title: Inhibitory effect of Curcuma comosa on NO production and cytokine expression in LPS-activated microglia.
abstract: Curcuma comosa is an indigenous plant of Thailand, which has been traditionally and widely used as an anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of postpartum uterine bleeding and uterine inflammation. However, the scientific investigation on its anti-inflammatory activity has not been reported. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of the extract from C. comosa on the responses in microglia stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Pretreatment of highly aggressively proliferating immortalized (HAPI) cells, a rat microglial cell line, with the hexane extract of C. comosa rhizome at 10(-9) to 10(-5) g/ml significantly suppressed the levels of NO released from these cells. The attenuation in iNOS protein and mRNA expression was also observed suggesting an interference at transcriptional level. In addition, C. comosa extract inhibited interferon regulatory factor-1 expression which is an essential transcription factor governing the iNOS expression. Moreover, the levels of mRNA expressions of MCP-1 and IL-6 induced by LPS were also prominently decreased in the presence of C. comosa extract. These results suggest that C. comosa extract possesses a strong anti-inflammatory activity and has a potential to be developed as a therapeutic compound for diverse neurological disorders associated with inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Science, Phayathai, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Nattinee
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jantaratnotai
authors.forename: Pongsak
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Utaisincharoen
authors.forename: Pawinee
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piyachaturawat
authors.forename: Sukumal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chongthammakun
authors.forename: Yupin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sanvarinda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics*; D030024:Curcuma; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1 / Q000502:physiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; C491766:Ccl2 protein, rat; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma