Kojic Acid, a Potential Inhibitor of NF-$textsc{k}$B Activation in Transfectant Human HaCaT and SCC-13 Cells

  • Moon, Ki-Young (Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University and Department of Clinical Pathology, Kwangju Health College) ;
  • Ahn, Kwang-Seok (Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University) ;
  • Lee, Jin-seon (Professional Graduate School of Oriental Medicine, Wonkkwang University) ;
  • Kim, Yeong-Shik (Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University)
  • Published : 2001.08.01

Abstract

The activation of NF-$\kappa$B induced by kojic Acid, an inhibitor of tyrosinase for biosynthesis of melanin in melanocytes, was investigated in human transfectant HaCaT and SCC-13 cells. These two keratinocyte cell lines transfected with pNF-$\kappa$B-SEAP-NPT plasmid were used to determine the activation of NF-$\kappa$B. Transfectant cells release the secretory alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) as a transcription reporter in response to the NF-$\kappa$B activity and contain the neomycin phosphotransferase (NPT) gene for the dominant selective marker of geneticin resistance. NF-$\kappa$B activation was measured in the SEAP reporter gene assay using a fluorescence detection method. Kojic Acid showed the inhibition of cellular NF-$\kappa$B activity in both human keratinocyte transfectants. It could also downregulate the ultraviolet ray (UVR)-induced activation of NF-$\kappa$B expression in transfectant HaCaT cells. Moreover, the inhibitory activity of kojic Acid in transfectant HaCaT cells was found to be more potent than known antioxidants, e.g., vitamin C and N~acetyl-L-cysteine. These results indicate that kojic Acid is a potential inhibitor of NF-$\kappa$B activation in human keratinocytes, and suggest the hypothesis that NF-$\kappa$B activation may be involved in kojic Acid induced anti-melanogenic effect.

Keywords

References

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