Bimodal effect of glycyrrhizin on macrophage nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 production.
Glycyrrhizin is a major constituent of Kanzo, a popular herbal medicine used in food and cosmetics. Glycyrrhizin alone did not stimulate nitric oxide (NO) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production by RAW 264.7 cells, but modified lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated NO and PGE2 production in a bimodal fashion: it was stimulatory at lower concentrations, whereas it was inhibitory at higher concentrations. Electron-spin resonance spectroscopy showed that glycyrrhizin slightly scavenged the superoxide anion generated by hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction, but did not scavenge the DPPH and NO radicals. The present study demonstrates the concentration-dependent action of glycyrrhizin on both PGE2 and NO production by activated macrophages.
Department of Oral Surgery, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical School, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-8550, Japan. takao@saitama-med.ac.jp
Takao
T
Kato
Norio
N
Horie
Ken
K
Hashimoto
Kazue
K
Satoh
Tetsuo
T
Shimoyama
Tadayoshi
T
Kaneko
Kaoru
K
Kusama
Hiroshi
H
Sakagami
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D015232:Dinoprostone