In the present study, we extracted Angelica pubescens (AP) with various solvents in order to find the bioactive constituents that demonstrated analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. The results were obtained as follows: (1) Methanol-, chloroform-, and ethyl acetate-extracts effectively reduced the pain that was induced by 1% acetic acid and a hot plate. (2) Methanol-, chloroform-, and ethyl acetate-extracts reduced the edema that was induced by 3% formalin or 1.5% carrageenan. (3) Sixteen compounds have been isolated and identified from the roots of AP. Among these compounds, columbianadin, columbianetin acetate, bergapten, umbelliferone, and caffeic acid significantly demonstrated anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities at 10 mg/kg. However, only osthole and xanthotoxin revealed anti-inflammatory activity. Isoimperatorin only demonstrated an analgesic effect. These results revealed that the anti-inflammatory and analgesic constituents from roots of AP were related to peripheral inhibition of inflammatory substances and to the influence on the central nervous system.

Leptin, the adipocyte-secreted hormone that centrally regulates weight control, is known to function as an immunomodulatory regulator. We investigated the signaling pathway involved in IL-6 production caused by leptin in microglia. Microglia expressed the long (OBRl) and short (OBRs) isoforms of the leptin receptor. Leptin caused concentration- and time-dependent increases in IL-6 production. Leptin-mediated IL-6 production was attenuated by OBRl receptor antisense oligonucleotide, PI3K inhibitor (Ly294002 and wortmannin), Akt inhibitor (1L-6-hydroxymethyl-chiro-inositol-2-((R)-2-O-methyl-3-O-octadecylcarbonate)), NF-κB inhibitor (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate), IκB protease inhibitor (l-1-tosylamido-2-phenylenylethyl chloromethyl ketone), IκBα phosphorylation inhibitor (Bay 117082), or NF-κB inhibitor peptide. Transfection with insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 small-interference RNA or the dominant-negative mutant of p85 and Akt also inhibited the potentiating action of leptin. Stimulation of microglia with leptin activated IκB kinase α/IκB kinase β, IκBα phosphorylation, IκBα degradation, p65 phosphorylation at Ser276, p65 and p50 translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus, and κB-luciferase activity. Leptin-mediated an increase of IκB kinase α/IκB kinase β activity, κB-luciferase activity, and p65 and p50 binding to the NF-κB element was inhibited by wortmannin, Akt inhibitor, and IRS-1 small-interference RNA. The binding of p65 and p50 to the NF-κB elements, as well as the recruitment of p300 and the enhancement of histone H3 and H4 acetylation on the IL-6 promoter was enhanced by leptin. Our results suggest that leptin increased IL-6 production in microglia via the leptin receptor/IRS-1/PI3K/Akt/NF-κB and p300 signaling pathway.

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Matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) is involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix in many kinds of tissues. Here we found that hypoxia increased MMP-13 protein and mRNA levels in primary rat astrocyte cultures. Hypoxia stimulation also increased the secretion of MMP-13 from astrocytes, as shown by zymographic analysis. In addition, exposure to hypoxia up-regulated the expression of c-Fos and c-Jun time-dependently. Hypoxia-induced MMP-13 overexpression was antagonized by transfection with antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODN) of c-Fos or c-Jun. Furthermore, hypoxic-conditioned medium (Hx-CM) collected from astrocytes exposed to hypoxia increased paracellular permeability of adult rat brain endothelial cells (ARBECs). Administration of MMP-13 neutralizing antibody antagonized Hx-CM-induced paracellular permeability of ARBECs. Furthermore, pre-transfection of astrocytes with AS-ODN of c-Fos, c-Jun or MMP-13-shRNA significantly decreased hyperpermeability of ARBECs induced by Hx-CM. The arrangement of tight junction protein (TJP) zonular occludens-1 (ZO-1) of ARBECs disorganized in response to Hx-CM. Administration of Hx-CM to ARBECs also resulted in the production of proteolytic fragments of ZO-1, which was antagonized by transfection of MMP-13-shRNA in primary astrocytes. Administration of MMP-13 recombinant protein to ARBECs led to the disorganization and fragmentation of ZO-1 protein and also increased paracellular permeability. These results suggest that hypoxia-induced MMP-13 expression in astrocytes is regulated by c-Fos and c-Jun. MMP-13 is an important factor leading to the disorganization of ZO-1 and hyperpermeablility of blood-brain barrier in response to hypoxia.

BackgroundHouttuynia cordata Thunb (HCT) is commonly used in Taiwan and other Asian countries as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral herbal medicine. In this study, we investigated the anti-human lung cancer activity and growth inhibition mechanisms of HCT in human lung cancer A549 cells.ResultsIn order to investigate effects of HCT on A549 cells, MTT assay was used to evaluate cell viability. Flow cytometry was employed for cell cycle analysis, DAPI staining, and the Comet assay was used for DNA fragmentation and DNA condensation. Western blot analysis was used to analyze cell cycle and apoptotic related protein levels. HCT induced morphological changes including cell shrinkage and rounding. HCT increased the G0/G1 and Sub-G1 cell (apoptosis) populations and HCT increased DNA fragmentation and DNA condensation as revealed by DAPI staining and the Comet assay. HCT induced activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3. Fas/CD95 protein levels were increased in HCT-treated A549 cells. The G0/G1 phase and apoptotic related protein levels of cyclin D1, cyclin A, CDK 4 and CDK 2 were decreased, and p27, caspase-8 and caspase-3 were increased in A549 cells after HCT treatment.ConclusionsThe results demonstrated that HCT-induced G0/G1 phase arrest and Fas/CD95-dependent apoptotic cell death in A549 cells

Fibronectin (Fn) is involved in early stages of bone formation and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is an important factor regulating osteogenesis. bFGF increased Fn expression, which was attenuated by phosphatidylinositol phospholipase inhibitor (U73122), protein kinase C inhibitor (GF109203X), Src inhibitor (PP2), NF-kappaB inhibitor (PDTC), IkappaBalpha phosphorylation inhibitor (Bay 117082), or IkappaB protease inhibitor (TPCK). bFGF-induced increase of Fn-luciferase activity was antagonized by cells transfected with Fn construct without NF-kappaB regulatory site. Stimulation of osteoblasts with bFGF activated IkappaB kinase alpha/beta (IKK alpha/beta) and increased IkappaBalpha phosphorylation, IkappaBalpha degradation, p65 and p50 translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus, the formation of an NF-kappaB-specific DNA-protein complex and kappaB-luciferase activity. bFGF-mediated an increase of IKKalpha/beta activity and DNA-binding activity was inhibited by U73122, GF109203X, or PP2. The binding of p65 to the NF-kappaB element, as well as the recruitment of p300 and the enhancement of p50 acetylation on the Fn promoter was enhanced by bFGF. Overexpression of constitutively active FGF receptor 2 (FGFR2) increased Fn-luciferase activity, which was inhibited by co-transfection with dominant negative (DN) mutants of PLCgamma2, PKCalpha, c-Src, IKKalpha, or IKKbeta. Our results suggest that bFGF increased Fn expression in rat osteoblasts via the FGFR2/PLCgamma2/PKCalpha/c-Src/NF-kappaB signaling pathway.