Discovery and functional identification of plant-derived small compounds as the
immunosuppressant attract much attention these years.
Albaconol is a new kind of small compound, prenylated
resorcinol, isolated from the fruiting bodies of the inedible mushroom Albatrellus confluens. Our previous studies showed that
albaconol can inhibit
tumor cell growth and dendritic cell maturation. However, the immunomodulatory roles and the underlying mechanisms of
albaconol have not been fully understood. In this study we investigated the effects of
albaconol on the proliferation and LPS-induced proinflammatory
cytokine production of macrophages.
Albaconol, when used at a dose higher than 1.0 microg/ml, inhibited proliferation of RAW264.7 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and could induce cellular apoptosis when used at high dosage (>or= 7.5 microg/ml). Furthermore, we found that
albaconol used at a lower dosage without apoptosis induction could significantly inhibit LPS-induced
TNF-alpha,
IL-6, IL-1beta and NO production in RAW264.7 cells. The inhibition of
NF-kappaB activation and enhancement of SOCS1 expression in LPS-stimulated macrophages by
albaconol may contribute to the above immunosuppressive or anti-inflammatory activities of
albaconol. Our results suggest that
albaconol may be a potential immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory
drug.