• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.328-333
• /
• 2017

Desomodii Herba (DH) has been shown to exhibit pharmacologyical activities, such as increase myocaridal contraction and secretion of hepatic bile. DH is used to reduce pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis(RA) in Korean medicine. However, the DH exact(DHE) effect and mechanism on rheumatoid arthritis are unknown. In this study, we aimed at the inhibitory effect of DHE on rheumatoid arthritis, and investigated the effect in collagen-induced mice arthritis model and TNF-${\alpha}$ induced MMP-1 and MMP-3 expression including the molecular basis in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASFs).The effect of DHE on RA was measured by clinical scoring system. In RASFs, expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3 was assessed by Western blotting and real-time PCR. Also, Western blotting used to evaluate the phosphorylation levels of p38, ERK and JNK and activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1. Our results showed that DHE reduced collagen-induced arthritis in mice. DHE inhibits TNF-${\alpha}$ induced MMP-1 and MMP-3 expression and mRNA levels in RASFs. The inhibitory effect of DHE was mediated by the inhibition of the AP-1/JNK signaling pathway. Taken together, our results suggest that the DHE may have preventive potential for rheumatoid arthritis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.435-441
• /
• 2013

Emodin, a naturally occurring anthraquinone derivative isolated from Polygoni cuspidati radix, has several beneficial pharmacologic effects, which include anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, the authors examined the effect of emodin on the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ and interleukin (IL)-6, in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus the calcium ionophore A23187. To investigate the mechanism responsible for the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine production by emodin, the authors assessed its effects on the activations of transcriptional factor nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Emodin attenuated the nuclear translocation of (NF)-${\kappa}B$ p65 and its DNA-binding activity by reducing the phosphorylation and degradation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and the phosphorylation of $I{\kappa}B$ kinase B (IKK). Furthermore, emodin dose-dependently attenuated the phosphorylations of MAPKs, such as, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), p38 MAP kinase, and the stress-activated protein kinases (SAPK)/c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK). Taken together, the findings of this study suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of emodin on PMA plus A23187-stimulated BMMCs are mediated via the inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation and of the MAPK pathway.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.37 no.sup2
• /
• pp.311-323
• /
• 2007

Receptor activation of nuclear factor ${\kappa}$ B ligand (RANKL)은 파골세포의 분화와 기능에 중요한 역할을 하는 단백질로 이들 물질의 조절에는 p38 MAP kinase가 관여한다. 그러나 치주인대 섬유모세포에서 RANKL 발현 시 p38 MAP kinase의 역할은 잘 알려져 있지 않다. 이에 이번 연구는 마우스 치주인대 섬유모세포의 $IL-1{\beta}-induced$ RANKL 발현과정에서 p38의 역할을 규명하고자 하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 마우스 치주인대 섬유모세포에 $IL-1{\beta}$ (1ng/ml)의 자극은 수용성 RANKL의 합성을 증가시켰다. 수용성 RANKL의 합성은 p38 MAP kinase 억제제인 SB203580에 의해 농도 의존적으로 억제되었으나 다른 MAP kinase 억제제인 SP600125, JNK 억제제와 PD98059, ERK 억제제에 의해서는 수용성 RANKL의 합성이 조절되지 않았다. NF-kB 억제제에 의해서도 수용성 RANKL의 합성이 억제되지 않았다. RANKL 유전자의 발현은 $IL-1{\beta}$로 자극 시에는 대조군에 비해 약 5배의 발현 증가를 보였으나 SB203580으로 전처치 시 $IL-1{\beta}$ (1ng/ml)로 자극시보다 약 1.5배의 감소를 보였다. 그러나 SP600125, PD98059, 및 NF-kB 억제제로 전처치한 경우에는 $IL-1{\beta}$로 자극한 경우와 비슷한 수준을 보였다. $IL-1{\beta}$로 자극 시 RANKL 유전자의 반감기가 90분 이었으나 SB203580로 전처치 후 $IL-1{\beta}$로 자극 시 RANKL 유전자의 반감기는 60분으로 감소하였다. Cycloheximide 전처리 시 SB203580에 의한 RANKL 유전자 발현 억제가 관찰되지 않았다. 단백질 분석결과 p38 MAP kinase의 인산화 활성은 30분까지 증가하였으나 그 이후 감소하여 2시간째에는 그 발현이 미약하였다. SB203580로 전처치 후 $IL-1{\beta}$로 자극 시 p38 MAP kinase의 인산화 활성이 감소하였다. 이상의 결과는 p38 MAP kinase가 RANKL 유전자 조절에 중요한 역할을 담당하고 있음을 시사한다.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.1199-1204
• /
• 2003

