Effect of dexamethasone on STAT6-dependent Ym1/2 expression in vivo and in vitro.

Ym1 and Ym2 (Ym1/2) are chitinase-like proteins and we reported previously that IL-4 induced Ym1/2 in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells. In the present study, ovalbumin-induced asthmatic mice were used to investigate the effect of glucocorticoids on Ym1/2 expression. Ym1/2 were highly induced in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the lung.

Meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid isolated from Saururus chinensis inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells.

Meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (MDGA) is a medicinal herbal product isolated from the aerial parts of Saururus chinensis that inhibits the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-dependent phase of prostaglandin D(2) (PGD(2)) generation in bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) (IC(50) 9.8 microM). However, this compound did not inhibit COX-2 protein expression in BMMC at concentrations up to 30 microM, indicating that MDGA directly inhibits COX-2 activity.

Chemical constituents of Melandrium firmum Rohrbach and their anti-inflammatory activity.

In our ongoing search for anti-inflammatory agents originating from Korean medicinal plants, we found that the hexane and BuOH fractions of the MeOH extract from the whole plants of Melandrium firmum Rohrbach inhibited 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) activity. By activity-guided fractionation, eleven compounds, alpha-spinaterol (1), ursolic acid (2), ergosterol peroxide (3), alpha-spinaterol glucoside (4), 2-methoxy-9-beta-D-ribofuranosyl purine (5), aristeromycin (6), ecdysteron (7), polypodoaurein (8), (-)-bornesitol (9), mannitol (10) and cytisoside (11) were isolated from the hexane and BuOH fractions using column chromatography. Compounds 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 were isolated for the first time from this plant.