Ginseng Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ginseng, including details on american ginseng, panax, benefits, side effects.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol: Enhanced Heme Oxygenase 1 Expression in RAW 264.7 Cells.

Lee SH, Seo GS, Ko G, Kim JB, Sohn DH

College of Pharmacy, Medicinal Resources Research Institute, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea.

20( S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD) is one of the metabolites of ginsenosides from Panax ginseng. In this study, we demonstrate that PPD inhibits the increase in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression through inactivation of nuclear factor-kappaB by preventing degradation of inhibitory factor-kappaBalpha. PPD also induces heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) expression in RAW 264.7 cells, at the mRNA and protein levels, in the presence and absence of LPS. This effect is associated with suppression of LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production and iNOS expression. The HO-1 inducer hemin is associated with the suppression of LPS-induced NO production in a dose-dependent manner, and the HO-1 inhibitor tin protoporphyrin attenuates the inhibitory activity of PPD on LPS-induced NO production. These results provide evidence for the role of HO-1 in the inhibition of LPS-induced NO production by PPD.

Published 5 January 2006 in Planta Med, 71(12): 1167-70.
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