediated by activated inflammatory or immune cells. From
them, macrophages play a central role in managing many
different immunopathological phenomena such as the overproduction
of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory
mediators [reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO)
and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)], generated by activated inducible
nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2
(Lundberg, 2000; Walsh, 2003). Under inflammatory conditions,
immune cells are also stimulated by adhesion molecule
activation signals in order to enhance the migration capacity
to inflamed tissue (Rochon and Frojmovic, 1992; Lundberg,
2000) and finally to form heterotypic cell clustering (adhesion)
between the immune cells, endothelial cells and inflamed cells
(Lowe, 2003). Indeed, a number of inflammatory stimuli such
as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines
activate immune cells to up-regulate such inflammatory states
(Gallucci et al., 1998) and therefore, these are useful targets
for developing new anti-inflammatory drugs and exploring the
molecular anti-inflammatory mechanisms of a potential drug.
Cinnamomum camphora Sieb (known as camphor) has long
been prescribed in traditional medicines for the treatment of
inflammation-related diseases such as rheumatism, sprains