Plant Resources Research Institute, Duksung Women's University, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
Phytother Res. 2009 Nov;23(11):1575-80. doi: 10.1002/ptr.2823.
Synovial hyperplasia is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is regarded as a major destructive element of articular bone and cartilage. This pathological process is accompanied by the production of proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in synoviocytes. The present study was conducted to analyse the effects of Ligularia fischeri extract (LF) on inflammatory functions in the SW982 human synovial cell system. When cells were exposed to LF, LF had a significant inhibitory effect on the production of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and MMP-3 by SW982 cells (p < 0.05). The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) represent an attractive target for RA because they can regulate MMP and cytokine expression. The effects of LF on the activation of MAPKs and transcription factors were also examined in SW982 cells by ELISA assay. IL-1beta-induced JNK and p38 activation was inhibited by LF, and LF significantly reduced the DNA-binding activity of transcription factors NF-kappaB and AP-1. Taken together, these results suggest that LF modulates the inflammatory process involved in arthritis by suppressing the expression of various genes by inhibiting NF-kappaB and/or AP-1 activities.
滑膜增生是类风湿关节炎 (RA) 的一个标志，被认为是关节骨和软骨的主要破坏因素。这一病理过程伴随着滑膜细胞中促炎细胞因子和基质金属蛋白酶 (MMPs) 的产生。本研究旨在分析火绒草提取物 (LF) 对 SW982 人滑膜细胞系统炎症功能的影响。当细胞暴露于 LF 时，LF 对 SW982 细胞产生 TNF-α、IL-6 和 MMP-3 的能力有显著的抑制作用（p<0.05）。丝裂原活化蛋白激酶 (MAPKs) 因其能调节 MMP 和细胞因子表达而成为 RA 的一个有吸引力的治疗靶点。通过 ELISA 检测，还研究了 LF 对 SW982 细胞中 MAPKs 和转录因子激活的影响。LF 抑制了 IL-1β诱导的 JNK 和 p38 的激活，并显著降低了转录因子 NF-κB 和 AP-1 的 DNA 结合活性。综上所述，这些结果表明 LF 通过抑制 NF-κB 和/或 AP-1 活性来抑制各种基因的表达，从而调节关节炎中的炎症过程。
