Niwa Y, Akamatsu H
Department of Dermatology, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi, Japan.
Inflammation. 1991 Aug;15(4):303-15. doi: 10.1007/BF00917315.
The effects of kojic acid, a compound that suppresses melanogenesis and is widely consumed in the Japanese diet with the belief that it is beneficial to health, were investigated on several aspects of leukocyte function. Kojic acid significantly decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (O2-, H2O2, OH.) generated by neutrophil and by a cell-free ROS-generating system. In contrast, it significantly enhanced neutrophil phagocytosis and ROS generation, and lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by phytohemagglutinin. In addition, calcium concentration, [Ca2+]i in human neutrophils was increased in the presence of kojic acid. These results suggest that kojic acid is a favorable agent in terms of host defense in that it enhances a number of activities of leukocytes, but scavenges ROS excessively released from cells or generated in the tissues or blood vessels that are potentially injurious to host tissues.
曲酸是一种抑制黑色素生成的化合物，在日本饮食中被广泛食用，人们认为它对健康有益。本研究从多个方面对曲酸对白细胞功能的影响进行了调查。曲酸显著降低了中性粒细胞和无细胞活性氧生成系统产生的活性氧（ROS）（O2-、H2O2、OH.）水平。相反，它显著增强了中性粒细胞的吞噬作用和活性氧生成，以及植物血凝素刺激的淋巴细胞增殖。此外，在曲酸存在的情况下，人中性粒细胞中的钙浓度[Ca2+]i升高。这些结果表明，曲酸在宿主防御方面是一种有利的物质，因为它增强了白细胞的多种活性，但能清除从细胞中过度释放或在组织或血管中产生的、可能对宿主组织造成损伤的活性氧。
