title: Mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of glycyrrhizin: effect on neutrophil functions including reactive oxygen species generation.
abstract: The effect of glycyrrhizin on inflammatory mediators such as neutrophil functions including reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was examined. Glycyrrhizin significantly decreased neutrophil-generated O2-, H2O2 and OH in a dose-dependent manner. However, the drug did not reduce any of the ROS generated in a cell-free, xanthine-xanthine oxidase system. The drug did not affect neutrophil chemotaxis or phagocytosis, either. The present study indicates that glycyrrhizin is not an ROS scavenger but exerts an anti-inflammatory action by inhibiting the generation of ROS by neutrophils, the most potent inflammatory mediator at the site of inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akamatsu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Komura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niwa
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects; D005609:Free Radicals; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D006801:Humans; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D005609:Free Radicals; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid; D010100:Oxygen