The Protective Effects of 18β-Glycyrrhetinic Acid onHelicobacter pylori-Infected Gastric Mucosa in Mongolian Gerbils

Abstract

18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (GRA), a major component of Glycyrrhiza glabra, is widely used therapeutically in clinic. In this study, the effect of GRA on Helicobacter pylori- (H. pylori-) infected gastritis was investigated in Mongolian gerbils in vivo. The gerbils were randomly divided into groups: uninfected; H. pylori-infected; H. pylori + antibiotics (clarithromycin, amoxicillin, and esomeprazole); and H. pylori + GRA. The gastric intraluminal pH value, histopathological changes, and the expression levels of inflammation-related cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, COX-2, and iNOS) were investigated. The results showed that, in the H. pylori + GRA group, the intraluminal gastric pH value was lower (2.14 ± 0.08 versus 3.17 ± 0.23, P < 0.05), erosion and hyperplasia were alleviated, the infiltration of neutrophils and mononuclear cells was attenuated (P < 0.05), and the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2, and iNOS were decreased (P < 0.05) compared with the H. pylori-infected group. There was no significant difference in results between the H. pylori + GRA group and the H. pylori + antibiotics group. This study indicated that GRA significantly attenuated H. pylori-infected gastritis in gerbils and has the potential to be developed as a new therapeutic drug.

Blocking autophagy enhances the apoptotic effect of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid on human sarcoma cells via endoplasmic reticulum stress and JNK activation

“… 45 , 46 Several studies have suggested that autophagy serves as a cell survival mechanism in GA-treated cancers. 47 , 48 Consistent with these findings, the current study indicated that inhibition of JNK/c-jun pathway or GA-induced autophagy significantly increased apoptosis rates and cell death, suggesting GA- induced cytoprotective autophagy in sarcoma cells. However, IRE1 α knockdown failed to elicit an increase in GA-induced cell apoptosis ( Supplementary Figure S2 ) that may be attributed to the activation of both autophagy and apoptosis by IRE1 α .…”

“…The 18 β -glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), the major bioactive component in licorice root, exerts antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects; 7 , 8 , 9 in patients with ovarian and breast cancers, the GA-containing Hongdoushan capsule (CHC) has been clinically used as an effective therapeutic strategy. 10 Furthermore, previous studies have demonstrated that GA suppresses tumor cell growth in breast, 8 lung, 11 and gastric 12 cancers.…”

18 β-glycyrrhetinic acid exhibits potent antitumor effects against colorectal cancer via inhibition of cell proliferation and migration

“…The 18 β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GRA) ( Fig. 1), a pentacyclic triterpenoid extracted from the root of Licorice, has been shown to display multiple physiological functions, such as anti-microbial (1,2), anti-inflammatory (3,4), anti-viral (5), anti-ulcer (6) and hepatoprotective effects (3). Recently, the antitumor effect of GRA has been extensively investigated in vitro and in vivo in breast (7,8), ovarian cancer (9), promyelocytic leukemia (10), hepatoma and stomach cancer cells (11).…”

Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra): A phytochemical and pharmacological review

“…According to Krausse et al (), the compounds responsible for this activity are glabridin and glabrene. Cao et al () also reported that 18β‐glycyrrhetinic acid significantly attenuated the gastritis infection caused by H. pylori . Asha et al () found that the flavonoid glabridin exhibits activity against H. pylori whereas glycyrrhizin did not present activity even at a concentration of 250 μg/ml.…”