著者
Ayako Tsuchiya Hisao Nagaya Takeshi Kanno Tomoyuki Nishizaki
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.14182FP, (Released:2014-11-13)
参考文献数
36
被引用文献数
2 16

The present study investigated cis-unsaturated free fatty acid (FFA)-regulated glucose uptake. In the cell-free assay of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), cis-unsaturated FFAs such as linoleic, linolenic, and oleic acid significantly suppressed PTP1B activity in a concentration (1 – 100 μM)-dependent manner, with the highest potential for oleic acid. Oleic acid (1 μM) stimulated insulin (0.1 nM)-induced phosphorylation of the insulin receptor at Tyr1185 and increased insulin (0.1 nM)-induced phosphorylation of Akt at Thr308 and Ser473 in differentiated 3T3-L1-GLUT4myc adipocytes. In the föerster resonance energy transfer analysis, oleic acid activated Rac1 in PC-12 cells, which is inhibited by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor wortmannin, the 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) inhibitor BX912, or the Akt inhibitor MK2206. Oleic acid (1 μM) significantly increased insulin (0.1 nM)-stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1-GLUT4myc adipocytes, although oleic acid by itself had no effect on the glucose uptake. Taken together, the results of the present study show that oleic acid enhances insulin receptor signaling through a pathway along an insulin receptor/PI3K/PDK1/Akt/Rac1 axis in association with PTP1B inhibition and facilitates insulin-induced glucose uptake into adipocytes.
著者
Ranji Cui Bingjin Li Katsuya Suemaru Hiroaki Araki
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.109, no.4, pp.518-524, 2009 (Released:2009-04-17)
参考文献数
53
被引用文献数
1 6 3

We have previously reported that sleep patterns are significantly affected by both physical and psychological stress induced by a communication box; however, the mechanism by which stress alters sleep patterns was not established. In the present study, we investigated the role of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), acting through the GABAB receptor, on stress-induced changes in sleep patterns. Our results show that physical stress increased the total wakefulness time by increasing sleep latency and inhibiting both rapid eye movement (REM) and non rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep during a 6 h sleep–recording period. The GABAB agonist baclofen (20 pmol/2 μl) attenuated the effects of physical stress on sleep latency, total wakefulness, and NREM sleep, but not total REM sleep. In contrast, psychological stress enhanced total REM sleep and shortened REM sleep latency without altering other sleep patterns. The effect of psychological stress on total REM sleep was also reversed by baclofen. These results suggest that GABA via GABAB receptors may play a role in the regulation of specific sleep patterns by both physical and psychological stress.
著者
Yasukatsu Izumi Katsuyuki Miura Hiroshi Iwao
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.124, no.1, pp.1-6, 2014-01-20 (Released:2014-01-18)
参考文献数
30
被引用文献数
9 35

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a 9-amino acid peptide that is secreted from the posterior pituitary in response to high plasma osmolality and hypotension. AVP has important roles in circulatory and water homoeostasis, which are mediated by oxytocin receptors and by AVP receptor subtypes: V1a (mainly vascular), V1b (pituitary), and V2 (renal). Vaptans are orally and intravenously active nonpeptide vasopressin-receptor antagonists. Recently, subtype-selective nonpeptide vasopressin-receptor agonists have been developed. A selective V1a-receptor antagonist, relcovaptan, has shown initial positive results in the treatment of Raynaud’s disease, dysmenorrhea, and tocolysis. A selective V1b-receptor antagonist, nelivaptan, has beneficial effects in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Selective V2-receptor antagonists including mozavaptan, lixivaptan, satavaptan, and tolvaptan induce highly hypotonic diuresis without substantially affecting the excretion of electrolytes. A nonselective V1a/V2-receptor antagonist, conivaptan, is used in the treatment for euvolaemic or hypervolemic hyponatremia. Recent basic and clinical studies have shown that AVP-receptor antagonists, especially V2-receptor antagonists, may have therapeutic potential for heart failure. This review presents current information about AVP and its antagonists.
著者
Tomoko Sakaguchi Hideki Itoh Wei-Guang Ding Keiko Tsuji Iori Nagaoka Yuko Oka Takashi Ashihara Makoto Ito Yoshihiro Yumoto Naoko Zenda Yukei Higashi Youichi Takeyama Hiroshi Matsuura Minoru Horie
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.108, no.4, pp.462-471, 2008 (Released:2008-12-20)
参考文献数
26
被引用文献数
14 30

