Glycyrrhiza uralensis flavonoids inhibit brain microglial cell TNF-α secretion,p-IκB expression,and increase brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) secretion
- Author:
P.Patil SANGITA
1
;
Liu CHANGDA
;
Alban JOSEPH
;
Yang NAN
;
Li XIU-MIN
Author Information
1. Department of Pediatrics,Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology,Jaffe Food Allergy Institute,Center for Integrative Medicine for Allergies and Wellness,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,1425 Madison Avenue,Box 1089,New York,NY 10029-6574,USA
- Keywords:
Anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention;
Anxiety and asthma;
Flavonoids;
TNF-α;
BDNF
- From:
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences
2014;1(1):28-37
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:Asthma sufferers exhibit high prevalence of anxiety/depression.Elevated tumor-necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in peripheral system and central nervous system (CNS) are associated with anxiety/depression,whereas brain-derived neurotropic factor(BDNF) has anti-depressant effects.An anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention ASHMI inhibits peripheral TNF-α secretion in an animal model of asthma.We hypothesize that ASHMI and its compounds may have modulatory effects on CNS TNF-α and BDNF production.We sought to determine the effect of ASHMI and individual herb constituents on brain microglial cell TNF-α production,and identify the active compounds that suppress TNF-α and increase BDNF.Methods:BV-2 mouse microglial cells were pre-treated with ASHMI or extracts of Ganoderma lu-cidum (G.lucidum),Sophora flavescens Ait (S.flavescens),and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer (G.uralensis),the herbal constituents in ASHMI,or individual compounds isolated from G.uralensis at different concentrations and then stimulated with LPS.TNF-α levels in culture supernatants were measured by ELISA.The effect of active compounds on NFκB signaling pathway and on BDNF production were determined by western blotting and ELISA,respectively.Results:ASHMI produced dose-dependent inhibition of TNF-α secretion by cultured-mouse micro-glia BV2 cells.Of the three herb extracts in ASHMI,only G.uralensis significantly and dose-dependently inhibited TNF-α production.Among the 5 flavonoids isolated from G.uralensis,isoliquiritigenin was the most effective.Isoliquiritigenin suppression of TNF-α production was asso-ciated with attenuation of p-NF-κB expression,and was accompanied by increased BDNF secretion.Conclusion:ASHMI and its effective flavonoid,isoliquiritigenin,inhibited TNF-α production by LPS stimulated microglial cells and elevated BDNF levels,which may prove to have anti-CNS inflamma-tory and anti-anxiety effects.
