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DOI:10.3724/SP.J.1008.2004.00939 |
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Triptolide (PG-490) induces apoptosis of dendritic cells through sequential p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation and caspase 3 activation |
Liu Q,Chen T,Chen H,Zhang M,Li N,Lu Z,Ma P,Cao X |
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Abstract: |
Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells that play crucial roles in the regulation of immune response. Triptolide, an active component purified from the medicinal plant Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. , has been demonstrated to act as a potent immunosuppressive drug capable of inhibiting T cell activation and proliferation. However, little is known about the effects of triptolide on DCs. The present study shows that triptolide does not affect phenotypic differentiation and LPS-induced maturation of murine DCs. But triptolide can dramatically reduce cell recovery by inducing apoptosis of DCs at concentration as low as 10 ng/ml, as demonstrated by phosphatidylserine exposure, mitochondria potential decrease, and nuclear DNA condensation. Triptolide induces activation of p38 in DCs, which precedes the activation of caspase 3. SB203580, a specific kinase inhibitor for p38, can block the activation of caspase 3 and inhibit the resultant apoptosis of DCs. Our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities of triptolide may be due, in part,to its apoptosis-inducing effects on DCs. |
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