• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.170-178
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• 2000

Flavonoids are natural polyphenolic compounds widely distributed in plant kingdom. Although many flavonoids were found to show anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo, the potency of anti-inflammatory activity was not enough for a clinical trial. Thus, a search for finding potential flavonoid molecules is continuing. In this review, in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of various flavonoid derivatives is summarized mainly based on the results obtained in authors' laboratories. Among them, several biflavonoids such as amentoflavone and ginkgetin were found to possess anti-inflammatory activity on animal models of acute/chronic inflammation comparable to nonsteroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs currently used. In respect of their action mechanisms, the effects on arachidonic acid metabolism and nitric oxide production were described. Some flavonoids directly inhibit cyclooxygenase and/or lipoxygenase. Biflavones such as ochnaflavone and ginkgetin are inhibitors of phospholipase $A_2$. In recent studies, certain flavonoids were also found to suppress cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression induced by inflammatory stimuli. Therefore, it is suggested that anti-inflammatory activity of the certain flavonoids (mainly flavones, flavonols and biflavonoids) may be mediated by direct inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolizing enzymes as well as suppression of the enzyme expression involved in inflammatory responses.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2006

Melittin-induced pain model has been known to be very useful for the study of pain mechanism. Melittin-induced nociceptive responses are reported to be modulated by the changes in the activity of excitatory amino acid receptor, calcium channel, spinal serotonin receptor and extracellular signaling-regulated kinase. The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of cyclooxygenase (COX) in the melittin-induced nociception. Changes in mechanical threshold, flinchings and paw thickness were measured before and after intraplantar injection of melittin in the rat hind paw. Also studied were the effects of intraperitonealy administered diclofenac (25 mg & 50 mg/kg), piroxicam (10 mg & 20 mg/kg) and meloxicam (10 mg & 20 mg/kg) on the melittin-induced nociceptions. Intraplantar injection of melittin caused marked reduction of mechanical threshold that was dose-dependently attenuated by non-selective COX inhibitor (diclofenac) and selective COX-1 inhibitor (piroxicam), but not by COX-2 inhibitor (meloxicam). Melittin-induced flinchings were strongly suppressed by non-selective COX and COX-1 inhibitor, but not by COX-2 inhibitor. None of the COX inhibitors had inhibitory effects on melittin-induced increase of paw thickness (edema). These experimental findings suggest that COX-1 plays an important role in the melittin-induced nociceptive responses.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.141-146
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• 2004

Selective COX-2 inhibitors were expected to retain anti-inflammatory activity by inhibition of prostaglandin production with reduction of gastric and renal side effect associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This study reported the syntheses of novel 2-thiohydantoin and hydantoin derivatives which have the structure of 5-membered heterocyclic ring substituted with two aryl groups, phenyl group at 5-position and p-sulfamylphenyl or p-methoxyphenyl group at 1-position. These synthetic compounds showed significant COX-2 activities in vitro screening. Among them, 5-phenyl-2-thiohydantoin and hydantoin substituted with benzyl group at 3-position, compounds 5 and 8, could be considered as lead compounds with $IC_{50}$/=13.13∼18.78 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ for the development of COX-2 inhibitors.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.111-121
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• 2005

Human placental extract (HPE), which is prepared from the placenta of healthy pregnant females, has been widely used in clinical field. HPE is known to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-oxidative, anti-mutagenic, and analgesic properties. In this study, the effect of HPE against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation was investigated. From the present results, HPE was shown to suppress prostaglandin E2 synthesis (PGE2) and nitric oxide (NO) production by inhibition on the LPS-stimulated enhancement of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expressions in mouse BV2 microglial cells. These results suggest that HPE may offer a valuable mean of therapy for the treatment of brain inflammatory diseases by attenuating LPS-induced PGE2 and NO production.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.40-51
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• 2002

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Bee Venom on the lipopolysaccharide-induced expression phospholipase $A_2$, cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitrogen oxide synthase, and the generation of arachidonic acid, prostaglandin D2 and E2 in RAW 264.7 cells, a murine macrophage cell line. Methods : The expression of phospholipase $A_2$, cyclooxygenase and inducible nitrogen oxide synthase was determined by western blotting with corresponding antibodies, and the generation of arachidonic acid, prostaglandin $D_2$ and $E_2$ was assayed by ELISA method in RAW 264.7 cells. The non-toxic concentrations (0.1 to $5\;{\mu}g/ml$) of bee venom determined by MTT assay, were used in this study. Results : 1. Bee venom inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of phospholipase $A_2$ in a dose dependent manner after 48 hours treatment. 2. Bee venom inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in a dose dependent manner after 24 and 48 hours treatment. 3. Bee venom inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of inducible nitrogen oxidesynthase in a dose dependent manner after 48 hours treatment. 4. The generation of arachidonic acid, prostaglandin $D_2$ and $E_2$ was not much affected by the treatment of bee venom on the lipopolysaccharide-induced generation of arachidonic acid, prostaglandin $D_2$ and $E_2$ in RAW 264.7 cells.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.152-161
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• 2005

The excessive release of proinflammatory products by activated microglia causes neurotoxicity, and this has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Harpagophytum procumbens (Pedaliaceae) has been widely used for the treatment of pain and arthritis in the clinical field. In this study, we investigated the effect of Harpagophytum procumbens against lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation. From the present results, the aqueous extract of Harpagophytum procumbens was shown to suppress prostaglandin-E2 synthesis and nitric oxide production by inhibiting the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated enhancement of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase expressions in mouse BV2 microglial cells. These results suggest that Harpagophytum procumbens may offer a valuable means of therapy for the treatment of brain inflammatory diseases by attenuating lipopolysaccharide-induced prostaglandin-E2 synthesis and nitric oxide production.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.87-87
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• 2002

We have investigated the effects of genistein on induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) that plays an important role in the pathophysiology of carcinogenesis as well as in cellular response to inflammatory stimuli. Treatment of MCF10A cells with 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) or TNF-$\alpha$ resulted in increased COX-2 expression and PGE$_2$ production, which was inhibited by genistein.(omitted)

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.274-279
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• 2012

Thymoquinone (TQ), a drug extracted from the black seeds of Nigella sativa, has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-neoplastic effects in numerous cancer cells. The effects of TQ on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) production in MDA-MB-231, however, remain poorly understood. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining were performed to study the expression levels of inflammation regulatory proteins in MDA-MB-231. $PGE_2$ assay was conducted to explore the TQ-induced production of $PGE_2$. In this study, we investigated the effects of TQ on COX-2 expression and $PGE_2$ production in MDA-MB-231. TQ significantly induced COX-2 expression and increased $PGE_2$ production in a dose-dependent manner, as determined by a Western blot analysis and $PGE_2$ assay. Furthermore, the activation of Akt and p38 kinase, respectively, was up-regulated in TQ treated cells. Inhibition of p38 kinase with SB203580 and PI3kinase (PI3K) with LY294002 abolished TQ-caused COX-2 expression and decreased $PGE_2$ production. These results collectively demonstrate that TQ effectively modulates COX-2 expression and $PGE_2$ production via PI3K and p38 kinase pathways in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.467-470
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• 2004

Comparative molecular field analysis and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis were performed on twenty five analogues of pimarane COX-2 inhibitor to optimize their cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective anti-inflammatory activities.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.85.2-85.2
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• 2007

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