Glabridin inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of a microglial cell line, BV-2, by blocking NF-kappaB and AP-1.

Sun Hong Park, Jong Soon Kang, Yeo Dae Yoon, Kiho Lee, Kang-Jeon Kim, Ki Hoon Lee, Chang Woo Lee, Eun-Yi Moon, Sang-Bae Han, Bong Hee Kim, Hwan Mook Kim, Song-Kyu Park

Index: Phytother Res. 24 Suppl 1 , S29-34, (2010)

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Abstract

Glabridin, a flavonoid present in licorice root, is known to have antiinflammatory and cardiovascular protective activities. The present study reports an inhibitory effect of glabridin on microglial activation. Glabridin dose-dependently attenuated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of inflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta, in BV-2 cells, a murine microglia cell line. Moreover, mRNA expression of these inflammatory mediators was also suppressed by glabridin in LPS-stimulated BV-2 cells. Further study demonstrated that glabridin inhibited LPS-induced DNA binding activity of NF-kappaB and AP-1 in BV-2 cells. Collectively, the results presented in this report demonstrate that glabridin inhibits the production of inflammatory mediators in BV-2 cells and this is mediated, at least in part, by blocking NF-kappaB and AP-1 activation. The results suggest that glabridin might be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.