Isohelenin | NFkB inhibitor

Isohelenin (470-17-7) is a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Mexican Indian medicinal plants known to have anti-inflammatory properties. A potent inhibitor of NFkB (complete inhibition at 5 µM)¹ acting via inhibition of IKKß⁶. Isohelenin-mediated NFkB inhibition suppresses IL-8 expression², iNOS expression³ and RANTES biosynthesis⁴. Displays protective effects in endotoxic shock in rodent models.⁵ Induces apoptosis in glioma cells.⁶

References:

1. Bork et al. (1997), Sesquiterpene lactone containing Mexican Indian medicinal plants and pure sesquiterpene lactones as potent inhibitors of transcription factor NK-kappaB; FEBS Lett., 402 85
2. Mazor et al. (2000), Sesquiterpene lactones are potent inhibitors of interleukin 8 gene expression in cultured human respiratory epithelium; Cytokine, 12 239
3. Wong and Menendez (1999), Sesquiterpene lactones inhibit inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression in cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells; Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 262 375
4. Li et al. (2001), Induction of RANTES chemokine expression in human astrocytic cells is dependent upon activation of NK-kappaB transcription factor; Int. J. Mol. Med., 7 527
5. Sheehan et al. (2002), Protective effects of isohelenin, an inhibitor of nuclear factor KappaB in endotoxic shock in rats; Endotoxin Res, 8 99
6. Xing et al. (2019), Isoalantolactone inhibits IKKß kinase activity to interrupt the NF-kB/COX-2-mediated signaling cascade and induces apoptosis regulated by the mitochondrial translocation of cofilin in glioblastoma; Cancer Med., 8 1655