Suppression of age-related inflammatory NF-kappaB activation by cinnamaldehyde

• Published in: Biogerontology (Dordrecht) 2007-10, Vol.8 (5), p.545
• Main Authors: Kim, Dae Hyun, Kim, Chul Hong, Kim, Min-Sun, Kim, Ji Young, Jung, Kyung Jin, Chung, Jae Heun, An, Won Gun, Lee, Jae Won, Yu, Byung Pal, Chung, Hae Young
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acrolein - analogs & derivatives; Acrolein - pharmacology; Aging - drug effects; Aging - metabolism; Animals; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases - drug effects; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases - physiology; Flavoring Agents - pharmacology; I-kappa B Kinase - drug effects; I-kappa B Kinase - physiology; Male; NF-kappa B - drug effects; NF-kappa B - metabolism; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Oxidative Stress - physiology; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - drug effects; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - physiology; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Signal Transduction - physiology
• ISSN: 1389-5729

Redox sensitive, pro-inflammatory nuclear transcription factor NF-kappaB plays a key role in both inflammation and aging processes. In a redox state disrupted by oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory genes are upregulated by the activation of NF-kappaB through diverse kinases. Thus, the search and characterization of new substances that modulate NF-kappaB are of recent research interest. Cinnamaldehyde (CNA) is the major component of cinnamon bark oil, which has been widely used as a flavoring agent in foodstuffs such as beverages and ice cream. In the present study, CNA was examined for its molecular modulation of inflammatory NF-kappaB activation via the redox-related NIK/IKK and MAPK pathways through the reduction of oxidative stress. Results show that age-related NF-kappaB activation upregulated NF-kappaB targeting genes, inflammatory iNOS, and COX-2, all of which were inhibited effectively by CNA. Our study further shows that CNA inhibited the activation of NF-kappaB via three signal transduction pathways, NIK/IKK, ERK, and p38 MAPK. Our results indicate that CNA's antioxidative effect and the restoration of redox balance were responsible for its anti-inflammatory action. Thus, the significance of the current study is the new information revealing the anti-inflammatory properties of CNA and the role it plays in the regulation of age-related alterations in signal transduction pathways.