Inhibition of TPA-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression and skin inflammation in mice by wogonin, a plant flavone from Scutellaria radix

• Published in: European journal of pharmacology 2001-08, Vol.425 (2), p.153-157
• Main Authors: Park, Byoung Kyu, Heo, Moon Young, Park, Haeil, Kim, Hyun Pyo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Bones, joints and connective tissue. Antiinflammatory agents; Cyclooxygenase; Cyclooxygenase 2; Dinoprostone - biosynthesis; Disease Models, Animal; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use; Edema - chemically induced; Edema - metabolism; Edema - prevention & control; Flavanones; Flavones; Flavonoid; Flavonoids - therapeutic use; Gene Expression - drug effects; Isoenzymes - antagonists & inhibitors; Isoenzymes - biosynthesis; Magnoliopsida - chemistry; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases - biosynthesis; Skin Diseases - chemically induced; Skin Diseases - metabolism; Skin Diseases - prevention & control; Skin inflammation; Skin, nail, hair, dermoskeleton; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate - pharmacology; Wogonin
• ISSN: 0014-2999; 1879-0712
• DOI: 10.1016/S0014-2999(01)01187-6

Wogonin (5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone), isolated from Scutellaria radix, was previously reported to inhibit the expression and activity of the enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cells of a mouse macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7. Here, in order to find in vivo effects, inhibition by wogonin of 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression and anti-inflammatory activity in vivo were investigated. When applied topically to the dorsal skin of mice, wogonin at doses of 50–200 μg/site/treatment (total of five treatments in 3 days) inhibited cyclooxygenase-2 expression and prostaglandin E 2 production induced by multiple treatments with TPA. At 200 μg/site/treatment, wogonin caused a 55.3% reduction of prostaglandin E 2 production on the dorsal skin compared with an increased production in the TPA-treated control group. The same compound significantly inhibited mouse ear edema induced by TPA in both preventive (58.1% inhibition) as well as curative treatment (31.3% inhibition) schedules at 200 μg/ear/treatment. Inhibition of neutrophil infiltration was also observed. Therefore, wogonin may be beneficial for cyclooxygenase-2-related skin disorders.