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DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-873145
Luteolin Inhibits LPS-Stimulated Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression in BV-2 Microglial Cells
Publication History
Received: December 23, 2004
Accepted: June 10, 2005
Publication Date:
14 October 2005 (online)


Abstract
Overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) acts as a neurotoxic effector in the central nervous system, resulting in neurodegenerative diseases. From the alcoholic extracts of Perilla frutescens, we have purified an inhibitor of NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated microglia by activity-guided purification. The active compound was identified as luteolin by spectral analysis. Luteolin inhibited the NO production in LPS-activated microglia in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 = 6.9 μM). Luteolin also suppressed the degradation of I-κB-α, the expression of protein and mRNA of iNOS in LPS-activated microglia as observed in Western blot analysis and RT-PCR experiments. Luteolin may have beneficial effects in the treatment of neuro-inflammatory diseases through the inhibition of iNOS expression.