• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.678-683
• /
• 2011

The objective of this study was to evaluate the skin inflammation effects of three herb mixture extracts, Ligularia fischeri, Solidago virga-aurea and Aruncus dioicus, which are from Ullung island in Korea. Regulatory mechanisms of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) are involved in the immunological activity of Raw 264.7 cells. Tested cells were pretreated with 70% acetone extracts of Ligularia fischeri, Solidago virga-aurea and Aruncus dioicus (LSA-A) and further cultured for an appropriated time after lipopolyssacharide (LPS) addition. During the entire experimental period, 1, 10, and 100 ${\mu}g/ml$ of LSA-A had no cytotoxicity. In these concentrations, LSA-A inhibited the production of NO and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), tumor necorsis factor-a (TNF-a), interleukin-1${\beta}$ (IL-1${\beta}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). LSA-A showed a 60% $PGE_2$ inhibition rate at 100 ${\mu}g/ml$. iNOS and COX-2 inhibition activities were 54%, and 65% at 100 ${\mu}g/ml$, respectively. In addition, LSA-A extract reduced the release of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-a, IL-1${\beta}$ and IL-6. These results suggest that LSA-A may have significant effects on inflammatory factors, and may be a potential anti-inflammatory therapeutic agent.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.45-55
• /
• 2015

Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation induces both production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glucocorticoids (GCs)-mediated stress responses such as an increase of $11{\beta}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 ($11{\beta}$-HSD1) activity in skin. In addition, ROS-induced inflammatory mediators and proinflammatory cytokines trigger skin inflammation. In this study, as $11{\beta}$-HSD1 inhibitor recovered a decrease of catalase expression, we investigated whether Trapa japonica (TJ) extract and its fractions could inhibit $11{\beta}$-HSD1/ROS-induced skin inflammation in HaCaT keratinocytes. TJ extract and its fractions inhibited expressions of $11{\beta}$-HSD1 as well as the increase of ROS in UVB-exposed HaCaT keratinocytes. Moreover, proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)- ${\alpha}$, - ${\beta}$ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) as inflammatory mediators were also inhibited in both mRNA and protein levels. Finally, prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) produced by COX-2 was inhibited effectively by TJ extract and its fractions. Taken together, these results suggest that TJ extract could be a potential anti-inflammatory ingredient to inhibit UVB-induced inflammation in skin.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.19 no.10
• /
• pp.1396-1402
• /
• 2009

Hizikia fusiforme is a kind of edible brown seaweed that grows mainly in the northwest Pacific including Korea, Japan and China, and has been widely used as food in Korea. Induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) production is thought to have beneficial immunomodulatory effects in acute and chronic inflammatory disorders. In this study, we investigated the effects of extracts of H. fusiforme on the expression of COX-2 and production of $PGE_2$ in U937 human pre-monocytic cell models. In U937 cells stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) to mimic inflammation, methanol extract of H. fusiforme (MEHF) and ethanol extract of H. fusiforme (EEHF), but not water extract of H. fusiforme (WEHF), inhibited PMA-induced expression of both COX-2 protein and mRNA, which was associated with inhibition of $PGE_2$ production. To investigate the mechanism by which MEHF and EEHF inhibit COX-2 gene expression and $PGE_2$ production, we examined the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-$\kappa$B) in U937 cells. Pre-treatment with MEHF and EEHF significantly attenuated the PMA-induced IkappaB degradation and prevented nuclear translocation of NF-$\kappa$B. Taken together, these findings provide important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory activity of H. fusiforme.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.21 no.10
• /
• pp.1494-1499
• /
• 2011

${\beta}$-lapachone, a quinone of lapachol extracted from the bark of the lapacho tree, has been found to induce apoptosis in various human cancer cells. In the present study, we investigated further possible mechanisms by which ${\beta}$-lapachone exerts its pro-apoptotic action in cultured human lung cancer A549 cells. ${\beta}$-lapachone treatment resulted in inhibition of growth and induction of apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner, as determined by MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis. The induction of apoptosis by ${\beta}$-lapachone was associated with up-regulation of the expression of p53 and p21 in both transcriptional and translational levels, and the phosphorylation of p53. In addition, ${\beta}$-lapachone activated caspase-3 and -9, and induced degradation of caspase-3 target proteins such as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and ${\beta}$-catenin. Furthermore, ${\beta}$-lapachone treatment caused a progressive decrease in the expression levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 without significant changes in the levels of COX-1, which was correlated with a decrease in prostaglandin E2 synthesis. Taken together, these results indicated that ${\beta}$-lapachone may have therapeutic potential in human lung cancer treatment.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.69-77
• /
• 2003

Arachidonic acid (AA), which is stored in membrane glycerophospholipids, is liberated by phospholipase $A_2$ (PLA$_2$) enzymes and is sequentially converted to cyclooxygenases (COXs) and lipoxygenases (LOXs) then to various bioactive PGs, and LTs. In order to find the specific inhibitors of AA metabolism especially PLA$_2$, COX-2, 5-LO and lyso PAF acetyltransferase, 120 Korean residential plants extracts were evaluated for their inhibitory activity on PGD$_2$, LTC$_4$ production from cytokine-induced mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) and arachidonic acid released from phospholipid and PAF production from lyso PAF. From this screening procedure, methanol extract of ten indigenous plant such as Salix gracilistyla, Sedum kamtschaticum, Cirsium chanroenicum, Hypericum ascyron, Astilbe chinensis, Agrimonia pilosa, Aristolochia manshuriensis, Vodia daniellii, Pyrola japonica, Styrax obassia were found to inhibit production of inflammatory mediators in vitro assay system.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.60 no.3
• /
• pp.191-198
• /
• 2017

