scholarly journals Crocetin Exerts Its Anti-inflammatory Property in LPS-Induced RAW264.7 Cells Potentially via Modulation on the Crosstalk between MEK1/JNK/NF-κB/iNOS Pathway and Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Yi-Ling Wen ◽  
Ziyu He ◽  
De-Xing Hou ◽  
Si Qin

Crocetin is a main bioactive component with a carotenoid skeleton in Gardenia jasminoides, a typical traditional Chinese medicine with a long history in Southeast Asia. Crocetin is being commonly consumed as spices, dyes, and food colorants. Recent pharmacological studies had implied that crocetin may possess potent anti-inflammatory properties; however, the underlying molecular mechanism is not fully elucidated. In the present study, the regulatory effect of crocetin on redox balance was systematically investigated in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that crocetin dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced nitric oxide production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in RAW264.7 cells. Molecular data revealed that crocetin exerted its anti-inflammatory property by inhibiting the MEK1/JNK/NF-κB/iNOS pathway and activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. The shRNA-knockdown (KD) of MEK1 and ERK1 confirmed that the activation of MEK1 and inhibition of JNK mediated the anti-inflammatory effect of crocetin. Moreover, the pull-down assay and computational molecule docking showed that crocetin could directly bind to MEK1 and JNK1/2. It is noticed that both KD and knockout (KO) of HO-1 gene blocked this action. More detailed data have shown that HO-1-KO blocked the inhibition of p-IκB-α by crocetin. These data indicated that crocetin exerted its anti-inflammatory property via modulating the crosstalk between the MEK1/JNK/NF-κB/iNOS pathway and the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, highlighting HO-1 as a major player. Therefore, the present study reveals that crocetin can act as a potential candidate for redox-balancing modulation in charge of its anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive effect, which strengthens its potency in the subsequent clinic application in the near future.

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (16) ◽  
pp. 3573
Author(s):  
Lian-Chun Li ◽  
Zheng-Hong Pan ◽  
De-Sheng Ning ◽  
Yu-Xia Fu

Simonsinol is a natural sesqui-neolignan firstly isolated from the bark of Illicium simonsii. In this study, the anti-inflammatory activity of simonsinol was investigated with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages RAW264.7 cells model. The results demonstrated that simonsinol could antagonize the effect of LPS on morphological changes of RAW264.7 cells, and decrease the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, as determined by Griess assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, simonsinol could downregulate transcription of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), TNF-α, and IL-6 as measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and inhibit phosphorylation of the alpha inhibitor of NF-κB (IκBα) as assayed by Western blot. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that simonsinol could inhibit inflammation response in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells through the inactivation of the nuclear transcription factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 2951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Yao ◽  
Qiang Xue ◽  
Ke Li ◽  
Xinxin Cao ◽  
Liwei Sun ◽  
...  

We conducted this study for the first time to evaluate changes in the composition and contents of phenolic compounds and ginsenosides in ginseng shoot extracts (GSEs) prepared with different steaming times (2, 4, and 6 h) at 120 °C, as well as their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 mouse macrophages (RAW264.7 cells). The results show that total phenol and flavonoid contents were both significantly higher in steamed versus raw GSEs, and the same trend was found for 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) and 2,2′-azobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•+) scavenging capacities. Among the 18 ginsenosides quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with the aid of pure standards, polar ginsenosides were abundant in raw GSEs, whereas less-polar or rare ginsenosides appeared after steaming at 120 °C and increased with steaming time. Furthermore, steamed GSEs exhibited a greater ability to inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells at the same concentration. Relative expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), IL-6, TNF-α, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNAs were attenuated by the GSEs, probably due to the enrichment of less-polar ginsenosides and enhanced antioxidant activity in steamed GSEs. These findings, combined with correlation analysis, showed that less-polar ginsenosides were major contributors to the inhibition of the overproduction of various inflammatory factors, while the inhibitory effects of total phenols and total flavonoids, and their antioxidant abilities, are also important.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 575
Author(s):  
Wenjuan Ding ◽  
Chokkalingam Uvarani ◽  
Fangfang Wang ◽  
Yaxin Xue ◽  
Ning Wu ◽  
...  

