Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology 2011-12-01

Inhibitory effects of chelidonic acid on IL-6 production by blocking NF-κB and caspase-1 in HMC-1 cells.

Hyun-Ji Shin, Hye-Lin Kim, Su-Jin Kim, Won-Seok Chung, Sung-Soo Kim, Jae-Young Um

Index: Immunopharmacol. Immunotoxicol. 33(4) , 614-9, (2011)

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Abstract

Chelidonic acid (CA) is a γ-pyrone which is contained in the rhizome of Chelidonium majus L. It has multiple pharmacological effects including those of a mild analgesic, an antimicrobial, an oncostatic and a central nervous system sedative, but the anti-inflammatory effect of CA and its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the regulatory mechanism of CA in mast cell-mediated inflammatory response by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and calcium ionophore A23187. The results indicate that CA inhibits the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the expression of IL-6 mRNA through the regulation of nuclear factor-κB. In addition, CA suppresses the activation and expression of caspase-1. These results provide new insights into the pharmacological actions of CA as a potential molecule for use in therapy in mast cell-mediated inflammatory diseases.