title: Augmentation of macrophage antitumor activities and nitric oxide production by oregonin.
abstract: Oregonin, a diarylheptanoid derivative from Alnus hirsuta Turcz, Betulaceae, was evaluated for its antitumor activity. Oregonin, known to have an antitumor function, and is a novel immunomodulator, which may augment macrophage activity. MTT assays and NO production tests were performed in order to investigate the cytotoxicity of oregonin in tumor cells and to examine its influence on macrophage in detail. In this study, the tumoricidal activity was also evaluated by a MTT assay. The cytotoxicity measurements in the oregonin-treated group both in vitro and in vivo showed a significant difference from that of the control group. In vivo, oregonin significantly increased NO production in a dose-dependent manner, and in vitro, the thioglycolate-induced inflammatory macrophages increased NO production in a dose-dependent manner after incubation. These results suggest that oregonin reacts with both the inflammatory and non-inflammatory macrophages in a similar way.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, College of Pharmacy, Chungang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seong-Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Han-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hee-Seung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Do-Ik
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D036381:Diarylheptanoids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D036381:Diarylheptanoids; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C409456:oregonin; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C022616:thiazolyl blue