Deep-sea fungi have become a new arsenal for the discovery of leading compounds. Here five new ophiobolins 1–5, together with six known analogues 6–11, obtained from a deep-sea derived fungus WHU0154. Their structures were determined by analyses of IR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR spectra, along with experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analysis. Pharmacological studies showed that compounds 4 and 6 exhibited obvious inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Mechanical study revealed that compound 6 could inhibit the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) level in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, compounds 6, 9, and 10 could significantly inhibit the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX 2) in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) analyses revealed that the aldehyde group at C-21 and the α, β-unsaturated ketone functionality at A ring in ophiobolins were vital for their anti-inflammatory effects. Together, the results demonstrated that ophiobolins, especially for compound 6, exhibited strong anti-inflammatory effects and shed light on the discovery of ophiobolins as new anti-inflammatory agents.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (13) ◽  
pp. 2482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun-Da Yao ◽  
Xiu-Yu Shen ◽  
Jorge Machado ◽  
Jin-Fang Luo ◽  
Yi Dai ◽  
...  

Nardochinoid B (NAB) is a new compound isolated from Nardostachys chinensis. Although our previous study reported that the NAB suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 cells, the specific mechanisms of anti-inflammatory action of NAB remains unknown. Thus, we examined the effects of NAB against LPS-induced inflammation. In this study, we found that NAB suppressed the LPS-induced inflammatory responses by restraining the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) proteins and mRNA instead of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein and mRNA in RAW264.7 cells, implying that NAB may have lower side effects compared with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Besides, NAB upregulated the protein and mRNA expressions of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 when it exerted its anti-inflammatory effects. Also, NAB restrained the production of NO by increasing HO-1 expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Thus, it is considered that the anti-inflammatory effect of NAB is associated with an induction of antioxidant protein HO-1, and thus NAB may be a potential HO-1 inducer for treating inflammatory diseases. Moreover, our study found that the inhibitory effect of NAB on NO is similar to that of the positive drug dexamethasone, suggesting that NAB has great potential for developing new drugs in treating inflammatory diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (21) ◽  
pp. 12009
Author(s):  
Yu Han ◽  
Chen Yuan ◽  
Xiaowei Zhou ◽  
Yingjie Han ◽  
Yanhao He ◽  
...  

Oleanolic acid (OA), asiatic acid (AA), and maslinic acid (MA) are ubiquitous isomeric triterpene phytochemicals with many pharmacological effects. To improve their application value, we used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce RAW264.7 cells and studied the differences in the anti-inflammatory effects of the triterpenes according to their structural differences. MTT, Griess, and immunofluorescence assays, ELISA, flow cytometry, and Western blotting, were performed. The release of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and interleukin (IL-6), was significantly inhibited by OA, AA, and MA at the same concentration, and AA and MA promoted the production of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10. OA, AA, and MA inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB nuclear translocation in RAW264.7 cells. OA and AA inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, P38, and JNK1/2 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, OA increased LPS-induced Nrf2 expression and decreased Keap1 expression in RAW264.7 cells. OA, AA, and MA inhibited LPS-stimulated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and alleviated mitochondrial membrane potential depletion. Overall, our data suggested that OA, AA, and MA exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. In particular, OA and AA take effects through the MAPKs, NF-κB, and Nrf2 signaling pathways.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Hyun-Jae Jang ◽  
Kang-Hoon Kim ◽  
Eun-Jae Park ◽  
Jeong A. Kang ◽  
Bong-Sik Yun ◽  
...  

Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb has been known as an ethnopharmacological medicinal plant for antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects. Although various pharmacological studies of C. orbiculatus extract has been reported, an anti-inflammatory mechanism study of their phytochemical constituents has not been fully elucidated. In this study, compounds 1–17, including undescribed podocarpane-type trinorditerpenoid (3), were purified from C. orbiculatus and their chemical structure were determined by high-resolution electrospray ionization mass (HRESIMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data. To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of compounds 1–17, nitric oxide (NO) secretion was evaluated in LPS-treated murine macrophages, RAW264.7 cells. Among compounds 1–17, deoxynimbidiol (1) and new trinorditerpenoid (3) showed the most potent inhibitory effects (IC50: 4.9 and 12.6 μM, respectively) on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated NO releases as well as proinflammatory mediators, such as inducible nitric oxide (iNOS), cyclooxygenase- (COX-) 2, interleukin- (IL-) 1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α. Its inhibitory activity of proinflammatory mediators is contributed by suppressing the activation of nuclear transcription factor- (NF-) κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades including p65, inhibition of NF-κB (IκB), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. Therefore, these results demonstrated that diterpenoids 1 and 3 obtained from C. orbiculatus may be considered a potential candidate for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 3537
Author(s):  
Goeun Jang ◽  
Seulah Lee ◽  
Joonho Hong ◽  
Boram Park ◽  
Dokyung Kim ◽  
...  

Anti-inflammatory agents that are safer and more effective than the currently used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are urgently needed. The dicaffeoylquinic acid (diCQA) isomer 4,5-diCQA exhibits antioxidant activity and various other health-promoting benefits; however, its anti-inflammatory properties require further investigation. This study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties of 4,5-diCQA in vitro and in vivo using RAW264.7 cells and a carrageenan-induced inflammation model, respectively. In RAW264.7 cells, 4,5-diCQA pretreatment significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6, without inducing cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of 4,5-diCQA were mediated by the suppression of nuclear factor-κB nuclear translocation and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation. Oral administration of 4,5-diCQA at doses of 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg of the body weight suppressed carrageenan-induced edema and the expression of nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and tumor necrosis factor-α in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, our results suggest that 4,5-diCQA exerts anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing activation of the nuclear factor-κB and MAPK pathways in vitro and reducing carrageenan-induced edema in vivo. Therefore, 4,5-diCQA shows potential as a natural alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 882-889
Author(s):  
Yan Liang ◽  
Shijiao Zha ◽  
Masanobu Tentaku ◽  
Takasi Okimura ◽  
Zedong Jiang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In this study, we found that a sulfated polysaccharide isolated from the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum, ascophyllan, showed suppressive effects on stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Ascophyllan significantly inhibited expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA and excessive production of nitric oxide (NO) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner without affecting the viability of RAW264.7 cells. Ascophyllan also reduced the elevated level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, preincubation with ascophyllan resulted in concentration-dependent decrease in ROS production in phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Our results suggest that ascophyllan can exhibit anti-inflammatory effects on stimulated macrophages mainly through the attenuation of NO and ROS productions.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1895
Author(s):  
Azra Memon ◽  
Bae Yong Kim ◽  
Se-eun Kim ◽  
Yuliya Pyao ◽  
Yeong-Geun Lee ◽  
...  

Background: Phytoncide is known to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Purpose: This study was carried out to confirm the anti-inflammatory activity of two types of phytoncide extracts from pinecone waste. Methods: We made two types of animal models to evaluate the efficacy, an indomethacin-induced gastroenteritis rat model and a dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis mouse model. Result: In the gastroenteritis experiment, the expression of induced-nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), a marker for inflammation, decreased in the phytoncide-supplemented groups, and gastric ulcer development was significantly inhibited (p < 0.05). In the colitis experiment, the shortening of the colon length and the iNOS expression were significantly suppressed in the phytoncide-supplemented group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Through this study, we confirmed that phytoncide can directly inhibit inflammation in digestive organs. Although further research is needed, we conclude that phytoncide has potential anti-inflammatory properties in the digestive tract and can be developed as a functional agent.


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