Tetrandrine suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced microglial activation by inhibiting NF-kappaB pathway.
OBJECTIVE
Microglial activation has been implicated in many neurological diseases. In this study, we examined the effects of tetrandrine (TET), a major pharmacologically-active compound of Chinese herb Stephania tetrandra S Moore on microglial activation.


METHODS
The microglia pretreated with or without TET were activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro. Nitric oxide (NO) release, superoxide anion (O2-) generation, as well as TNF-alpha and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production by microglia were measured afterwards. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay was performed to determine whether NF-kappaB activity in microglia was affected by TET treatment.


RESULTS
We found that TET inhibited the LPS-induced activation of microglia by decreasing the production of NO and O2-, consequently affecting the release of TNF-alphaand IL-6 in LPS-induced microglial activation. Such suppressive effect was accompanied by inhibiting transcription factor NF-kappaB activation.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that TET might modulate LPS-induced microglial activation by inhibiting the NF-kappaB-mediated release of inflammatory factors.
Xue
Yang
Y
Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Wang
Ying
Y
Feng
De-chun
DC
Xiao
Bao-guo
BG
Xu
Ling-yun
LY
D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines; D016207:Cytokines; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D009573:Nitrites; D013481:Superoxides; C009438:tetrandrine; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II