title: The nitric oxide-producing activities of Scutellaria baicalensis.
abstract: Scutellaria baicalensis (SB) has antibacterial and antiviral activities. Nitric oxide (NO) as a potent macrophage-derived effector molecule against a variety of bacteria, viruses and tumors has received increasing attention. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of SB on the production of NO. Stimulation of mouse peritoneal macrophages with SB after the treatment of recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma) resulted in the increased NO production. SB had no effect on NO production by itself. When SB was used in combination with rIFN-gamma, there was a marked cooperative induction of NO production in a dose-dependent manner. The optimal effect of SB on NO production was shown 6 h after treatment with rIFN-gamma. NO production by SB was inhibited by N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine. The increased production of NO from rIFN-(gamma) plus SB-stimulated cells was decreased by the treatment of protein kinase C inhibitor such as staurosporin. In addition, synergy between rIFN-gamma and SB was mainly dependent on SB-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) secretion. All the preparations of SB were endotoxin free. These results suggest that the capacity of SB to increase NO production from rIFN-gamma-primed mouse peritoneal macrophages is the result of SB-induced TNF-gamma secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oriental Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, South Korea. hmkim@med.wonkwang.ac.kr
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D044950:Flavanones; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D044950:Flavanones; D005419:Flavonoids; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C038044:baicalin; C006680:baicalein; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C085514:wogonin