title: Immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of triptolide, the principal active diterpenoid from the Chinese medicinal herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f.
abstract: Extracts of Tripterygium wilfordii hook. f. (leigong teng, Thundergod vine) are effective in traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of immune inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, nephritis and asthma. Characterisation of the terpenoids present in extracts of Tripterygium identified triptolide, a diterpenoid triepoxide, as responsible for most of the immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects observed in vitro. Triptolide inhibits lymphocyte activation and T-cell expression of interleukin-2 at the level of transcription. In all cell types examined, triptolide inhibits nuclear factor-kappaB transcriptional activation at a unique step in the nucleus after binding to DNA. Further characterisation of the molecular mechanisms of triptolide action will serve to elucidate pathways of immune system regulation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305, USA. peterkao@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Daoming
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Peter N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Kao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D029757:Tripterygium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004224:Diterpenes; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D010616:Phenanthrenes; C001899:triptolide