Molecular and Cellular PharmacologyInvolvement of heme oxygenase-1 induction in the cytoprotective and immunomodulatory activities of 6,4′-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone in murine hippocampal and microglia cells

6,4′-Dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone (DMF), a biologically active compound, was isolated from the heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen (Leguminosae). The present study proposed to examine the role of DMF as an anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) inducer in mouse hippocampal HT22 cells and BV2 microglia cells. The effect of DMF on cell viability was determined by MTT assay and the effects of DMF on pro-inflammatory enzymes and cytokines were analyzed by western blot and ELISA. Parameters such as DMF induced HO-1 protein immunocontents, HO activity and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) activation were also measured. DMF increased cellular resistance to oxidative injury caused by glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in HT22 cells, via JUN N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway dependent HO-1 expression. Furthermore, DMF suppressed the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of pro-inflammatory enzymes and inflammatory mediators in BV2 microglia. DMF suppressed production of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), through extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway dependent HO-1 expression. This study indicates that DMF effectively modulates the regulation of anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory action, via up-regulation of HO-1 in HT22 cells and BV2 microglia. These results suggest that DMF possesses therapeutic potentials against neurodegenerative diseases that are induced by oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.