Plant extracts from stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), an antirheumatic remedy, inhibit the proinflammatory transcription factor NF-kappaB.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether stinging nettle extract (IDS23) inhibits NF-kappaB activation, a key pathway in chronic inflammation.
Results Summary
The study found that IDS23 potently inhibits NF-kappaB activation by preventing degradation of its inhibitory subunit IkappaB-alpha, suggesting a mechanism for its anti-inflammatory effects. The effect was observed across multiple cell types and stimuli.
Population
In vitro cell studies (no human or animal subjects specified).
Effective Dosage
Not specified.
Duration
Not specified.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Extracts from leaves of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) | decrease | rheumatoid arthritis | null | null | are used as antiinflammatory remedies | #1 |
Standardized preparations of these extracts (IDS23) | decrease | cytokine production | null | null | suppress | #2 |
treatment of different cells with IDS23 | decrease | NF-kappaB activation | different cells | null | potently inhibits | #3 |
IDS23 | decrease | a common NF-kappaB pathway | null | null | suppressed | #4 |
IDS23 | no change | its inhibitory subunit IkappaB-alpha | null | null | preventing degradation | #5 |
Urtica extract | decrease | NF-kappaB activation | null | null | inhibitory effect | #6 |
Activation of transcription factor NF-kappaB is elevated in several chronic inflammatory diseases and is responsible for the enhanced expression of many proinflammatory gene products. Extracts from leaves of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) are used as antiinflammatory remedies in rheumatoid arthritis. Standardized preparations of these extracts (IDS23) suppress cytokine production, but their mode of action remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that treatment of different cells with IDS23 potently inhibits NF-kappaB activation. An inhibitory effect was observed in response to several stimuli, suggesting that IDS23 suppressed a common NF-kappaB pathway. Inhibition of NF-kappaB activation by IDS23 was not mediated by a direct modification of DNA binding, but rather by preventing degradation of its inhibitory subunit IkappaB-alpha. Our results suggests that part of the antiinflammatory effect of Urtica extract may be ascribed to its inhibitory effect on NF-kappaB activation.