prosapogenin and Edema

Platycodin D (PD) isolated from Platycodi Radix has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities. In this study, we have investigated anti-inflammatory activities of prosapogenin D (PrsD) and prosapogenin D methyl ester (PrsDMe) of PD. The results indicated that PrsDMe concentration-dependently inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production, however, PrsD did not inhibit NO production in LPS-induced macrophages. Furthermore, PrsDMe inhibited the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) without appreciable cytotoxic effects. In the transfectant RAW 264.7 cells, PrsDMe was observed to reduce the level of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity. PrsDMe also inhibited the degradation of an inhibitory protein called inhibitor kappaB (IkappaB). Therefore, it was suggested that PrsDMe inhibited the expression of LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 genes by suppressing NF-kappaB activation at the transcriptional level. Also, PrsDMe showed carrageenan-induced acute anti-inflammatory activity and the adjuvant-induced anti-arthritic activity in mice. In conclusion, we suggest that these compounds exert an anti-inflammatory effect through the regulation of the NF-kappaB pathway. The different activities of PD, PrsD and PrsDMe are based on the structure of the sugar substituent or methyl group at the C28-carboxyl position.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Arthritis, Experimental; Blotting, Western; Cyclooxygenase 2; Dinoprostone; Edema; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; Genes, Reporter; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Molecular Structure; NF-kappa B; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Platycodon; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Saponins; Transfection; Triterpenes