title: Notopterygium forbesii boiss extract and its active constituents increase reactive species and heme oxygenase-1 in human fetal hepatocytes: mechanisms of action.
abstract: Notopterygium forbesii Boiss (NF) has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of common cold and rheumatism. However, there has been limited research on the biological properties of NF, and the mechanisms of action remain unknown. Here, we aimed to study the mechanism of NF-induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in human fetal hepatocytes (HFHs) and to identify the constituents responsible. Exposure of HFHs to NF causes oxidative stress with the accumulation of reactive species, which in turn leads to the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 transcription factor, and eventually increased levels of HO-1 mRNA and protein. The increases in reactive species and HO-1 protein are inhibited by agonists of glucocorticoid receptors (GR), such as RU28362, prednisolone, and dexamethasone, as well as by N-acetyl-L-cysteine and SB203580 (a p38 inhibitor), suggesting a role of GR in NF-induced increases in reactive species and HO-1. Assay-guided fractionation of NF led to three active compounds, phenethyl ferulate, bergaptol, and isoimperatorin, that were found to increase oxidative stress and HO-1 protein levels in HFHs. The induction of HO-1 protein in response to moderate oxidative stress may explain some of the beneficial pharmacological effects of NF.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Centre for Life Sciences, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456.
authors: Soon Yew
authors: SY
authors: Tang
authors: Huansong
authors: H
authors: Wang
authors: Wenxia
authors: W
authors: Zhang
authors: Barry
authors: B
authors: Halliwell
mesh_terms: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000732:Androstanols / Q000494:pharmacology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry*; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D020868:Gene Silencing; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D000732:Androstanols; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495635:NFE2L2 protein, human; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C049154:11,17-dihydroxy-6-methyl-17-(1-propynyl)androsta-1,4,6-triene-3-one; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases