Korean J Physiol Pharmacol.  2003 Oct;7(5):283-287.

Inhibitory Effect of Esculetin on the Inducuble Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression in TNF-stimulated 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

• Yang JY

Abstract

While nitric oxide (NO) produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is beneficial for host survival, it is also detrimental to the host. Thus, regulation of iNOS gene expression may be an effective therapeutic strategy for the prevention of unwanted reactions at various pathologic conditions. During the screening process for the possible iNOS regulators, we observed that esculetin is a potent inhibitor of cytokine-induced iNOS expression. The treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) induced iNOS expression, leading to enhanced NO production. TNF-induced NO production was inhibited by esculetin in a dose-dependent manner. Esculetin inhibited the TNF-induced NO production at the transcriptional level through suppression of iNOS mRNA and subsequent iNOS protein expression. These results suggest esculetin, a component of natural products, as a naturally occurring, nontoxic means to attenuate iNOS expression and NO-mediated cytotoxicity.

Keyword

Esculetin; Nitric oxide; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Inducible nitric oxide synthase

MeSH Terms

Adipocytes*
Biological Products
Gene Expression
Mass Screening
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
Nitric Oxide Synthase*
Nitric Oxide*
RNA, Messenger
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Biological Products
Nitric Oxide
Nitric Oxide Synthase
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
RNA, Messenger
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha