Fimasartan, Anti-hypertension Drug, Suppressed Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expressions via Nuclear Factor-Kappa B and Activator Protein-1 Inactivation

Since inhibition of angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor reduces chronic inflammation associated with hypertension, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential and the underlying mechanism of fimasartan, a Korean Food and Drug Administration approved anti-hypertension drug, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Fimasartan suppressed the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) by down-regulating its transcription, and subsequently inhibited the productions of nitric oxide (NO). In addition, fimasartan attenuated LPS-induced transcriptional and DNA-binding activities of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) and activator protein-1 (AP-1). These reductions were accompanied by parallel reductions in the nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B and AP-1. Taken together, our data suggest that fimasartan down-regulates the expression of the iNOS in macrophages via NF-kappa B and AP-1 inactivation.