• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.2 s.133
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• pp.150-155
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• 2003

The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) protein induce transcription of cytokine genes required for T-cell activation, including the IL-2 gene. Activation of NFAT normally plays a significant role in inducing immune response. However, excessive activation provokes immunopathological reactions including autoimmunity, transplant rejection and inflammation. Thus, several natural products were screened on the inhibitory activity against the NFAT transcription factor. Among them, Euonymus sieboldiana showed strong inhibitory activity against the NFAT transcription factor without affecting cell viability.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.738-741
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• 2004

Three lignans isolated from the roots of A. koreanum (Araliaceae), namely eleutheroside E(1), tortoside A(2), and hemiariensin(4), were evaluated for their ability to inhibit NFAT transcription factor. Of these compounds, compound 4, possessing a diarylbutane skeleton, exhibited potent inhibitory activity against NFAT transcription factor (($IC_{50}$ ： 36.3${\pm}2.5{\mu}\textrm{M}$). However, the activities of 1 (($IC_{50}$：＞500 11M) and 2 (($IC_{50}$： 136.1 ${\pm}9.4\mu\textrm{M}$), which possess bisaryldioxabicy-clooctane skeletons, were lower. As the lignan derivatives of the same skeletons, hinokinin (5) and (-)-yatein (6) with diarylbutane skeletons and(＋)-syringaresinol (3) with a bisaryldioxabicy-clooctane skeleton were also studied for their inhibitory effects on NFAT transcription factor.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.94-96
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• 2002

Four hundred varieties of plant extracts were screened for inhibitory activity against the NFAT transcription factor which plays an important role in inducing immune response. Among them, the MeOH extract of Cnidium officinale showed potent activity, and the activity-guided separation yielded butylidenephthalide, senkyunolide A and falcarindiol as the active constituents. The $IC_{50}$ value of butylidenephthalide was $1.3{\times}10^{-4}\;M$ and was similar to that of senkyunolide A $(2.1{\times}10^{-4}\;M)$. Interestingly, falcarindiol showed higher activity $(IC_{50},\;2.6{\times}10^{-5}\;M)$ than the two phthalides.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1345-1349
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• 2005

Six phenolic constituents, 2-methoxybenzyl benzoate (1), negletein (2), 2',3'-dihydroxy-4',6'­dimethoxydihydrochalcone (3), 5,6-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-dihydroflavone (4), astilbin (5), and quercitrin (6) were isolated from the methanol extract of the dried leaves of Desmos chinensis. Their structures were elucidated from spectral and chemical data. Of these constituents, compounds 2 ($IC_{50}$: 3.89 $\pm$ 0.39 $\mu$M) and 3 ($IC_{50}$: 9.77 $\pm$ 0.26 $\mu$M) exhibited potent inhibitory activity against nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) transcription factor, and compound 1 ($IC_{50}$: 28.4 $\pm$ 2.62 $\mu$M) exhibited moderate inhibitory activity.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.825-828
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• 2004

Two triterpenoids (1,4) and two triterpenoid glycosides (2,3) were isolated from the root of Acanthopanax koreanum (Araliaceae). Their structures were identified as impressic acid (1), acankoreoside A (2), 3-epi-betulinic acid 28-O-［(${\alpha}-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1{\rightarrow}4)-{\beta}-D-glucopyrano-syl(1{\rightarrow}6)]-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl]$ ester (3), and ursolic acid (4) by physicochemical and spectro-scopic methods. Of these compounds, impressic acid (1) exhibited a potent inhibitory activity against NFAT transcription factor ($IC_{50}:{\;}12.65{\;}{\mu\textrm{m}}$).

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.459-465
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• 2011

The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) protein induces transcriptions of cytokine genes including IL-2 for T-cell activation. Normally activation of NFAT is important to induce immune responses but excessive NFAT activation provokes immunopathological reactions such as autoimmunity, transplant rejection, and inflammation. Thus, for the treatment of autoimmune diseases drugs repressing the activation of NFAT have been searched. In this study, immnunosuppressive effects of Rosa chinensis Jacq. extracts identified as a potent NFAT inhibitor from a natural product library were examined. NFAT reporter assay, MTS assay, real time PCR, IL-2 ELISA, MLR, and FACS (Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorting) were used to measure inhibitory immunocyte activities of Rosa chinensis Jacq. The variety of natural products have been screened and some were found to show inhibitory activities against the NFAT transcription factor. Among them, extract of Rosa chinensis Jacq. showed an strong inhibitory effect on the activation of NFAT without affecting cell viability. Levels of IL-2 transcripts as well as IL-2 protein were decreased with treatment of Rosa chinensis Jacq. extract. In addition, immunosuppressive activity of Rosa chinensis Jacq. extract was exhibited in the mixed leukocytes reaction. The increasement of CD4+CD25+ (Treg) immunocyte was also detected in the analysis using FACS after applying Rosa chinensis Jacq. extract. Immunosuppressive effects of the Rosa chinensis Jacq. extracts were clearly demonstrated in the present study. In addition, Rosa chinensis Jacq. extract also positively affected regulatory T cell induction. Further investigations in particular on purification of single substance responsible for the immunosuppressive effects from the extract and analysis on possible actions of the extract in interfering cell signaling and cytokine production will be needed.