Hyaluronidase inhibitory activity as inflammatory factor of Koreinsis chinensis leaf ethanol extract was showed higher inhibitory activity than water extract. 29.5% inhibitory activity was shown at concentration of $200{\mu}g/mL$ phenolics. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells were treated with different concentrations ($5-25{\mu}g/mL$) of Koreinsis chinensis leaf extract and the amount of nitric oxide (NO) was determined; LPS-treated cells produced 3 times more NO than non-LPS treated cells. Moreover, the NO production in cells treated with Koreinsis chinensis leaf extract showed inhibitory effect in a concentration-dependent manner. Due to the stimulant-induced NO production is regulated by the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), we determined the iNOS protein level to elucidate the mechanism by which the NO production was inhibited. It was reduced by 40% with a Koreinsis chinensis leaf extract concentration of $25{\mu}g/mL$ and identified iNOS inhibition in dose-dependent manner. The prostaglandin $E_2$ production in cells treated with Koreinsis chinensis leaf extract was reduced by 26.2% at concentration of $25{\mu}g/mL$. The protein expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in LPS-treated Raw 264.7 cells was inhibited by 64% at $25{\mu}g/mL$ of Koreinsis chinensis leaf extract. Koreinsis chinensis leaf extract had a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on the production of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interleukin-6 as pro-inflammatory cytokine in LPS-treated Raw 264.7 cells at $25{\mu}g/mL$ of Koreinsis chinensis leaf extract. Their levels were decreased by 61.7 and 62% respectively.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.54 no.2
• /
• pp.114-119
• /
• 2011

n-Butanol extracts from Phellodendron amurense have about 50% inhibitory activity against hyaluronidase. The anti-inflammatory compound was isolated from P. amurense by Sephadex LH-20 and MCI-gel CHP-20 column chromatography with gradient elution. As a the result, its structure was identified as Jatrorrhizine by the interpretation of spectroscopic analyses including $^1H$- and $^{13}C$-NMR. In anti-inflammatory activity, the expression of nitric oxide (NO) was inhibited as above 60% at 100 ${\mu}g/mL$ concentration of extracts and then purified Jatrorrhizine from P. amurense. The inhibitory activities against the expression of inducible NO syntase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were 45% and 29%. It seems that the extracts and purified Jatrorrhizine from P. amurense were expected anti-inflammatory effect in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw264.7 cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.194-201
• /
• 2016

The anti-inflammatory activity of ethanol extract from Chondrus nipponicus Yendo (CNYEE) was investigated by measuring production of a lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response mediator. CNYEE had no cytotoxic effects on proliferation of macrophages compared to the control. CNYEE significantly inhibited (over 50%) NO production at $50{\mu}g/mL$, with inhibitory effects on expression levels of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), and IL-$1{\beta}$. In particular, IL-6 inhibitory activity of CNYEE was higher than 70% at $100{\mu}g/mL$. CNYEE also reduced protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$ in a dose-dependent manner. CNYEE also significantly reduced phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Therefore, these results suggest that CNYEE may have anti-inflammatory effects by modulating the NF-${\kappa}B$ and mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathways and may be used as an anti-inflammatory therapeutic material.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 1995.04a
• /
• pp.56-56
• /
• 1995

자연계에 널리 분포하고 있는 flavonoid 유도체들은 다양한 구조에 따라, 다양한 생물활성을 보인다. 최근에는 이들이 cyclooxygenase/lipoxygenase를 저해한다는 사실이 알려진 후에 이들 유도체들을 항염증제 또는 항알레르기 약물로 개발하려는 시도가 계속되고 있다. 이들 연구의 일환으로 본 연구자들은 여러 flavonoid유도체들에 대한 in vivo 항염증능 및 림프구증식억제능을 보고하였다 (Arch. Pharm. Res. 16, 18, 25 (1993), 17, 31, 236 (1994), Life Sci. 54, 313 (1994)). 또한 flavonoid 유도체들 중 apigenin-dimer인 수종의 biflavonoid들이 group II phospholipase $A_2$ 저해제인 것을 밝혔고 (BBRC 205, 843 (1994)), 이들 중 몇 종은 림프구증식능에 대하여 억제작용을 보인다는 것을 알았다 (Life Sci. in revision). 본 연구에서는 이들 biflavonoid 유도체들 중 amentoflavone과 ginkgetin을 중심으로 이들의 림프구증식억제능 및 in vivo에서의 항염증작용을 연구하였다. 그 결과, ginkgetin (1-10 $\mu$M)은 Con A와 LPS에 의해 유도되는 림프구중식을 비가역적으로 억제하였으며, 이들 유도체들은 마우스 귀부종에 대하여 복강내투여에서 강력한 항염증능을 보인다는 것을 알았다.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.34 no.1 s.132
• /
• pp.109-117
• /
• 2003

Arachidonic acid(AA), which is stored in membrane glycerophospholipids, is liberated by phospholipase $A_2(PLA_2)$ enzymes and is sequentially converted to cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) then to various bioactive prostaglandins (PGs,) and leukotrienes (LTs). In order to find the specific inhibitors of AA metabolism enzymes such as $PLA_2$, COX-2, 5-LO and lyso PAF acetyltransferase. 195 Korean indigenous plant extracts were evaluated for their inhibitory activity on $PGD_2,\;LTC_4$ production from cytokine-induced mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) and arachidonic acid released from phospholipid and PAF production from lyso PAF. From this screening procedure, methanol extract of eight plants such as Saururus chinensis, Aster tataricus, Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium, Reynoutria japonica, Disocorea nipponica, Epimedium koreanum, impatiens textori, Veronica rotunda var. subintegra were found to inhibit production of inflammatory mediators in vitro assay system.