title: Immunostimulating activity of maysin isolated from corn silk in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages.
abstract: Corn silk (CS) has long been consumed as a traditional herb in Korea. Maysin is a major flavonoid of CS. The effects of maysin on macrophage activation were evaluated, using the murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Maysin was isolated from CS by methanol extraction, and preparative C18 reverse phase column chromatography. Maysin was nontoxic up to 100 μg/ml, and dose-dependently increased TNF-α secretion and iNOS production by 11.2- and 4.2-fold, respectively, compared to untreated control. The activation and subsequent nuclear translocation of NF-κB was substantially enhanced upon treatment with maysin (1-100 μg/ml). Maysin also stimulated the phosphorylation of Akt and MAPKs (ERK, JNK). These results indicated that maysin activates macrophages to secrete TNF-α and induce iNOS expression, via the activation of the Akt, NF-κB and MAPKs signaling pathways. These results suggest for the first time that maysin can be a new immunomodulator, enhancing the early innate immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 420-743, Korea.
authors.forename: Jisun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 441-857, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Lim
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 420-743, Korea.
authors.forename: Seul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Health, Welfare and Education, Gwangju University, Gwangju 503-703, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Ja
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 420-743, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Il
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity*; D005960:Glucosides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity*; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D005419:Flavonoids; D005960:Glucosides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C114429:maysin; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases