• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.177-179
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• 2005

Nine known diarylheptanoids (1-9) isolated from the barks of Alnus japonica were evaluated for their inhibitory activities on nitric oxide (NO) and prostagrandin $E_2$ (COX-2) production in interferon-${\gamma}$ (INF-${\gamma}$) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cells in vitro. The NO and COX-2 levels were moderately reduced by the addition of compounds (1-9). Among these compounds, compounds 6 and 8 inhibited NO production in a dose dependent manner with an $IC_{50}$ of 16.7 and $27.2\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively (positive control, L-NMMA; $22.8\;{\mu}g/mL$), and compounds 6, 7, 8, and 9 reduced the COX-2 level in a dose dependent manner with an $IC_{50}$ of 20.7, 25.7, 25.0, and $27.3\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively (positive control, indomethacin; $26.2\;{\mu}g/mL$). An analysis of the structural activity relationship among these diarylheptanoids suggests that the presence of a keto-enol group in the heptane moiety or a caffeoyl group in the aromatic ring were important for the efficacy on the inhibitory activities of NO and COX-2 production.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.188-193
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• 2001

Free radical scavengers or quenching agents for reactive oxygen species (ROS) present in consumable fruits, vegetables, and beverages have received considerable attention as potential antioxidants, and thus uses for treatment of several human diseases. In this study, grapevine shoot extract (GSE) containing high concentration of resveratrol and viniferine was evaluated for antioxidant potential and inhibition of pro-inflam-matory mediator production. Utilizing 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity and xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibition assay the GSE showed inhibitory effects of DPPH radical scavenging and XOD activity with the $IC_{50}$/ values of 34.5 and 155 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, respectively. In addition, GSE also exhibited the inhibition of prostaglandin E$_2$ (PGE$_2$) and nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells with the $IC_{50}$/ value of 6.4 and 14.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, respectively. This result suggests that grapevine shoot extract has the potential activity as a natural antioxidant or antiinflammatory agent.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.194-202
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• 2015

Agaricus brasiliensis, belonging to the family Agaricaceae of Agaricales, Basidiomycota, has been used for edible and medicinal purposes. This study was initiated to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and nitric oxide inhibitory activities of fruiting bodies of A. brasiliensis extracted with methanol. The HPLC analysis of phenolic compounds from the mushroom extracts identified 10 phenolic compounds including gallic acid, procatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, (-)-epicatechin, vanillin, rutin hydrate, naringin, quercetin, formononetin, and biochanin-A. The free radical scavenging activities of methanol extract were lower than that of positive control, BHT. The chelating effects of methanol extract were significantly higher than those of the positive control, BHT at the all concentrations tested. The methanol extract exhibited the lower reducing power activities compared with the positive control at the 0.5~6.0 mg/mL concentration. The mushroom extract inhibited the ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity by 54.48% and 78.43% at the 1.0 and 2.0 mg/mL while acarbose, the positive control, inhibited the ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity by 51.77% and 81.81% at the same concentrations, respectively. Nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccahride (LPS) induced RAW 264.7 cells were inhibited by the methanol extracts in a concentration dependent manner. Therefore, it is concluded that fruiting bodies of A. brasiliensis contained natural antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory substances which can be useful for human health.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.390-399
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• 2014

Chalcones (1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones), a flavonoid subfamily, are widely known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Propenone moiety in chalcones is known to play an important role in generating biological responses by chalcones. In the present study, we synthesized chalcone derivatives structurally modified in propenone moiety and examined inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production and its potential mechanisms. Among the chalcone derivatives used for this study, TI-I-174 (3-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-1-(thiophen-3-yl)prop-2-en-1-one) most potently inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated nitrite production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. TI-I-174 treatment also markedly inhibited inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. However, TI-I-174 did not significantly affect production of IL-6, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), implying that TI-I-174 inhibits production of inflammatory mediators in a selective manner. Treatment of macrophages with TI-I-174 significantly inhibited transcriptional activity of activator protein-1 (AP-1) as determined by luciferase reporter gene assay, whereas nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) activity was not affected by TI-I-1744. In addition, TI-I-174 significantly inhibited activation of c-Jun-N-Terminal kinase (JNK) without affecting ERK1/2 and p38MAPK, indicating that down-regulation of iNOS gene expression by TI-I-174 is mainly attributed by blockade of JNK/AP-1 activation. We also demonstrated that TI-I-174 treatment led to an increase in heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression both at mRNA and protein level. Transfection of siRNA targeting HO-1 reversed TI-I-174-mediated inhibition of nitrite production. Taken together, these results indicate that TI-I-174 suppresses NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages via induction of HO-1 and blockade of AP-1 activation.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.274-285
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• 2020

In this study, ovalbumin (OVA) hydrolysates were prepared using various proteolytic enzymes and the anti-inflammatory activities of the hydrolysates were determined. Also, the potential application of OVA as a functional food material was discussed. The effect of OVA hydrolysates on the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production was evaluated via the Griess reaction, and their effects on the expression of inducible NO synthase (inducible nitric oxide synthase, iNOS) were assessed using the quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting. To determine the mechanism by which OVA hydrolysates activate macrophages, pathways associated with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling were evaluated. When the OVA hydrolysates were added to RAW 264.7 cells without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, they did not affect the production of NO. However, both the OVA-Protex 6L hydrolysate (OHPT) and OVA-trypsin hydrolysate (OHT) inhibited NO production dose-dependently in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Especially, OHT showed a strong NO-inhibitory activity (62.35% at 2 mg/mL) and suppressed iNOS production and the mRNA expression for iNOS (p<0.05). Also, OHT treatment decreased the phosphorylation levels of Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) in the MAPK signaling pathway. These findings suggested that OVA hydrolysates could be used as an anti-inflammatory agent that prevent the overproduction of NO.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 2008

Purpose: The nitric oxide (NO) release by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is the key events in macrophage response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which is suggested to be a crucial mediator for inflammatory and innate immune responses. NO is an important mediator involved in many host defense action and may also lead to a harmful host response to bacterial infection. However, given the importance of iNOS in a variety of pathophysiological conditions, control of its expression and signaling events in response to LPS has been the subject of considerable investigation. Materials and Methods: The Raw264.7 macrophage cell line was used to observe LPS-stimulated iNOS expression. The expression of iNOS is observed by Western blot analysis and real-time RT-PCR. Protein kinase C $(PKC)-{\alpha}$ overexpressing Raw264.7 cells are established to determine the involvement of $PKC-{\alpha}$ in LPS-mediated iNOS expression. $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity is measured by $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation and $NF-{\kappa}B$ luciferase activity assay. Results: We found that various PKC isozymes regulate LPS-induced iNOS expression at the transcriptional and translational levels. The involvement of $PKC-{\alpha}$ in LPS-mediated iNOS induction was further confirmed by increased iNOS expression in $PKC-{\alpha}$ overexpressing cells. $NF-{\kappa}B$ dependent transactivation by LPS was observed and $PKC-{\alpha}$ specific inhibitory peptide abolished this activation, indicating that $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation is dependent on $PKC-{\alpha}$. Conclusion: Our data suggests that $PKC-{\alpha}$ is involved in LPS-mediated iNOS expression and that its downstream target is $NF-{\kappa}B$. Although $PKC-{\alpha}$ is a crucial mediator in the iNOS regulation, other PKC isozymes may contribute LPS-stimulated iNOS expression. This finding is needed to be elucidated in further study.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.691-696
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• 2002

