Oleanolic acid regulates NF-κB signaling by suppressing MafK expression in RAW 264.7 cells

Abstract

Oxidative stress and inflammation are common to many pathological conditions. Defense mechanisms protect cells from oxidative stress, but can become over-activated following injury and inflammation. NF-κB and Nrf2 transcription factors regulate proinflammatory and antioxidant gene expression, respectively. Studies have shown that many natural dietary compounds regulate NF-κB and Nrf2, preventing inflammation and oxidative stress. Here, we report major compounds of Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina such as rosmarinic acid, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and caffeic acid as a potential therapeutic for oxidative stress and inflammation. The major compounds exhibited high anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting NO, PGE2 production, NF-κB expression and activating Nrf2 expression. In addition, we examined the effect of major compounds on MafK expression. Among the compounds, oleanolic acid significantly decreased MafK expression and MafK-mediated p65 acetylation. These findings suggest that oleanolic acid as NF-κB inhibitors can potentially be used in therapeutic applications for the treatment of oxidative stressnduced diseases.