African Journal of
Pharmacy and Pharmacology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Pharm. Pharmacol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0816
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJPP
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 2298

Full Length Research Paper

Upregulation effect of glycyrrhizin on secretory component expression in Caco-2 cells

Jin-long Fu1,2, Yu-rong Wang1, Ying Zhou1 and Pei Liu1*
1Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, China. 2Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang Province, China.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 13 September 2011
  •  Published: 08 October 2011

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate whether glycyrrhizin, with steroid hormone-like effects, can upregulate expression of secretory component (SC) in human colonic epithelial Caco-2 and to explore its underlying mechanism. Cultures of Caco-2 were exposed to glycyrrhizin. Free SC in culture supernatants, SC protein, and SC mRNA expression were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot, real-time PCR, respectively. Cultures of Caco-2 were exposed to RU486, a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist, combined with glycyrrhizin or dexamethasone (DEX), SC protein and SC mRNA expression were examined. Glycyrrhizin dose-dependently upregulated free SC in culture supernatants, SC mRNA and protein expression of SC (p<0.05). RU486 could inhibit DEX effects on SC expression (p<0.05), but did not inhibit glycyrrhizin effects on SC expression (p>0.05). The present study indicates that glycyrrhizin has a glucocorticoid-like upregulated effect on SC production in Caco-2 cells. It is likely that this effect is different from the mechanism of glucocorticoids.

 

Key words: Licorice, glucocorticoid, polymeric Ig receptor, glucocorticoid receptor.