Artemisinin inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase and nuclear factor NF-kB activation.
Artemisinin is a natural product used as an alternative drug in the treatment of severe and multidrug-resistant malaria. In the present work we show that artemisinin shares with other sesquiterpene lactones the ability to inhibit the activation of the nuclear factor NF-kB: by this mechanism, artemisinin, as well as parthenolide, inhibits nitric oxide synthesis in cytokine-stimulated human astrocytoma T67 cells. These results suggest that artemisinin, in addition to its antiparasitic properties, could also exert a therapeutic effect on neurological complications of malaria.
Aldieri
Elisabetta
E
Department of Genetics, Biology and Biochemistry, University of Torino, Via Santena 5/bis, 10126 Torino, Italy.
Atragene
Daniela
D
Bergandi
Loredana
L
Riganti
Chiara
C
Costamagna
Costanzo
C
Bosia
Amalia
A
Ghigo
Dario
D
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D016207:Cytokines; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C002669:parthenolide; C031327:artemisinin; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse