Silymarin Inhibits Morphological Changes in LPS-Stimulated Macrophages by Blocking NF-kappaB Pathway.
10.4196/kjpp.2015.19.3.211
- Author:
Eun Jeong KIM
1
;
Min Young LEE
;
Young Jin JEON
Author Information
1. Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju 501-759, Korea. yjjeon@chosun.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
iNOS;
Macrophages;
MAPK;
NF-kappaB
- MeSH:
Animals;
Cell Line;
Cytokines;
Gene Expression;
Inflammation;
Macrophages*;
Mice;
Milk Thistle;
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases;
Negotiating;
NF-kappa B*;
Silymarin*;
Transcriptional Activation
- From:The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
2015;19(3):211-218
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The present study showed that silymarin, a polyphenolic flavonoid isolated from milk thistle (Silybum marianum), inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced morphological changes in the mouse RAW264.7 macrophage cell line. We also showed that silymarin inhibited the nuclear translocation and transactivation activities of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB), which is important for macrophage activation-associated changes in cell morphology and gene expression of inflammatory cytokines. BAY-11-7085, an NF-kappaB inhibitor, abrogated LPS-induced morphological changes and NO production, similar to silymarin. Treatment of RAW264.7 cells with silymarin also inhibited LPS-stimulated activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Collectively, these experiments demonstrated that silymarin inhibited LPS-induced morphological changes in the RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cell line. Our findings indicated that the most likely mechanism underlying this biological effect involved inhibition of the MAPK pathway and NF-kappaB activity. Inhibition of these activities by silymarin is a potentially useful strategy for the treatment of inflammation because of the critical roles played by MAPK and NF-kappaB in mediating inflammatory responses in macrophages.
