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Sirt1, a key regulator of metabolism and longevity, has recently been implicated in the regulation of allergic reactions, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we show that Sirt1 negatively regulates FcεRI-stimulated mast cell activation and anaphylaxis through two mutually regulated pathways involving AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). Mast cell-specific knockout of Sirt1 dampened AMPK-dependent suppression of FcεRI signaling, thereby augmenting mast cell activation both in vitro and in vivo. Sirt1 inhibition of FcεRI signaling also involved an alternative component, PTP1B, which attenuated the inhibitory AMPK pathway and conversely enhanced the stimulatory Syk pathway, uncovering a novel role of this phosphatase. Moreover, a Sirt1 activator resveratrol stimulated the inhibitory AMPK axis, with reciprocal suppression of the stimulatory PTP1B/Syk axis, thus potently inhibiting anaphylaxis. Overall, our results provide a molecular explanation for the beneficial role of Sirt1 in allergy and underscore a potential application of Sirt1 activators as a new class of anti-allergic agents.

Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Leguminosae) has long been known as an antiinflammatory agent for gastric ulcers, arthritis, and rheumatism. The flavonoid glycyrol (GC) (10 microg/ml) isolated from G. uralensis dramatically inhibits phorbol ester (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate)-induced nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB-dependent transcriptional activity, as determined by luciferase reporter activity in human kidney epithelial 293T cells. To investigate global gene expression profiling in cells by GC, we performed high-density oligonucleotide microarrays. Our microarray analyses showed that GC inhibited phorbol ester-induced NF-kappaB-dependent transcriptional activity in inflammatory-related gene expression. RT-PCR analysis, based on microarray data, showed that NF-kappaB-dependent genes (such as CCL2, CCL7, CD44, and HSPB8 in addition to NF-kappaB itself) were significantly downregulated by GC. Treatment with GC (10 microg/ml) inhibited I-kappaB degradation induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. The microarray data also suggested that GC induces gene expression to p53-dependent apoptosis through endonuclease G, instead of CAD/DFF and AIF/PDCD8, as a downstream-apoptosis factor in human kidney epithelial 293T tumor cells, and induces oncogenes with a suppressor role as an added function.

Mast cells are central players in immediate-type hypersensitvity and inflammatory responses. In the present study, the effects of britanin on the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction in mice and on the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and calcium ionophore A23187 (PMACI)-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in human mast cell line (HMC-1) were evaluated. The oral administration of britanin (10–20 mg/kg) decreased the mast cell-mediated PCA reaction in IgE-sensitized mice. In the activity and mechanism of britanin in vitro assay, britanin suppressed the gene expression and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner in HMC-1. In addition, britanin attenuated PMACI-induced activation of NF-κB as indicated by the inhibition of the degradation of IκBα, nuclear translocation of NF-κB, NF-κB/DNA binding activity assay, and blocked the phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase, in a dose-dependent manner. We conclude that britanin may have potential as a treatment for allergic-inflammatory diseases.

The aim of this study was to determine whether britanin, isolated from the flowers of Inula japonica (Inulae Flos), modulates the generation of allergic inflammatory mediators in activated mast cells. To understand the biological activity of britanin, the authors investigated its effects on the generation of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), leukotriene C4 (LTC4), and degranulation in IgE/Ag-induced bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). Britanin dose dependently inhibited degranulation and the generations of PGD2 and LTC4 in BMMCs. Biochemical analyses of IgE/Ag-mediated signaling pathways demonstrated that britanin suppressed the phosphorylation of Syk kinase and multiple downstream signaling processes, including phospholipase Cγ1 (PLCγ1)-mediated calcium influx, the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs; extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and p38), and the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. Taken together, the findings of this study suggest britanin suppresses degranulation and eicosanoid generation by inhibiting the Syk-dependent pathway and britanin might be useful for the treatment of allergic inflammatory diseases.

Background Biyeom-Tang, a medicine prescribed by oriental clinics, has been used for the treatment of the allergic rhinitis (AR). In the present study, an ethanol extract of Biyeom-Tang (EBT) was investigated for anti-allergic properties on bone-marrow derived mast cells (BMMC) and in vivo models. Methods The anti-allergic properties of EBT were evaluated by measuring β-Hex release and the production of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) and leukotriene C4 (LTC4) on BMMC in vitro and PCA and OVA-induced AR models in vivo. Results EBT strongly inhibited a degranulation reaction in a dose dependent manner with an IC50 value of 35.6 μg/ml. In addition, the generation of PGD2 and LTC4 was inhibited in BMMC in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 values of 7.0 μg/ml and 10.9 μg/ml, respectively. When administrated orally, EBT ameliorated the mast cell-mediated PCA reaction. In the OVA-induced AR model, the increased levels of IgE were reduced by EBT. The levels of cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13 decreased in the splenocytes of EBT-treated mice. The histological analysis shows that the infiltration of inflammatory cells increased by OVA-sensitization was also reduced. Conclusions Taken together, these results suggested that EBT has anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo models.

Little is known about the biological properties of britanin, which is isolated from the flowers of Inula japonica (Inulae Flos). Based on our previous studies that Inulae Flos had anti-inflammation and anti-asthmatic activities, we tried to find the bioactive compounds from it. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of britanin on the inflammatory mediators as well as on nuclear factor (NF)-кB and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation were evaluated in RAW 264.7 cells. Britanin inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) along with the expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, britanin reduced the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Furthermore, the phosphorylations of MAP kinases (p38 and JNK) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were suppressed by britanin. Moreover, britanin inhibited the NF-κB activation induced by LPS, which was associated with the abrogation of IκBα degradation and subsequent decreases in nuclear p65 levels. This study suggests that the anti-inflammatory activities of britanin might be attributed to the inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 and cytokine expression at least in part, through the attenuation of the phosphorylations of MAP kinases and NF-κB activation via IκBα degradation in macrophages. We conclude that britanin may have potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases through the down-regulation of MAP kinases and NF-κB mediated activation of macrophages.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The flowers of Inula japonica (Inulae Flos) have long been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of bronchitis, digestive disorders, and inflammation. However, the mechanisms underlying its anti-inflammatory effects remain yet to be elucidated. The objectives of this study were 1) to assess the anti-allergic activity of the ethanol extract of flowers of Inula japonica extract (IFE) in vivo , 2) to investigate the mechanism of its action on mast cells in vitro , and 3) to identify its major phytochemical compositions. Materials and methods The anti-allergic activity of IFE was evaluated using mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) in vitro and a passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) animal model in vivo . The effects of IFE on mast cell activation were evaluated in terms of degranulation, eicosanoid generation, Ca 2+ influx, and immunoblotting of various signaling molecules. Results IFE inhibited degranulation and the generation of eicosanoids (PGD 2 and LTC 4 ) in stem cell factor (SCF)-stimulated BMMCs. Biochemical analysis of the SCF-mediated signaling pathways demonstrated that IFE inhibited the activation of multiple downstream signaling processes including mobilization of intracellular Ca 2+ and phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), PLCγ1, and cPLA 2 pathways. When administered orally, IFE attenuated the mast cell-mediated PCA reaction in IgE-sensitized mice. Its major phytochemical composition included three sesquiterpenes, 1-O-acetylbritannilactone, britanin and tomentosin. Conclusions This study suggests that IFE modulates eicosanoids generation and degranulation through the suppression of SCF-mediated signaling pathways that would be beneficial for the prevention of allergic inflammatory diseases. Anti-allergic activity of IFE may be in part attributed particularly to the presence of britanin and tomentosin as major components evidenced by a HPLC analysis.

The flowers of Inula japonica (Inulae Flos) have long been used in traditional medicine for treating inflammatory diseases. The effects on OVA-induced asthmatic mice of an Inulae Flos extract (IFE) were evaluated in this study. The anti-asthmatic effects of IFE were determined by observing eosinophil recruitment, airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR), Th2 cytokine and IgE levels, and lung histopathology. The IFE treatment effectively reduced the percentage of eosinophils and Th2 cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) when compared to the levels in OVA-induced mice. IFE also suppressed AHR induced by aerosolized methacholine in OVA-induced mice. The results of the histopathological studies indicate that inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion were both inhibited by the IFE administration when compared to the effect on OVA-induced mice. The IFE treatment also suppressed the serum IgE levels and decreased Th2 cytokines in the supernatant of cultured splenocytes. These results suggest that IFE may have therapeutic potential against asthma.

Glycyrrhiza uralensis has a potential for preventing or ameliorating gastric mucosal ulceration. To understand the molecular mechanism about the medicinal effect of G. uralensis, we isolated four single compounds from G. uralensis and one related compound and screened for the cellular protective effect against H2O2-induced damage in gastric epithelial AGS cells. Interestingly, we found that ammonium glycyrrhizinate (AG) prepared from glycyrrhizin dramatically protects AGS cells from H2O2-induced damage as measured by the integrity of actin cytoskeleton. AG also inhibited FeSO4-induced reactive oxygen radicals in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting the role for AG as a free radical scavenger. To better understand the protective role of AG at the transcriptional level, we performed genome-wide expression profiling using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays, followed by validation using RT-PCR. Among the 33,096 genes that were screened in the microarray, 936 genes were found to be differentially expressed in a statistically significant manner in the presence or absence of H2O2 and AG. Among the 936 genes, 51 genes were differentially expressed at least 3-fold in response to the H2O2 treatment. AG blocked the expression of genes related to apoptotic cell death (GDF15, ATF3, TNFRSF10A, NALP1) or oxidative stress path-ways (HMOX1) which was elevated in response to H2O2 treatment, suggesting a potential protective role for AG in oxidative stress-induced cell death. Collectively, current results demonstrate that AG is a novel antioxidant that could be effective for the treatment of gastric diseases related to the oxidative stress-induced mucosal damage.

Background The flowers of Inula japonica (Inulae Flos) have long been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of Inulae Flos Extract (IFE). Methods The anti-inflammatory effects of IFE against nitric oxide (NO), PGE2, TNF-α, and IL-6 release, as well as NF-κB and MAP kinase activation were evaluated in RAW 264.7 cells. Results IFE inhibited the production of NO and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, IFE reduced the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6. Furthermore, IFE inhibited the NF-κB activation induced by LPS, which was associated with the abrogation of IκB-α degradation and subsequent decreases in nuclear p65 and p50 levels. Moreover, the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and p38 MAP kinases in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells was suppressed by IFE in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion These results suggest that the anti-inflammation activities of IFE might be attributed to the inhibition of NO, iNOS and cytokine expression through the down-regulation of NF-κB activation via suppression of IκBα and MAP kinase phosphorylation in macrophages.