Glycyrrhetinic acid

The root of Glycyrrhize glabra L.

Glycyrrhetinic acid (enoxolone) is a major component of a plant called licorice. It has been found to have both antiviral and antifungal activities. It is able to carboxilate the replication of DNA and inhibits the production of microbial toxins and enzymes [1] [2]. In rats, 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid potently inhibited 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) activity of hepatic and renal homogenates with IC50 values of 0.09 μm and 0.36 μm, respectively [3].

Before glucocorticoids bind the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), the selectivity of MR for aldosterone can be exerted by enzymes, and hence competing glucocorticoids is inactivated. 11β-HSD-1 and 11β-HSD-2 and 11β-HSD-3 are three of the enzymes. 11β-HSD-1 has bidirectional activity and a Km value in the micromolar range. It is NADP+-dependent. 11β-HSD-2 exhibits only oxidase activity and has a Km in the nanomolar range. It is NAD+-dependent. In the kidney, it colocalizes with the MR [4].

JEG-3 cell line was derived from a human choriocarcinoma. In this cell line, the enzyme activity of 11β-HSD-3 was inhibited by glycyrrhetinic acid [4].

In rats, 3 h after the administration of glycyrrhetinic acid at concentration of 200 mg/kg, p.o. significantly inhibited 11β-HSD activity in the kidney and the liver. In addition, glycyrrhetinic acid slightly increased the circulating corticosterone level. In differential inhibitory effects on 11β-HSD isozyme activity, the 11-, 24- and 30-positions of glycyrrhetinic acid may play important roles. This had been showed by Data [3].

References:
[1].  Salari MH, Sohrabi N, Kadkhoda Z, et al. Antibacterial Effects of Enoxolone on Periodontopathogenic and Capnophilic Bacteria Isolated from Specimens of Periodontitis Patients. Iranian Biomedical Journal, 2003, 7(1):39-42.
[2].  Bahmani M, Rafieian-Kopaei M, Jeloudari M, et al. A review of the health effects and uses of drugs of plant licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) in Iran. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease, 2015, 5: 127-29.
[3].  Shimoyama Y, Hirabayashi K, Matsumoto H, et al. Effects of glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives on hepatic and renal 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities in rats. J Pharm Pharmacol, 2003, 55(6):811-7.
[4].  Gomez-Sanchez EP, Cox D, Foecking M, et al. 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases of the choriocarcinoma cell line JEG-3 and their inhibition by glycyrrhetinic acid and other natural substances. Steroids, 1996, 61(3):110-5.

Amino derivatives of glycyrrhetinic acid as potential inhibitors of cholinesterases.[Pubmed:24853320]

Bioorg Med Chem. 2014 Jul 1;22(13):3370-8.

The development of remedies against the Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the biggest challenges in medicinal chemistry nowadays. Although not completely understood, there are several strategies fighting this disease or at least bringing some relief. During the progress of AD, the level of acetylcholine (ACh) decreases; hence, a therapy using inhibitors should be of some benefit to the patients. Drugs presently used for the treatment of AD inhibit the two ACh controlling enzymes, acetylcholinesterase as well as butyrylcholinesterase; hence, the design of selective inhibitors is called for. Glycyrrhetinic acid seems to be an interesting starting point for the development of selective inhibitors. Although its glycon, Glycyrrhetinic acid is known for being an AChE activator, several derivatives, altered in position C-3 and C-30, exhibited remarkable inhibition constants in micro-molar range. Furthermore, five representative compounds were subjected to three more enzyme assays (on carbonic anhydrase II, papain and the lipase from Candida antarctica) to gain information about the selectivity of the compounds in comparison to other enzymes. In addition, photometric sulforhodamine B assays using murine embryonic fibroblasts (NiH 3T3) were performed to study the cytotoxicity of these compounds. Two derivatives, bearing either a 1,3-diaminopropyl or a 1H-benzotriazolyl residue, showed a BChE selective inhibition in the single-digit micro-molar range without being cytotoxic up to 30muM. In silico molecular docking studies on the active sites of AChE and BChE were performed to gain a molecular insight into the mode of action of these compounds and to explain the pronounced selectivity for BChE.

Glycyrrhetinic acid-induced permeability transition in rat liver mitochondria.[Pubmed:14637195]

Biochem Pharmacol. 2003 Dec 15;66(12):2375-9.

