• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.344-350
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• 2012

Previously, we showed that Dangguisoo-san (DGSS), an herbal formula that has been traditionally used for the treatment of blood stagnation, is also applicable for inflammatory lung diseases. Activation of Nrf2, an anti-inflammatory transcription factor, and suppression of NF-${\kappa}B$, a pro-inflammatory transcription factor, were suggested as an underlying mechanism. However, the constituents responsible for these activities remain unidentified. To this end, we prepared the water extracts of the 9 constituents of DGSS and tested for their effect on Nrf2 by using an Nrf2-Luciferase reporter cell line and western blot analysis. Results show that Carthamus tinctorius L.(CT), one of the 9 constituents of DGSS, strongly activated Nrf2. Similarly, when measured the effect of the 9 constituents on NF-${\kappa}B$ by using an NF-${\kappa}B$-Luciferase reporter cell line and western blotting for nuclear p65, indicative of activated NF-${\kappa}B$, most constituents were capable of suppressing NF-${\kappa}B$ in various degrees. However, CT and Cyperus rotundus L. (CR) strongly suppressed NF-${\kappa}B$ activity elicited by LPS. Of note, CT activated Nrf2 and suppressed NF-${\kappa}B$ strongly as well. Our results contributes to corroborating the anti-inflammatory effects of DGSS by identifying CT and CR as two major herbs responsible for activating Nrf2 and suppressing NF-${\kappa}B$. These results suggest that CT and CR represent some of the effects of DGSS in the regulation of inflammation.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제20권12호
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• pp.1772-1776
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• 2010

내재면역반응의 중요한 조절자인 Nrf2와 NF-${\kappa}B$는 염증시에 교차 작용을 통하여 서로의 전사활성을 조절할 수 있다고 보고된 바 있으나 상반된 결과도 제시되고 있어서 아직까지 확실하게 규명되어 있지 않다. 저자들은 선행연구에서 NF-${\kappa}B$ 저해제인 금(I)-화합물 오라노핀이 인간 관절활막세포와 단핵구성 세포에서 Nrf2를 활성화시킴을 확인한 바 있기 때문에, 본 연구에서는 Nrf2를 knockdown 시킨 류마티스성 활막세포를 사용하여 오라노핀에 의해 저해되는 NF-${\kappa}B$ 신호전달 과정에 Nrf2가 관여하는지를 조사하였다. 세포를 Nrf2 siRNA로 transfection시켰을 때 Nrf2 발현은 대부분 차단됨을 확인하였다. 하지만 Nrf2 knockdown은 TNF-$\alpha$에 의해 유도되는 $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ 분해를 막는 오라노핀의 작용에는 영향을 주지 않았다. Nrf2 target 단백질로서 항염 작용에 관여하는 HO-1을 knockdown 시켰을 경우에도 $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ 분해를 저해하는 오라노핀의 작용에 영향을 미치지 않았다. 또한, Nrf2 knockdown은 오라노핀에 의해 저해된 ICAM-1 발현을 다시 복원시키지 못했다. 이러한 결과들은 염증성 싸이토킨에 의해 유도되는 NF-${\kappa}B$ 활성화를 오라노핀이 저해하는 기전에 Nrf2 및 HO-1이 관련되어 있지 않음을 시사한다. 따라서 류마티스성 관절활막세포에서 오라노핀의 항염작용 기전으로 알려진 Nrf2/HO-1 활성유도와 NF-${\kappa}B$ 활성저해는 교차작용 없이 각각 독립적인 기전을 통해 나타나는 것으로 생각된다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제47권9호
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• pp.524-529
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• 2014

Oxidative stress and inflammation are common to many pathological conditions. Defense mechanisms protect cells from oxidative stress, but can become over-activated following injury and inflammation. NF-${\kappa}B$ and Nrf2 transcription factors regulate proinflammatory and antioxidant gene expression, respectively. Studies have shown that many natural dietary compounds regulate NF-${\kappa}B$ and Nrf2, preventing inflammation and oxidative stress. Here, we report major compounds of Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina such as rosmarinic acid, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and caffeic acid as a potential therapeutic for oxidative stress and inflammation. The major compounds exhibited high anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting NO, PGE2 production, NF-${\kappa}B$ expression and activating Nrf2 expression. In addition, we examined the effect of major compounds on MafK expression. Among the compounds, oleanolic acid significantly decreased MafK expression and MafK-mediated p65 acetylation. These findings suggest that oleanolic acid as NF-${\kappa}B$ inhibitors can potentially be used in therapeutic applications for the treatment of oxidative stress-induced diseases.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권12호
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• pp.1008-1015
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• 2018

