title: Cnidilide, an alkylphthalide isolated from the roots of Cnidium officinale, suppresses LPS-induced NO, PGE2, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α production by AP-1 and NF-κB inactivation in RAW 264.7 macrophages.
abstract: Cnidilide, an alkyl phthalide isolated from the rhizome of Cnidium officinale, has been reported to possess antispasmodic and sedative effects. However, the anti-inflammatory capacity and molecular mechanism of cnidilide have not been studied to date. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of cnidilide on LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators and the underlying molecular mechanisms in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Our results indicated that cnidilide potently inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression at the protein and mRNA levels and their promoter activities, causing attendant decreases in the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2(PGE2). In addition, cnidilide reduced LPS-induced production and mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in a dose-dependent manner. Molecular data revealed that cnidilide inhibited LPS-induced transcriptional activity of activator protein-1 (AP-1) by reducing the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of c-Fos and c-Jun. In addition, cnidilide attenuated LPS-induced transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and this reduction was accompanied by parallel reduction in the phosphorylation, but not in the translocation of p65 NF-κB. In addition, cnidilide inhibited LPS-induced phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 1(MSK-1), a downstream kinase. Moreover, the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was suppressed by cnidilide in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas it did not inhibit the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Taken together, our findings suggest that cnidilide has anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting p38 MAPK, JNK, AP-1, and the NF-κB pathway in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Woo-Seok
authors: WS
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Ji-Sun
authors: JS
authors: Shin
authors: Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors: Dae Sik
authors: DS
authors: Jang
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: ktlee@khu.ac.kr.
authors: Kyung-Tae
authors: KT
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031048:Cnidium; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots; D000067996:RAW 264.7 Cells; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001572:Benzofurans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C577686:interleukin-6, mouse; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C058581:cnidilide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; C077623:Ptgs2 protein, mouse; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D015232:Dinoprostone
keywords: Activator protein-1; Cnidilide; Mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 1; Nitric oxide; Nuclear factor-κB; Prostaglandin E(2)