Inhibition of nitric oxide and TNF-$\alpha$ production by propenone compound through blockaded of NF-$\kappa$B activation in cultured murine macrophages

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages produced a large amounts of nitric oxide (NO) by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). This is an important mechanism in macrophages-induced septic shock and inflammation. In the present study, we tested a synthetic propenone compound, l-furan-2-yl-3-pyridin-2-yl-propenone (FPP-3) for its ability to inhibit the production of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-$\alpha$) and an inducible enzyme, iNOS, in the LPS-stimulated murine macrophage-like cell line, Raw264.7. FPP-3 consistently inhibited nitric oxide (NO) and TNF-$\alpha$ production in a dose dependent manner, with $IC_50$> values of 10.0 and 13.1 $\mu$M, respectively. (omitted)