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an active and broad spectrum chemotherapeutic agent. Increased inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression and/or activity have been reported in several human tumors. While the relationship between DOX treatment and the enzymatic activity of endothelial NOS has been well characterized, little is known about the effects of DOX on the expression of iNOS in human cancer cells. In the present study, we characterized the effects of DOX on the nitric oxide (NO) production by colorectal cancer cells, DLD-1. IFN-${\gamma}$/IL-1$\beta$ (CM) increased the production of NO, whereas pretreatment of DOX inhibited the production of NO in response to CM in a dose dependent manner. The increased expressions of iNOS mRNA and protein by CM were completely blocked by DOX without affecting the iNOS mRNA stability. However, DOX activated nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) in response to CM. Furthermore, the expression of inhibitor kB$\alpha$ was reduced by DOX in a dose dependent manner. Collectively, DOX inhibited the production of NO by DLD-1 cells, which is not linked to well known transcription factor, NF-kB. Therefore, further studies on the possible mechanisms of inhibitory effects of NO production by DOX would be worth pursuing.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.77-81
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• 2009

Abies nephrolepis(Pinaceae) extracts were tested for determined immune system regulating activity based on antiinflammatory activity, antioxidant activity and anti-proliferative effect on HeLa cell line. The A. nephrolepis extracts increased dose-dependently anti-proliferation of HeLa cell line. The DM fraction of the extracts having anti-proliferatative effects of HeLa cell line was fractionalized four subfractions($D1{\sim}D4$). Inflammation-induced NO production was inhibited by D2 and D4 in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages. And also, this fractions showed antioxidant activity examined by DPPH radical scavenging effects. These results suggest that the potential use of DM fraction of A. nephrolepis in chemoprevention and regulation overproduction of NO on pathogenic conditions. The mechanism of the inflammatory effects, however, must be evaluated through various parameters in the induction cascade of NO production.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.159-164
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• 2004

Primary pro-inflammatory cytokines are a trio: tumor necrosis- $\alpha$ (TNF-$\alpha$), interleukine-$\beta$ (IL-$\beta$), and interleukine-6 (IL-6). These cytokines initiate and regulate the acute-phase inflammatory response during infection, trauma, or stress and appear to play an important role in the immune process. Nitric oxide (NO) is a multi-functional mediator, which plays an important role in regulating various biological functions in vivo. NO production by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in macrophages is essential for the defense mechanisms against microorganisms and tumor cells. However, over-expression of iNOS by various stimuli, resulting in over-production of NO, contributes to the pathogenesis of septic shock and some inflammatory and auto-immune disease. Solvent fractions of sage ( Salvia officinalis L.), which is cultivated in Jeju-Do, was assayed for their effects on TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-6 production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Hexane and ethylacetate (EtOAc) fraction of sage inhibited the protein and mRNA expression of TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-6 in LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 cells at the concentration of 100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$. Also, incubation of RAW 264.7 cells with the fraction of hexane or EtOAc (50 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) inhibited the LPS induced nitrite accumulation and the LPS/IFN-${\gamma}$ induced iNOS protein. And this inhibition of iNOS protein is concordant with the inhibition of iNOS mRNA expression. Above results suggest that extract of sage may have anti-inflammatory activity through the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-$\alpha$, IL-1$\beta$, IL-6), iNOS and NO.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.999-1006
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• 2015

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) has been used as a medicinal plant due to its biological activity. This study investigated the inhibitory effects on carbohydrase and anti-inflammatory effects of hot-water extract (WEM) and ethanol extract (EEM) from dried bitter melon cultivated in Korea. The inhibitory activities of EEM against ${\alpha}$-amylase and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase were over 70% at 4,000 ppm. The inhibitory activities of EEM were significantly higher than those of WEM at all concentrations. The anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated by measuring nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. EEM did not show cytotoxicity on RAW264.7 cells at the test concentrations. Moreover, the inhibitory effect on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells was significantly increased by the addition of EEM. These findings suggest that EEM has good inhibitory effect on carbohydrase and anti-inflammatory activity and it has potential as a source of natural functional material.