title: Triptolide inhibits TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta and NO production in primary microglial cultures.
abstract: Microglia are believed to participate in the mediation of neurodegeneration through producing a variety of cytotoxic factors upon activation. Pharmacological intervention in microglial activation may therefore exert a neuroprotective effect. In exploring pharmacological agents that can affect microglial activation, we found in this study that triptolide possesses a powerful inhibitory influence over microglia. Pretreatment with triptolide was able to dose-dependently reduce the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitrite accumulation and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta release from LPS-activated microglia as revealed by Griess reaction and ELISA, respectively. Triptolide reduced LPS-stimulated mRNA expression of all three inflammatory factors. The results obtained from this study demonstrate that triptolide can inhibit inflammatory responses of microglia to inflammatory stimulation via a mechanism involving the inhibition of the synthesis and release of inflammatory factors.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Hui-Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Dong-Bin
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Feng-Qiao
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xian-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qi-Hua
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xin-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D004224:Diterpenes; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D007375:Interleukin-1; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C001899:triptolide; D009569:Nitric Oxide