Licochalcone A inhibits prostaglandin E2 by targeting the MAPK pathway in LPS activated primary microglia

Abstract: Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are conditions leading to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Natural compounds exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects, such as Licochalcone A, a bioactive flavonoid present in a traditional Chinese herb (licorice), might be beneficial for the treatment of those disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of Licochalcone A in LPS-activated primary rat microglia. Licochalcone A dose-dependently prevented LPS-induced PGE2 release by inhibiting the arachidonic acid (AA)/cylcooxygenase (COX) pathway decreasing phospholipase A2, COX-1, and COX-2 protein levels. Furthermore, LPS-induced levels of the cytokines IL-6 and TNFα were reduced by Licochalcone A, which also inhibited the phosphorylation and, thus, activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) p38 MAPK and Erk 1/2. With the reduction of 8-iso-PGF2α, a sensitive marker for oxidative stress, anti-oxidative effects of Licochalcone A were demonstrated. Our data demonstrate that Licochalcone A can affect microglial activation by interfering in important inflammatory pathways. These in vitro findings further demonstrate the potential value of Licochalcone A as a therapeutic option for the prevention of microglial dysfunction related to neuroinflammatory diseases. Future research should continue to investigate the effects of Licochalcone A in different disease models with a focus on its anti-oxidative and anti-neuroinflammatory properties

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Molecules. - 28, 4 (2023) , 1927, ISSN: 1420-3049

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Freiburg
• (who): Universität
• (when): 2023
• Creator: Bhatia, Harsharan Singh ; Apweiler, Matthias Benedikt ; Sun, Lu ; Baron, Julian ; Tirkey, Ashwini ; Fiebich, Bernd L.

Further information

• DOI: 10.3390/molecules28041927
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-2341927
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 25.03.2025, 1:54 PM CET