Inhibitory effects of nardostachin on nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production in lipopolysaccharide activated macrophages.
Parole chiave
Astratto
Nardostachin, which is an iridoid isolated from Patrinia saniculaefolia, was examined by assessing its effect on the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and expression of 2 enzymes, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw264.7 macrophages. This compound consistently inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) and TNF-alpha production in a dose-dependent manner, with respective IC(50) values of 12.3 and 16.2 microM. The decrease in quantity of NO products was accompanied by a decrease in the iNOS protein level, as assessed by Western blotting probed with specific anti-iNOS antibodies. In addition, this compound also reduced the COX-2 protein expression level and the attendant PGE(2) production in LPS-stimulated macrophages. These results suggest that nardostachin may be useful for inhibiting the production of inflammatory mediators such as TNF-alpha, NO and PGE(2) in inflammatory diseases.