ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic Acid, isolated from the roots of Aralia continentalis, induces activation of Nrf2.

Abstract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:

Excessive inflammation can lead to tissue damage and dysfunction of vital organs. Hence, regulating inflammatory response is a viable therapeutic approach. In Asian countries, various inflammatory diseases have often effectively been treated with herbal remedies including the root extract of Aralia continentalis Kitagawa (Araliaceae). Here, we investigated the effect of kaurenoic acid (ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid: KA), a diterpenoid that is extracted from Aralia continentalis Kitagawa root, on inflammation.

MATERIALS, METHODS, AND RESULTS:

Western blot and RT-PCR analyses show that KA induced the nuclear localization of Nrf2 as low as 1 nM in concentration and that KA treatment induced the expression of Nrf2 dependent genes such as GCLC and HO-1. On the other hand, KA did not affect the degradation of cytoplasmic IκB-α, the nuclear localization of RelA (p65), and NF-κB transcriptional activity in RAW264.7 cells treated with endotoxin. Consistent with these data, KA treatment failed to suppress gene expression of representative pro-inflammatory mediators including COX-2, nitric oxide, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-12, indicating that KA did not have an important impact on NF-κB activation.

CONCLUSION:

Together, these results show that KA was an effective activator of Nrf2, and suggest that the beneficial effects of Aralia continentalis Kitagawa root extract are, at least in part, mediated by activating Nrf2.

• Authors: Ji Hyo Lyu, Geum San Lee, Kyun Ha Kim, Hyung-Woo Kim, Su-In Cho, Seung-Il Jeong, Hong-Jun Kim, Young-Seung Ju, Ho-Kyoung Kim, Ruxana T Sadikot, John W Christman, Sei-Ryang Oh, Hyeong-Kyu Lee, Kyung-Seop Ahn, Myungsoo Joo
• Journal: Journal of ethnopharmacology (J Ethnopharmacol) Vol. 137 Issue 3 Pg. 1442-9 (Oct 11 2011) ISSN: 1872-7573 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 21884778 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Diterpenes
• Inflammation Mediators
• Lipopolysaccharides
• NF-E2-Related Factor 2
• NF-kappa B
• Nfe2l2 protein, mouse
• argyrophilic acid

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (isolation & purification, pharmacology, toxicity)
• Aralia (chemistry)
• Blotting, Western
• Cell Nucleus (drug effects, immunology, metabolism)
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Diterpenes (isolation & purification, pharmacology, toxicity)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Gene Expression Regulation (drug effects)
• HEK293 Cells
• Humans
• Inflammation Mediators (metabolism)
• Lipopolysaccharides (pharmacology)
• Mice
• NF-E2-Related Factor 2 (genetics, metabolism)
• NF-kappa B (genetics, metabolism)
• Plant Roots
• Plants, Medicinal
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Time Factors
• Transfection