Abstract
In this study, the potential effects of pyronaridine, an antimalarial agent, on airway MUC5AC mucin gene expression were investigated. The human pulmonary epithelial NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with pyronaridine for 30 min and then stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 24 h. The effect of pyronaridine on the PMA-induced nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway was also examined. Pyronaridine inhibited glycoprotein production and mRNA expression of MUC5AC mucins induced by PMA through the inhibition of degradation of inhibitory kappa Bα and NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. These results suggest that pyronaridine suppresses gene expression of mucin through regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in human pulmonary epithelial cells.