neoglycyrol and Edema

The anti-inflammatory effects of glycyrol, a benzofuran coumarin isolated from Glycyrrhizae Radix, were studied. Glycyrol of 5, 25 and 50 microM dose-dependently inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production by down-regulating inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and alleviated cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, in both the mRNA and the protein. Furthermore, glycyrol dose-dependently decreased the mRNA of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and IL-6. LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation was prevented in RAW264.7 macrophages by inhibition of I-kappaBalpha phosphorylation. In addition, administration of glycyrol (30 and 100 mg/kg, i.p) reduced the thickness of carrageenan-induced mouse-paw edema swelling. Taken together, our results indicate that glycyrol is an important anti-inflammatory constituent of Glycyrrhizae Radix, and that its anti-inflammatory effect is attributed to the inhibition I-kappaBalpha phosphorylation.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Carrageenan; Cell Line; Cell Survival; Cyclooxygenase 2; Edema; Flavonoids; Glycyrrhiza uralensis; I-kappa B Kinase; Inflammation; Interleukin-1beta; Interleukin-6; Lipopolysaccharides; Macrophages; Male; Mice; NF-kappaB-Inducing Kinase; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases