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Planta Med 2004; 70(12): 1119-1122
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-835837
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Effects of Ursolic Acid, Betulin and Sulfur-Containing Compounds on Mucin Release from Airway Goblet Cells

Choong Jae Lee1 , Jeong Ho Seok1 , Gang Min Hur1 , Jae Heun Lee1 , Ji Sun Park1 , In Chan Seol2 , Yun Hee Kim2
  • 1Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
  • 2Department of Oriental Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Korea
Further Information

Publication History

Received: March 18, 2004

Accepted: June 13, 2004

Publication Date:
10 January 2005 (online)

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Abstract

In this study, we investigated whether ursolic acid, betulin and 2 kinds of sulfur-containing compounds - NAC and MESNA - affect mucin release from airway goblet cells and compared the possible activities of these agents with the inhibitory action on mucin release by PLL and the stimulatory action by ATP. Confluent primary hamster tracheal surface epithelial (HTSE) cells were metabolically radiolabeled using 3 H-glucosamine for 24 h and chased for 30 min in the presence of varying concentrations of each agent to assess the effects on 3 H-mucin release. The results were as follows : ursolic acid, betulin, MESNA and NAC increased mucin release (40 - 50 % above control) at the highest concentrations (10 - 5 M - 10 - 3 M). We conclude that ursolic acid and betulin can stimulate mucin release by directly acting on airway mucin-secreting cells and suggest that these agents be further investigated for the possible use as mucoregulators in the treatment of chronic airway diseases.

Abbreviations

PLL:poly-L-lysine

ATP:adenosine triphosphate

HTSE:hamster tracheal surface epithelial

PBS:phosphate-buffered saline

MESNA:2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid

NAC:N-acetyl-L-cysteine

Key words

Mucin - ursolic acid - betulin - Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc. - Cornaceae - Betula platyphylla var. japonica Hara - Betulaceae

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Dr. Choong Jae Lee

Department of Pharmacology

College of Medicine

Chungnam National University

6 Munhwa-Dong

Joong-Gu

Daejeon

Korea

Phone: +82-42-580-8255

Fax: +82-42-585-6627

Email: LCJ123@cnu.ac.kr