Selective inhibition of NF‐κB activation by the flavonoid hepatoprotector silymarin in HepG2

Abstract

The bioflavonoid silymarin is found to potently suppress both nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)-DNA binding activity and its dependent gene expression induced by okadaic acid in the hepatoma cell line HepG2. Surprisingly, tumor necrosis factor-α-induced NF-κB activation was not affected by silymarin, thus demonstrating a pathway-dependent inhibition by silymarin. Many genes encoding the proteins of the hepatic acute phase response are under the control of the transcription factor NF-κB, a key regulator in the inflammatory and immune reactions. Thus, the inhibitory effect of silymarin on NF-κB activation could be involved in its hepatoprotective property.