QT prolongation, a risk factor for arrhythmias, can result from genetic variants in one (or more) of the genes governing cardiac repolarization as well as intake of drugs known to affect a cardiac K+ channel encoded by human ether-a-go-go–related gene (HERG). In this paper, we will report a case of drug-induced long QT syndrome associated with an H1-receptor antagonist, hydroxyzine, in which a mutation was identified in the HERG gene. After taking 75 mg of hydroxyzine for several days, a 34-year-old female began to experience repetitive syncope. The deleterious effect of hydroxyzine was suspected because QTc interval shortened from 630 to 464 ms after cessation of the drug. Later on, the patient was found to harbor an A614V-HERG mutation. By using the patch-clamp technique in the heterologous expression system, we examined the functional outcome of the A614V mutation and confirmed a dominant-negative effect on HERG expression. Hydroxyzine concentration-dependently inhibited both wild-type (WT) and WT/A614V-HERG K+ currents. Half-maximum block concentrations of WT and WT/A614V-HERG K+ currents were 0.62 and 0.52 μM, respectively. Thus, accidental combination of genetic mutation and intake of hydroxyzine appeared to have led to a severe phenotype, probably, syncope due to torsade de pointes.
著者
Philippe Lépicier Annie Bibeau-Poirier Caroline Lagneux Marc J. Servant Daniel Lamontagne
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.102, no.2, pp.155-166, 2006 (Released:2006-10-19)
参考文献数
89
被引用文献数
15 24

The aim of the present article is to review the cardioprotective properties of cannabinoids, with an emphasis on the signaling pathways involved. Cannabinoids have been reported to protect against ischemia in rat isolated hearts, as well as in rats and mice in vivo. Although these effects have been observed mostly with a pre-treatment of a cannabinoid, we report that the selective CB2-receptor agonist JWH133 is able to reduce infarct size when administered either before ischemia, during the entire ischemic period, or just upon reperfusion. Little is known about the signaling pathways involved in these cardioprotective effects. Likely candidates include protein kinase C (PKC) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) since they are activated during ischemia-reperfusion and contribute to the protective effect ischemic preconditioning. The use of pharmacological inhibitors suggests that PKC, p38 MAPK, and p42/p44 MAPK (ERK1/2) contribute to the protective effect of cannabinoids. In addition, perfusion with JWH133 in healthy hearts caused an increase in both p38 MAPK phosphorylation level and activity, whereas the CB1-receptor agonist ACEA was associated with an increase in the phosphorylation status of both ERK1 and ERK2 without any change in activity. During ischemia, both agonists doubled p38 MAPK activity, whereas ERK1/2 phosphorylation level and activity during reperfusion were enhanced only by the CB1-receptor agonist. Finally, although nitric oxide (NO) was shown to exert both pro and anti-apoptotic effects on cardiomyocytes, with an apparently controversial effect on myocardial survival, our data suggest that NO may contribute to the cardioprotective effect of some cannabinoids.
著者
Ken-Ichi Furukawa
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.124, no.2, pp.129-137, 2014-02-20 (Released:2014-02-19)
参考文献数
84
被引用文献数
1 12

Aortic valve calcification can aggravate aortic stenoses, and it is a significant cause of sudden cardiac death. The increasing number of patients with age-related calcification is a problem in developed nations. However, the only treatment option currently available is highly invasive cardiac valve replacement. Therefore, clarification of the etiology of calcification is urgently needed to develop drug therapies and prevention methods. Recent studies have revealed that calcification is not a simple sedimentation of a mineral through a physicochemical phenomenon; various factors dynamically contribute to the mechanism. Further, we are finally beginning to understand the cellular origins of calcification, which had been unclear for a long time. Based on these findings that help to clarify potential drug targets, we expect to establish drug therapies that reduce the stress on patients. In this paper, I introduce the latest findings on cells that are most likely to contribute to calcification and on calcification-related factors that may lead to the development of drug therapies.
著者
Hideyuki Yamamoto Sayomi Higa-Nakamine Nobuhiro Noguchi Noriko Maeda Yutaka Kondo Seikichi Toku Ichiro Kukita Kazuhiro Sugahara
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.13R11CP, (Released:2014-02-19)
参考文献数
28
被引用文献数
2 17

Four transmembrane tyrosine kinases constitute the ErbB protein family: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or ErbB1, ErbB2, ErbB3, and ErbB4. In general, the structure and mechanism of the activation of these members are similar. However, significant differences in homologous desensitization are known between EGFR and ErbB4. Desensitization of ligand-occupied EGFR occurs by endocytosis, while that of ErbB4 occurs by selective cleavage at the cell surface. Because ErbB4 is abundantly expressed in neurons from fetal to adult brains, elucidation of the desensitization mechanism is important to understand neuronal development and synaptic functions. Recently, it has become clear that heterologous desensitization of EGFR and ErbB4 are induced by endocytosis and cleavage, respectively, similar to homologous desensitization. It has been reported that heterologous desensitization of EGFR is induced by serine phosphorylation of EGFR via the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAP kinase) pathway in various cell lines, including alveolar epithelial cells. In contrast, the protein kinase C pathway is involved in ErbB4 cleavage. In this review, we will describe recent advances in the desensitization mechanisms of EGFR and ErbB4, mainly in alveolar epithelial cells and hypothalamic neurons, respectively.
著者
Kazuho Sakamoto Junko Kimura
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.123, no.4, pp.289-294, 2013-12-20 (Released:2013-12-19)
参考文献数
30
被引用文献数
10 62

Statins, a group of drugs used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, have adverse effects on skeletal muscle. The symptoms of these effects range from slight myalgia to severe rhabdomyolysis. The number of patients currently taking statins is estimated to be several millions worldwide. However, the mechanism of statins’ myotoxic effects is unclear. Statins inhibit biosynthesis of mevalonate, a rate-limiting step of cholesterol synthesis, by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase. Mevalonate is also an essential precursor for producing isoprenoids such as farnesylpyrophosphate and geranylgeranylpyrophosphate. These isoprenoids are especially important for anchoring small GTPases to the membrane before they function; e.g., Ras GTPases modulate proliferation and apoptosis, Rho GTPases control cytoskeleton formation, and Rab GTPases are essential for intracellular vesicle trafficking. Inactivation of these small GTPases alters cellular functions. Recently, we successfully reproduced statin-induced myotoxicity in culture dishes using in vitro skeletal muscle systems (e.g., skeletal myotubes and myofibers). This review summarizes our findings that statins induce depletion of isoprenoids and inactivation of small GTPases, especially Rab, which are critical for statin-induced myotoxicity. Although further study is required, our findings may contribute to the prevention and treatment of statins’ adverse effects on skeletal muscle and development of safer anti-hypercholesterolemia drugs.
著者
Kui Xiao Jiehan Jiang Chaxiang Guan Chunling Dong Guifang Wang Li Bai Jiayuan Sun Chengping Hu Chunxue Bai
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.123, no.2, pp.102-109, 2013-10-20 (Released:2013-10-19)
参考文献数
57
被引用文献数
21 88

Curcumin is a major yellow pigment and active component of turmeric widely used as dietary spice and herbal medicine. This compound has been reported to be a promising antitumor agent, although the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood yet. In this study, we reported that curcumin inhibited growth of lung adenocarcinoma cells, but had no cytotoxic activity to IMR-90 normal lung fibroblast cells. Curcumin induced autophagy in the A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell line, evidenced by LC3 immunofluorescence analysis and immunoblotting assays on LC3 and SQSTM1. Moreover, the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA partly blocked the inhibitory effect of curcumin on the growth of A549 cells. Curcumin markedly increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetylCoA carboxylase in A549 cells. At last, pharmacological blockade of the AMPK signaling pathway by compound C and genetic disruption of the AMPK signaling pathway with siRNA-mediated AMPKα1 knockdown impaired the autophagy-inducing effect of curcumin. Collectively, our data suggests that curcumin induces autophagy via activating the AMPK signaling pathway and the autophagy is important for the inhibiting effect of curcumin in lung adenocarcinoma cells.
著者
Eun-Joo Shin Wan Kyunn Whang Sungun Kim Jae-Hyung Bach Jin-Man Kim Xuan-Khanh Thi Nguyen Thuy-Ty Lan Nguyen Bae Dong Jung Kiyofumi Yamada Toshitaka Nabeshima Hyoung-Chun Kim
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.113, no.4, pp.404-408, 2010 (Released:2010-08-18)
参考文献数
15
被引用文献数
11 25

Parishin C, a major component of Gastrodia elata BLUME (GE), was purified from GE. Because GE modulates the serotonergic system and the 5-HT1A receptor is an important therapeutic target of schizophrenia, we examined whether parishin C affects phencyclidine-induced abnormal behaviors in mice. Phencyclidine-induced abnormal behaviors were significantly ameliorated by parishin C. These effects were reversed by WAY 100635, a 5HT1A–receptor antagonist. Consistently, parishin C showed high affinity at 5-HT1A receptor as well as a 5-HT1A–agonist activity in a 8-OH-DPAT–stimulated [35S]GTP-γS binding assay. Our results suggest that the antipsychotic effects of parishin C require activation of 5-HT1A receptors.
著者
Kiyofumi Yamada Toshitaka Nabeshima
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.91, no.4, pp.267-270, 2003 (Released:2003-04-21)
参考文献数
30
被引用文献数
177 447

Activity-dependent changes in synaptic strength are considered mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity such as long-term potentiation. Recent experimental evidence supports the role of BDNF in memory processes: Memory acquisition and consolidation are associated with an increase in BDNF mRNA expression and the activation of its receptor TrkB. Genetic as well as pharmacologic deprivation of BDNF or TrkB impairs learning and memory. In a positively motivated radial arm maze test, activation of the TrkB/phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3-K) signaling pathway in the hippocampus is associated with consolidation of spatial memory through an activation of translational processes. In a negatively motivated passive avoidance test, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is activated during acquisition of fear memory. Furthermore, recent findings suggest the importance of interaction between BDNF/TrkB signaling and NMDA receptors for spatial memory. A Src-family tyrosine kinase, Fyn plays a role in this interaction by linking TrkB with NR2B. These findings suggest that BDNF/TrkB signaling in the hippocampus plays a crucial role in learning and memory.
著者
Toshio Tanaka Takehiko Oka Yasuhito Shimada Noriko Umemoto Junya Kuroyanagi Chikara Sakamoto Liqing Zang Zhipeng Wang Yuhei Nishimura
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.107, no.1, pp.8-14, 2008 (Released:2008-05-20)
参考文献数
9
被引用文献数
11 21

The most important strategies in pharmacogenomics are gene expression profiling and the network analysis of human disease models. We have previously discovered novel drug target candidates in cardiovascular diseases through investigations of these pharmacogenomics. The significant induction of S100C mRNA and protein expression was detected in the rat pulmonary hypertension and myocardial infarction model. We also found increased taurine in hypoxia, a calcium-associated cytoprotective compound, to suppress the hypoxia-induced S100C gene expression and vascular remodeling. These results suggest that S100C may be one of the potential novel drug targets in hypoxic or ischemic diseases. Delayed cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage causes cerebral ischemia and infarction. Using a DNA microarray, a prominant upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and heat shock protein (HSP) 72 mRNAs were observed in the basilar artery of a murine vasospasm model. Antisense HO-1 and HSP 72 oligodeoxynucleotide inhibited HO-1 and HSP 72 induction, respectively, and significantly aggravated cerebral vasospasm. Moreover, we have also developed a unique heart failure model in zebrafish and identified several candidate genes as novel drug targets. These results suggest that pharmacogenomic network analysis has the potential to bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo studies and could define strategies for identifying novel drug targets in various cardiovascular diseases.
著者
Rajan Ravindran Rathinasamy Sheela Devi James Samson Manohar Senthilvelan
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.98, no.4, pp.354-360, 2005 (Released:2005-08-20)
参考文献数
26
被引用文献数
31 75

In this modern world, stress and pollution are unavoidable phenomena affecting the body system at various levels. A large number of people are exposed to potentially hazardous noise levels in daily modern life, such as noise from work environments, urban traffic, and household appliances. A variety of studies have suggested an association between noise exposure and the occurrence of disorders involving extra-auditory organs such as disorders of the nervous, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems. In this study, Wistar strain albino rats were subjected to 100 dB broadband white noise, 4 h daily for 15 days. The high-pressure liquid chromatographic estimation of norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin in discrete regions of the rat brain indicates that noise stress can alter the brain biogenic amines after 15 days of stress exposure. Ocimum sanctum (OS), a medicinal herb that is widely claimed to posses antistressor activity and used extensively in the Indian system of medicine for a variety of disorders, was chosen for this study. Administration of the 70% ethanolic extract of OS had a normalizing action on discrete regions of brain and controlled the alteration in neurotransmitter levels due to noise stress, emphasizing the antistressor potential of this plant.
著者
Tsutomu Nakahara Asami Mori Yuki Kurauchi Kenji Sakamoto Kunio Ishii
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.13R03CP, (Released:2013-09-25)
参考文献数
57
被引用文献数
10 38

Increasing evidence suggests that the complex interactions among multiple cell types including neuronal, glial, and vascular cells, are critical for maintaining adequate cerebral blood flow that is necessary for normal brain function and survival. The disturbance of these interactions contributes to the pathogenesis of central nervous system disorders such as stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. The retina is part of the central nervous system, and the properties of vasculature in the retina are similar to those in the brain. The interactions among multiple cell types in the retina also play an important role in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, and the impairment of interactions can contribute to the onset and/or progression of retinal diseases. In this review, we describe the neurovascular interactions in the retina and alternations of interactions in pathological conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
著者
Makoto Katori Masataka Majima
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.100, no.5, pp.370-390, 2006 (Released:2006-06-24)
参考文献数
168
被引用文献数
12 33

It is widely accepted that a high sodium intake triggers blood pressure rise. However, only one-third of the normotensive subjects were reported to show salt-sensitivity in their blood pressure. Many factors have been proposed as causes of salt-sensitive hypertension, but none of them provides a satisfactory explanation. We propose, on the basis of accumulated data, that the reduced activity of the kallikrein-kinin system in the kidney may provide this link. Renal kallikrein is secreted by the distal connecting tubular cells and all kallikrein-kinin system components are distributed along the collecting ducts in the distal nephron. Bradykinin generated is immediately destroyed by carboxypeptidase Y-like exopeptidase and neutral endopeptidase, both quite independent from the kininases in plasma, such as angiotensin converting enzyme. The salt-sensitivity of the blood pressure depends largely upon ethnicity and potassium intake. Interestingly, potassium and ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel blockers accelerate renal kallikrein secretion and suppress blood pressure rises in animal hypertension models. Measurement of urinary kallikrein may become necessary in salt-sensitive normotensive and hypertensive subjects. Furthermore, pharmaceutical development of renal kallikrein releasers, such as KATP channel blockers, and renal kininase inhibitors, such as ebelactone B, may lead to the development of novel antihypertensive drugs.
著者
Imari Mimura Tetsuhiro Tanaka Youichiro Wada Tatsuhiko Kodama Masaomi Nangaku
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.115, no.4, pp.453-458, 2011 (Released:2011-04-15)
参考文献数
41
被引用文献数
18 29