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3 kinase) and the mitogenactivating protein (MAP) kinase pathway on the differentiation of ovine preadipocytes. In order to investigate this issue, we monitored glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity during differentiation with specific inhibitors of PI3 kinase and MAP kinase-Erk kinase, LY294002 and PD098059, respectively. The preadipocytes, which were obtained from ovine subcutaneous adipose tissues, were proliferated to confluence and then differentiated to adipocytes in differentiation medium with each inhibitor for 10 days. The confluent preadipocytes and differentiated adipocytes at days 3, 7 and 10 were harvested for assay of GPDH activity. LY294002 inhibited the differentiation program in dose- and day-dependent manners during 10 days of differentiation. PD098059 did not affect GPDH activity during differentiation. Furthermore, the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}2$ (PPAR-${\gamma}2$), the representative early gene of differentiation, was markedly reduced by LY294002 treatment, although PD098059 did not change it. Our results demonstrated that the activation of PI3 kinase contributes to the differentiation process of ovine preadipocytes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.10
• /
• pp.5983-5987
• /
• 2013

Radix Tetrastigma Hemsleyani Flavone (RTHF) is widely used as a traditional herb for its detoxification and anti-inflammation activity. Recently, several studies have shown that RTHF can inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in human cancer cell lines. However, the mechanisms are not completely understood yet. In this study we investigated the potential effects of RTHF on growth and apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells as well as its mechanisms. A549 cells were treated with RTHF at various concentrations for different times. In vitro the MTT assay showed that RTHF had obvious anti-proliferation effects on A549 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Cell morphological changes observed by inverted microscope and Hoechst33258 methods were compared with apoptotic changes observed by fluorescence microscope. Cell apoptosis inspected by flow cytometry showed significant increase in the treatment group over the control group (P<0.01). Expression of apoptosis related Bax/Bcl-2, caspases and MAPK pathway proteins were detected by Western blotting. The results showed that RTHF up-regulated the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and cle-caspase3/9, cle-PARP expression in a dose-dependent manner. Expression of p-p38 increased, p-ERK decreased significantly and that of p-JNK was little changed in the RTHF group when compared with the control group. These results suggest that RTHF might exert anti-growth and apoptosis activity against lung cancer A549 cells through activation of caspases and Bcl-2 family proteins and the MAPK pathway, therefore presenting as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of lung cancer.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.352-359
• /
• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In this study, we determined the anti-inflammatory activities and the underlying molecular mechanisms of the methanol extract from Erigeron Canadensis L. (ECM) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: The potential anti-inflammatory properties of ECM were investigated by using RAW264.7 macrophages. We used western blot assays and real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect protein and mRNA expression, respectively. Luciferase assays were performed to determine the transactivity of transcription factors. RESULTS: ECM significantly inhibited inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-derived NO and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) derived PGE2 production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. These inhibitory effects of ECM were accompanied by decreases in LPS-induced nuclear translocations and transactivities of $NF{\kappa}B$. Moreover, phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs) including extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK1/2), p38, and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was significantly suppressed by ECM in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Further studies demonstrated that ECM by itself induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein expression at the protein levels in dose-dependent manner. However, zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), a selective HO-1 inhibitor, abolished the ECM-induced suppression of NO production. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that ECM-induced HO-1 expression was partly responsible for the resulting anti-inflammatory effects. These findings suggest that ECM exerts anti-inflammatory actions and help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the potential therapeutic values of Erigeron Canadensis L.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.48 no.7
• /
• pp.407-412
• /
• 2015

The 12 kDa FK506-binding protein (FK506BP12), an immunosuppressor, modulates T cell activation via calcineurin inhibition. In this study, we investigated the ability of PEP-1-FK506BP12, consisting of FK506BP12 fused to the protein transduction domain PEP-1 peptide, to suppress catabolic responses in primary human chondrocytes and in a mouse carrageenan-induced paw arthritis model. Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis showed that PEP-1-FK506BP12 efficiently penetrated chondrocytes and cartilage explants. In interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-treated chondrocytes, PEP-1-FK506BP12 significantly suppressed the expression of catabolic enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-1, -3, and -13 in addition to cyclooxygenase-2, at both the mRNA and protein levels, whereas FK506BP12 alone did not. In addition, PEP-1-FK506BP12 decreased IL-1β-induced phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) complex (p38, JNK, and ERK) and the inhibitor kappa B alpha. In the mouse model of carrageenan-induced paw arthritis, PEP-1-FK506BP12 suppressed both carrageenan-induced MMP-13 production and paw inflammation. PEP-1-FK506BP12 may have therapeutic potential in the alleviation of OA progression. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(7): 407-412]

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.109-120
• /
• 2014

The epothilones are a class of microtubule inhibitors that exhibit a strong antitumor activity. UTD2 is a novel epothilone analog generated by genetic manipulation of the polyketide biosynthetic gene cluster. This study investigated the effects of UTD2 on the actin cytoskeleton and its critical regulators, and the signaling pathways which are essential for cell motility, growth and survival in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Results showed that UTD2 inhibited the cellular functions of actin cytoskeleton, such as wound-closure, migration and invasion, as well as adhesion. Our study further demonstrated that UTD2 suppressed Rac1 GTPase activation and reduced the activity of PAK1, which is a downstream effector of Rac1, while the activity of Cdc42 was not affected. Additionally, the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK were significantly inhibited, but the phosphorylation of JNK remained the same after UTD2 treatment. Moreover, UTD2 inhibited the activity and mRNA expression of MMP-2, which plays a key role in cell motility. UTD2 also reduced the phosphorylation of Akt, which is an important signaling kinase regulating the cell survival through Rac1. Furthermore, UTD2 interrupted the synergy between Rac1 and Raf in focus formation assays. Taken together, these results indicated that UTD2 exerted multiple effects on the actin cytoskeleton and signaling pathways associated with Rac1. This study provided novel insights into the molecular mechanism of the antineoplastic and antimetastatic activities of epothilones. Our findings also suggest that the signaling pathways regulated by Rac1 may be evaluated as biomarkers for the response to therapy in clinical trials of epothilones.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.53 no.4
• /
• pp.371-377
• /
• 2015

Trichomonas vaginalis induces proinflammation in cervicovaginal mucosal epithelium. To investigate the signaling pathways in $TNF-{\alpha}$ production in cervical mucosal epithelium after T. vaginalis infection, the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways were evaluated in T. vaginalis-infected SiHa cells in the presence and absence of specific inhibitors. T. vaginalis increased $TNF-{\alpha}$ production in SiHa cells, in a parasite burden-dependent and incubation time-dependent manner. In T. vaginalis-infected SiHa cells, AKT, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and JNK were phosphorylated from 1 hr after infection; however, the phosphorylation patterns were different from each other. After pretreatment with inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways, $TNF-{\alpha}$ production was significantly decreased compared to the control; however, $TNF-{\alpha}$ reduction patterns were different depending on the type of PI3K/MAPK inhibitors. $TNF-{\alpha}$ production was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by treatment with wortmannin and PD98059, whereas it was increased by SP600125. These data suggested that PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways are important in regulation of $TNF-{\alpha}$ production in cervical mucosal epithelial SiHa cells. However, activation patterns of each pathway were different from the types of PI3K/MAPK pathways.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.153-158
• /
• 2010

To fine out the anti-inflammatory activities of the C. fragile. and its mechanism were investigated in macrophages induced by Peptidoglycan (PGN). Treatments of macrophages with 100 ug/ml of ethanol extract of Codium fragile (EECF) inhibited PGN-induced IL-6, NO and PGE2 production in a dose-dependent manner as well as expression of iNOS and COX-2. EECF inhibited PGN-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, JNK 1/2 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation, which suggests that EECF inhibits IL-6 and NO secretion by blocking MAPKs phosphorylation. These findings may help elucidate the mechanism by which EECF modulates RAW 264.7 cell activation under inflammatory conditions.