$I{\kappa}B$, a cytoplasmic inhibitor of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$), is reportedly degraded via the proteasome. However, we recently found that long-term incubation with proteasome inhibitors (PIs) such as PS-341 or MG132 induces $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation via an alternative pathway, lysosome, which results in $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation and confers resistance to PI-induced lung cancer cell death. To enhance the anti-cancer efficacy of PIs, elucidation of the regulatory mechanism of PI-induced $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation is necessary. Here, we demonstrated that PI up-regulates nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) via both de novo protein synthesis and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) degradation, which is responsible for $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation via macroautophagy activation. PIs increased the protein level of light chain 3B (LC3B, macroautophagy marker), but not lysosome-associated membrane protein 2a (Lamp2a, the receptor for chaperone-mediated autophagy) in NCI-H157 and A549 lung cancer cells. Pretreatment with macroautophagy inhibitor or knock-down of LC3B blocked PI-induced $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation. PIs up-regulated Nrf2 by increasing its transcription and mediating degradation of KEAP1 (cytoplasmic inhibitor of Nrf2). Overexpression of dominant-negative Nrf2, which lacks an N-terminal transactivating domain, or knock-down of Nrf2 suppressed PI-induced LC3B protein expression and subsequent $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation. Thus, blocking of the Nrf2 pathway enhanced PI-induced cell death. These findings suggest that Nrf2-driven induction of LC3B plays an essential role in PI-induced activation of the $I{\kappa}B$/$NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway, which attenuates the anti-tumor efficacy of PIs.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.75-81
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• 2017

Dangguisoo-san (DGSS), a traditional Korean herbal formula, has been prescribed to patients who suffer from various symptoms related with blood stagnation. Since inflammation can cause blood stagnation, we hypothesized that DGSS suppresses inflammation, relieving the symptoms associated with blood stagnation. In this study, given that DGSS is prepared in a mix of alcohol and water, we prepared the methanol (mDGSS) and water extract (wDGSS) of DGSS and compared their activities in suppressing inflammatory reaction. Western blot analyses show that mDGSS was more effective than wDGSS in activating Nrf2, a key factor that suppresses inflammation. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR shows that mDGSS activating Nrf2 resulted in the induction of Nrf2-dependent genes expression. However, mDGSS was not effective in suppressing the nuclear translocation of $NF-{\kappa}B$, a key factor that promotes inflammation, and the expression of $NF-{\kappa}B$-dependent genes such as TNF-a and IL-1b. When comparing with wDGSS, mDGSS was less effective in suppressing luciferase activity driven by $NF-{\kappa}B$. Therefore, our results show that mDGSS has the anti-inflammatory function by mainly activating Nrf2, while wDGSS does by both activating Nrf2 and suppressing $NF-{\kappa}B$. Our results suggest that preparing DGSS in a mix of water and methanol is a better way to achieve a strong anti-inflammatory efficacy of DGSS.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.28-35
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• 2018

Pulegone is a naturally occurring organic compound obtained from essential oils from a variety of plants. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects through the inhibitory mechanism of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX-2), nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathways and the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/ heme oxygenase (HO)-1 pathways in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Results revealed that pulegone significantly inhibited NO production as well as iNOS and COX-2 expressions. Meanwhile, western blot analysis showed that pulegone down-regulated LPS-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ and MAPKs activation in RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, the selected compound suppressed LPS-induced intracellular ROS production in RAW 264.7 cells, while the expression of stress response gene, HO-1, and its transcriptional activator, Nrf-2 was upregulated upon pulegone treatment. Taking together, these findings provided that pulegone inhibited the LPS-induced expression of inflammatory mediators via the down-regulation iNOS, COX-2, $NF-{\kappa}B$, and MAPKs signaling pathways as well as up-regulation of Nrf-2/HO-1 indicating that pulegone has a potential therapeutic and preventive application in various inflammatory diseases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.268-282
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• 2016

