Galangin Regulates Mucin 5AC Gene Expression via the Nuclear Factor-κB Inhibitor α/Nuclear Factor-κB p65 Pathway in Human Airway Epithelial Cells

In this study, we investigated the effects of the flavonoid galangin on the expression of the mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) gene in airway cells. Human pulmonary epithelial NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with galangin for 30 min and then stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 24 h. We also examined the effects of galangin on the PMA-induced nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) signaling pathway. Galangin inhibited the production of glycoproteins and the expression of MUC5AC mRNA induced by PMA via prevention of NF-kappa B inhibitor alpha degradation and NF-kappa B p65 nuclear translocation. These findings indicated that galangin suppressed mucin gene expression by modulating the NF-kappa B signaling pathway in human pulmonary epithelial cells.