title: Production of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha by Smilacis rhizoma in mouse peritoneal macrophages.
abstract: Using mouse peritoneal macrophages, we have examined the mechanism by which, Smilacis rhizoma (SR) regulates nitric oxide (NO) production. When SR was used in combination with recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma), there was a marked cooperative induction of NO production. However, SR had no effect on NO production by itself. The increased production of NO from rIFN-gamma plus SR-stimulated cells was almost completely inhibited by pre-treatment with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB). Furthermore, treatment of peritoneal macrophages with rIFN-gamma plus SR caused a significant increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production. PDTC also decreased the effect of SR on TNF-alpha production significantly. These findings demonstrate that SR increases the production of NO and TNF-alpha by rIFN-gamma-primed macrophages and suggest that NF-kappaB plays a critical role in mediating these effects of SR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-Dong, Dongdaemun-Gu, Seoul 130-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hwan-Suck
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Chang-Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Eon-Jeong
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung-Heon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Hyung-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011392:Proline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013859:Thiocarbamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013859:Thiocarbamates; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C066229:prolinedithiocarbamate; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D011392:Proline