In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. Bark. (EUE) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglial BV-2 cells and found that EUE inhibited LPS-mediated up-regulation of pro-inflammatory response factors. In addition, EUE inhibited the elevated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, mediators, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells. Subsequent mechanistic studies revealed that EUE suppressed LPS-induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt, glycogen synthase $kinase-3{\beta}$ ($GSK-3{\beta}$), and their downstream transcription factor, nuclear factor-kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$). EUE also blocked the nuclear translocation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ and inhibited its binding to DNA. We next demonstrated that EUE induced the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and upregulated heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. We determined that the significant up-regulation of HO-1 expression by EUE was a consequence of Nrf2 nuclear translocation; furthermore, EUE increased the DNA binding of Nrf2. In contrast, zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), a specific HO-1 inhibitor, blocked the ability of EUE to inhibit NO and $PGE_2$ production, indicating the vital role of HO-1. Overall, our results indicate that EUE inhibits pro-inflammatory responses by modulating MAPKs, PI3K/Akt, and $GSK-3{\beta}$, consequently suppressing $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation and inducing Nrf2-dependent HO-1 activation.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.436-441
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• 2019

연은 아시아 국가에서 음식과 약재로 널리 사용되는 재료이다. 본 연구에서는 연의 잎(leaf, NL), 자육(seed, NS), 자방(seedpod, NSP)으로부터 에탄올 추출물을 제조하고 이들의 항염증 활성과 작용기전을 규명하였다. 이들의 항염증 활성을 연구하기 위하여 LPS로 자극된 RAW 264.7 세포에서 nitric oxide (NO) 생산을 측정하였다. NL, NS, NSP는 세포 생존율에 영향을 주지 않으면서, 농도의존적으로 NO의 생산을 현저하게 저해하였으며, iNOS 및 COX-2와 같은 pro-inflammatory 중재자들의 단백질 발현을 감소시켰다. 또한, NL, NS, NSP는 MAPKs 단백질의 인신화를 감소시키고 $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65의 핵으로의 이동을 저해함으로써, 세 추출물에 의한 항염증 활성은 MAPKs 경로와 $NF-{\kappa}B$ 경로를 조절함으로써 이루어짐을 제시한다. 게다가, ROS의 생성이 세 추출물에 의해서 모두 저해되었으며, HO-1의 발현과 HO-1의 전사조절인자인 Nrf2의 핵으로의 이동이 증가되었다. 결론적으로, 이러한 연구 결과는 연의 다양한 부위의 추출물인 NL, NS 그리고 NSP는 항염증 활성을 가지고 있으며, MAPKs, $NF-{\kappa}B$, Nrf2/HO-1 등 다양한 신호경로를 통해 조절할 수 있음을 제시한다.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.13-20
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• 2018

Estragole is a naturally occurring phenylpropanoid obtained from essential oils found in a broad diversity of plants. Although the phenylpropanoids show many biological activities, clear regulation of the inflammatory signaling pathways has not yet been determined. Here, we scrutinized the anti-inflammatory effect of estragole. The anti-inflammatory effect of estragole was determined through the inhibitory mechanisms of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX-2), nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$), and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathways and the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2)/heme oxygenase (HO)-1 pathways in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Estragole significantly inhibited NO production, iNOS and COX-2 expression as well as LPS-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ and MAPK activation. Furthermore, estragole suppressed LPS-induced intracellular ROS production but up-regulated the stress response gene HO-1 via the activation of transcription factor Nrf-2. These findings demonstrate that estragole inhibits the LPS-induced expression of inflammatory mediators via the down-regulation of iNOS, COX-2, $NF-{\kappa}B$, and MAPK pathways, as well as the up-regulation of the Nrf-2/HO-1 pathway, indicating that this phenylpropanoid has potential therapeutic and preventive applications in various inflammatory diseases.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제10권6호
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• pp.212-218
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• 2010

Backgroud: The stem bark of Kalopanax pictus (KP) has been used in traditional medicine to treat rheumatoidal arthritis, neurotic pain and diabetes mellitus in China and Korea. In this study, the mechanism responsible for anti-inflammatory effects of KP was investigated. Methods: We examined the effects of KP on NO production, nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and HO-1 expression, NF-${\kappa}B$, Nrf2 and MAPK activation in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Results: The aqueous extract of KP inhibited LPS-induced NO secretion as well as inducible iNOS expression, without affecting cell viability. KP suppressed LPS-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activation, phosphorylation and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$, phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Furthermore, KP induced HO-1 expression and Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Conclusion: These results suggest that KP has the inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO production in macrophages through NF-${\kappa}B$ suppression and HO-1 induction.