Glycyrrhetinic acid, a hydrolysis product of one of the main constituents of licorice, the triterpene glycoside of glycyrrhizic acid, when added to rat liver mitochondria at micromolar concentrations induces swelling, loss of membrane potential, pyridine nucleotide oxidation, and release of cytochrome c and apoptosis inducing factor. These changes are Ca(2+) dependent and are prevented by cyclosporin A, bongkrekic acid, and N-ethylmaleimide. All these observations indicate that Glycyrrhetinic acid is a potent inducer of mitochondrial permeability transition and can trigger the pro-apoptotic pathway.

Glycyrrhetinic Acid Induces Apoptosis in Leukemic HL60 Cells Through Upregulating of CD95/ CD178.[Pubmed:25635254]

Int J Mol Cell Med. 2014 Fall;3(4):272-8.

Acute leukemia is characterized by the accumulation of neoplastic cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood. Currently, chemotherapy and differentiating agents have been used for the treatment of leukemia. Recently, plant extracts, either alone or in combination with chemo agents, have been proposed to be used for the treatment of cancers. The aim of the present research was to study the cytotoxicity and apoptosis effects of an active licorice-derived compound, Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), on human leukemic HL60 cells. HL60 cells were cultured in RPMI1640 containing 10% fetal bovine serum. Cells were treated with different doses of GA and their viability and proliferation were detected by dye exclusion and 3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) assays. Apoptosis induction and expression of CD95 and CD178 were analyzed by flow cytometry. We observed that GA decreases cell viability and suppresses cells proliferation in a dose- dependent manner. In addition, our flow cytometry data show that GA not only induces apoptosis in HL60 cells, but also upregulates both CD95 and CD178 expression on the cell surface of these cells in a dose-dependent manner. The combination of GA with cytotoxic drugs and differentiation agents requires further investigation.

Glycyrrhetinic acid induces G1phase cell cycle arrest in human nonsmall cell lung cancer cells through endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.[Pubmed:25573651]

Int J Oncol. 2015 Mar;46(3):981-8.

Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is a natural compound extracted from liquorice, which is often used in traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the antitumor effect of GA in human nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and its underlying mechanisms in vitro. We have shown that GA suppressed the proliferation of A549 and NCIH460 cells. Flow cytometric analysis showed that GA arrested cell cycle in G0/G1 phase without inducing apoptosis. Western blot analysis indicated that GA mediated G1phase cell cycle arrest by upregulation of cyclindependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) (p18, p16, p27 and p21) and inhibition of cyclins (cyclinD1, D3 and E) and cyclindependent kinases (CDKs) (CDK4, 6 and 2). GA also maintained pRb phosphorylation status, and inhibited E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1) in both cell lines. GA upregulated the unfolded proteins, Bip, PERK and ERP72. Accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) triggered the unfolded protein response (UPR), which could be the mechanism by which GA inhibited cell proliferation in NSCLC cells. GA then coordinated the induction of ER chaperones, which decreased protein synthesis and induced cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. This study provides experimental evidence to support the development of GA as a chemotherapeutic agent for NSCLC.

Glycyrrhetinic Acid inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in ovarian cancer a2780 cells.[Pubmed:25364659]

Adv Pharm Bull. 2014 Oct;4(Suppl 1):437-41.

PURPOSE: Accumulating evidence indicates that glycyrrhizin (GZ) and its hydrolyzed metabolite 18-beta Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) exhibit anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. The objective of this study was to examine the in vitro cytotoxic activity of GA on human ovarian cancer A2780 cells. METHODS: A2780 cells were cultured in RPMI1640 containing 10% fetal bovine serum. Cells were treated with different doses of GA and cell viability and proliferation were detected by dye exclusion and 3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) assays. Apoptosis induction and expression of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: We observed that GA decreases cell viability and suppressed cells proliferation in a dose-dependent manner as detected by dye-exclusion and XTT assayes. In addition, our flow cytometry data show that GA not only induces apoptosis in A2780 cells but also upregulates both Fas and FasL on these cells in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: we demonstrate that GA causes cell death in A2780 cells by inducing apoptosis.

18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid is the major bioactive component of Glycyrrhizae Radix and possesses anti-ulcerative, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties.

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