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KMID : 0613820110210060796
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Journal of Life Science
2011 Volume.21 No. 6 p.796 ~ p.804
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Extracts of Allium fistulosum Attenuates Pro-Inflammatory Action in the Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated BV2 Microglia Cells
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Park Shin-Hyung
Kim Jung-In
Jeong Yong-Kee
Choi Yung-Hyun
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Abstract
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Microglia are central nervous system (CNS)-resident professional macrophages that function as the principal immune cells responding to pathological stimulations in the CNS. Activation of microglia, induced by various pathogens, protects neurons and maintains homeostasis in the CNS, but severe activation causes inflammatory responses secreting various neurotoxic molecules such as nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Allium fistulosum, a member of the onion family, is mainly cultivated for consumption, as well as medicinal use in Oriental medicine. It has been reported that A. fistulosum has various biological effects such as anti-oxidant, anti-platelet aggregation, anti-fungus and anti-cholesterol synthesis, however there has been no research about the anti-inflammatory effects of A. fistulosum extracts. In this study, it was undertaken to explore the functions of A. fistulosum as a suppressor of neuronal inflammation by using BV2 microglia cells. As a result, it was found that four kinds of extracts of A. fistulosum effectively reduced the expressions of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) at both mRNA and protein levels, and also attenuated pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1 β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) at the mRNA level in BV2 stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In addition, the extracts of A. fistulosum attenuated the release of NO markedly, as well as resulting in slight decreases of TNF-α and IL-6 production, the effects of which were most significant when treated with ethyl alcohol extract from the whole A. fistulosum. In conclusion, the data indicated that the anti-inflammatory actions of A. fistulosum against BV2 microglia cells is through the down-regulation of iNOS, COX2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6, and these effects are expected to help in the protection of nerve tissues by suppressions of neuronal inflammation in various neurodegenerative diseases.
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KEYWORD
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BV2 microglia, Allium fistulosum, neuroinflammation, COX-2, iNOS
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