Differential effects of organosulfur compounds from garlic oil on nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in stimulated macrophages

The garlic derivatives, DAS, DADS, and AMS, differentially regulated the production of NO and PGE2 in stimulated macrophages. DAS decreased stimulated NO and PGE2 production by inhibiting inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expressions, and its enzyme inhibiting and NO clearance activity may also partly contribute to the suppression of NO. DADS inhibited activated NO production by decreasing inducible NO synthase expression and by directly clearing NO, whereas AMS suppressed NO mainly through its direct NO clearance activity. Further, neither DADS nor AMS showed any inhibitory effect on stimulated PGE2 production.