The hypoxia response regulated primarily by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) influences metabolism, cell survival, and angiogenesis to maintain biological homeostasis. In addition to the traditional transcriptional regulation by HIF, recent studies have shown that epigenetic modulation such as histone methylation, acetylation, and DNA methylation could change the regulation of the response to hypoxia. Eukaryotic chromatin is known to be modified by multiple post-translational histone methylation and demethylation, which result in the chromatin conformation change to adapt to hypoxic stimuli. Interestingly, some of the histone demethylase enzymes, which have the Jumonji domain–containing family, require oxygen to function and are induced by hypoxia in an HIF-1–dependent manner. Recent studies have demonstrated that histone modifiers play important roles in the hypoxic environment such as that in cancer cells and that they may become new therapeutic targets for cancer patients. It may lead to finding a new therapy for cancer to clarify a new epigenetic mechanism by HIF and histone demethylase such as JMJD1A (KDM3A) under hypoxia.
著者
Fumiko Sekiguchi Atsufumi Kawabata
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.13R05CP, (Released:2013-08-01)
参考文献数
42
被引用文献数
19 64

Low-voltage-activated T-type Ca2+ channels (T-channels), especially Cav3.2 among the three isoforms (Cav3.1, Cav3.2, and Cav3.3), are now considered to play pivotal roles in processing of pain signals. Cav3.2 T-channels are functionally modulated by extracellular substances such as hydrogen sulfide and ascorbic acid, by intracellular signaling molecules including protein kinases, and by glycosylation. Cav3.2 T-channels are abundantly expressed in both peripheral and central endings of the primary afferent neurons, regulating neuronal excitability and release of excitatory neurotransmitters such as substance P and glutamate, respectively. Functional upregulation of Cav3.2 T-channels is involved in the pathophysiology of inflammatory, neuropathic, and visceral pain. Thus, Cav3.2 T-channels are considered to serve as novel targets for development of drugs for treatment of intractable pain resistant to currently available analgesics.
著者
Mi Eun Kim Hyung Keun Kim Hyeon-Young Park Dae Hyun Kim Hae Young Chung Jun Sik Lee
出版者
(公社)日本薬理学会
雑誌
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (ISSN:13478613)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.121, no.2, pp.148-156, 2013-02-20 (Released:2013-02-19)
参考文献数
26
被引用文献数
6 27

Baicalin from Scutellaria baicalensis is a major flavonoid constituent found in the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Baikal skull cap. It has been widely used for the treatment of various diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea, and hepatitis. Recent studies have demonstrated that baicalin possesses a wide range of pharmacological and biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and anti-tumor properties. Specifically, its anti-inflammatory activity has been estimated in various animal models of acute and chronic inflammation; however, its effects on dendritic cells (DCs) maturation and immuno-stimulatory activities are still unknown. In this study, we attempted to determine whether baicalin could influence DC surface molecule expression, antigen uptake capacity, cytokine production, and capacity to induce T-cell differentiation. Baicalin was shown to significantly suppress the expression of surface molecules CD80, CD86, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, and MHC class II as well as the levels of interleukin-12 production in lipopolysaccharide stimulated DCs. Moreover, baicalin-treated DCs showed an impaired induction of the T helper type 1 immune response and a normal cell-mediated immune response. These findings provide important understanding of the immunopharmacological functions of baicalin and have ramifications for the development of therapeutic adjuvants for the treatment of DCs-related acute and chronic diseases.