Artemisinin inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase and nuclear factor NF-kB activation

FEBS Lett. 2003 Sep 25;552(2-3):141-4. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(03)00905-0.

Abstract

Artemisinin is a natural product used as an alternative drug in the treatment of severe and multidrug-resistant malaria. In the present work we show that artemisinin shares with other sesquiterpene lactones the ability to inhibit the activation of the nuclear factor NF-kB: by this mechanism, artemisinin, as well as parthenolide, inhibits nitric oxide synthesis in cytokine-stimulated human astrocytoma T67 cells. These results suggest that artemisinin, in addition to its antiparasitic properties, could also exert a therapeutic effect on neurological complications of malaria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology*
  • Artemisinins / pharmacology*
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • Cytokines / pharmacology
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • NF-kappa B / antagonists & inhibitors
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism*
  • Neuroglia / drug effects
  • Neuroglia / metabolism
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / genetics
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
  • Sesquiterpenes / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Artemisinins
  • Cytokines
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • NF-kappa B
  • Sesquiterpenes
  • parthenolide
  • artemisinin
  • NOS2 protein, human
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
  • Nos2 protein, mouse