Pinoresinol from the fruits of Forsythia koreana inhibits inflammatory responses in LPS-activated microglia.

Abstract

The activation of microglia plays an important role in a variety of brain disorders by the excessive production of inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and proinflammatory cytokines. We investigated here whether pinoresinol isolated from the fruits of Forsythia koreana Nakai inhibits the inflammatory responses in LPS-activated microglia. Pinoresinol inhibited the production of NO, PGE(2), TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 in LPS-activated primary microglia. Also, pinoresinol attenuated mRNA and protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and proinflammatory cytokines in LPS-activation. However, most of these inhibitory effects of pinoresinol have been mediated by extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation and the NF-kappaB dependent. The results suggest that pinoresinol attenuates inflammatory responses of microglia and could be potentially useful in modulation of inflammatory status in brain disorders.

• Authors: Hyo Won Jung, Ramalingam Mahesh, Jong Gu Lee, Seung Ho Lee, Young Shik Kim, Yong-Ki Park
• Journal: Neuroscience letters (Neurosci Lett) Vol. 480 Issue 3 Pg. 215-20 (Aug 23 2010) ISSN: 1872-7972 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 20600612 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Cytokines
• Furans
• Inflammation Mediators
• Lignans
• Lipopolysaccharides
• Plant Extracts
• Nitric Oxide
• Dinoprostone
• pinoresinol

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Cells, Cultured
• Cytokines (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Dinoprostone (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Forsythia
• Furans (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Gliosis (chemically induced, drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Inflammation Mediators (antagonists & inhibitors, pharmacology)
• Lignans (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Lipopolysaccharides (antagonists & inhibitors, pharmacology)
• Microglia (drug effects, metabolism)
• Nitric Oxide (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Plant Extracts (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley