Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin
Online ISSN : 1347-5215
Print ISSN : 0918-6158
ISSN-L : 0918-6158
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Macelignan Attenuates Activations of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases and Nuclear Factor kappa B Induced by Lipopolysaccharide in Microglial Cells
Jinhua MaYoo Kyeong HwangWoo-Hyun ChoSeol-Heui HanJae Kwan HwangJung-Soo Han
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2009 Volume 32 Issue 6 Pages 1085-1090

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Abstract

A previous study showed that macelignan extracted from Myristica fragrans has anti-inflammatory properties using hippocampal neuronal and primary microglial cells. Subsequently, a study using animals with chronic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infusion into the brain showed that oral treatments of macelignan reduced the hippocampal microglial activation and hippocampal-dependent spatial memory impairments induced by LPS. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of macelignan have not been elucidated in the microglia. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine if mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activities are related to the anti-inflammatory effects of macelignan on LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells. The results show that macelignan suppresses both the phosphorylations of MAPKs and the degradation of inhibitory-kappa B (IκBα) and increases of nuclear NF-κB in LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells. These results suggest that macelignan has an anti-inflammatory effect on the affected brain through regulation of the inflammation through the MAPK signal pathway.

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© 2009 The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
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