TY - JOUR
T1 - Protective effects of isohelenin, an inhibitor of nuclear factor κB, in endotoxic shock in rats
AU - Sheehan, M.
AU - Wong, H. R.
AU - Hake, P. W.
AU - Zingarelli, B.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Recent in vitro studies have shown that isohelenin, a sesquiterpene lactone, inhibits the NF-κB pathway. This study examines the effect of isohelenin in endotoxic shock induced by administration of Escherichia coli endotoxin in male Wistar rats. A group of rats received isohelenin (2 mg/kg intraperitoneally) 15 min before endotoxin. In vehicle-treated rats, administration of endotoxin caused severe hypotension, which was associated with a marked hyporeactivity to norepinephrine and acetylcholine in ex vivo aortas. Elevated levels of plasma nitrate/nitrite, metabolites of nitric oxide (NO), were also found. These inflammatory events were preceded by cytosolic degradation of inhibitor-κBα (IκBα) and activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in the lung within 15 min of endotoxin administration. Treatment with isohelenin resulted in hemodynamic improvement and reduced plasma levels of NO metabolites. Nuclear translocation of NF-κB was inhibited by isohelenin treatment in the lung, whereas degradation of IκBα was unchanged. In a separate set of experiments, treatment with isohelenin significantly improved survival in mice challenged with endotoxin. We conclude that isohelenin exerts beneficial therapeutic effects during endotoxic shock through inhibition of NF-κB.
AB - Recent in vitro studies have shown that isohelenin, a sesquiterpene lactone, inhibits the NF-κB pathway. This study examines the effect of isohelenin in endotoxic shock induced by administration of Escherichia coli endotoxin in male Wistar rats. A group of rats received isohelenin (2 mg/kg intraperitoneally) 15 min before endotoxin. In vehicle-treated rats, administration of endotoxin caused severe hypotension, which was associated with a marked hyporeactivity to norepinephrine and acetylcholine in ex vivo aortas. Elevated levels of plasma nitrate/nitrite, metabolites of nitric oxide (NO), were also found. These inflammatory events were preceded by cytosolic degradation of inhibitor-κBα (IκBα) and activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in the lung within 15 min of endotoxin administration. Treatment with isohelenin resulted in hemodynamic improvement and reduced plasma levels of NO metabolites. Nuclear translocation of NF-κB was inhibited by isohelenin treatment in the lung, whereas degradation of IκBα was unchanged. In a separate set of experiments, treatment with isohelenin significantly improved survival in mice challenged with endotoxin. We conclude that isohelenin exerts beneficial therapeutic effects during endotoxic shock through inhibition of NF-κB.
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U2 - 10.1179/096805102125000236
DO - 10.1179/096805102125000236
M3 - Article
C2 - 12028749
AN - SCOPUS:0036114224
SN - 0968-0519
VL - 8
SP - 99
EP - 107
JO - Journal of Endotoxin Research
JF - Journal of Endotoxin Research
IS - 2
ER -