title: Flavonoids as inhibitors or enhancers of the cytotoxicity of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in L-929 tumor cells.
abstract: The effects of some selected flavonoids on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF)-induced cytotoxicity in murine fibroblast L-929 cells were studied. All of the flavanones tested as well as a flavan, epicatechin, protected L-929 cells from TNF-induced cell death of the flavanones tested, hesperetin, isosakuranetin, and pinocembrin failed to modify TNF cytotoxicity, but the 3',4'-dihydroxyflavanones, eriodictyol and taxifolin, showed a protective effect. Eriodictyol was the most potent protective agent of all the flavonoids tested, while a 4'-hydroxyflavanone, naringenin, rather showed enhancement of TNF cytotoxicity. Of the flavones tested, chrysin and apigenin markedly augmented the cytotoxicity of TNF, while luteolin showed a weak protective effect. The magnitude of protection and potentiation by these flavonoids were concentration-dependent and these effects were not altered when the flavonoids were added as much as 2 h after TNF treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, U.K. s.habtemariam@strath.ac.uk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Habtemariam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha