Odoroside A and ouabain inhibit Na+/K+-ATPase and prevent NF-kappaB-inducible protein expression by blocking Na+-dependent amino acid transport.

Inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin-1 (IL-1), trigger the activation of transcription factor NF-kappaB that induces the expression of a variety of genes, including intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. Odoroside A [3beta-O-(beta-D-diginosyl)-14-hydroxy-5beta,14beta-card-20(22)-enolide] was found to inhibit the cell-surface expression of ICAM-1 induced by TNF-alpha and IL-1 at comparable concentrations in human lung carcinoma A549 cells. In this study, the molecular mechanism underlying the inhibition of TNF-alpha-induced cell-surface ICAM-1 expression by odoroside A together with the specific Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase inhibitor ouabain was further investigated. Odoroside A and ouabain neither prevented IkappaBalpha degradation nor NF-kappaB translocation to the nucleus upon TNF-alpha stimulation. While odoroside A and ouabain had no inhibitory effect on the induction of ICAM-1 mRNA, they inhibited the TNF-alpha-induced ICAM-1 expression at the protein level. Consistent with these results, odoroside A and ouabain potently reduced de novo protein synthesis, largely due to its ability to block Na(+)-dependent transport of amino acids across the plasma membrane, but not to interfering with the translation machinery. As a direct molecular target, odoroside A was found to inhibit the ATP-hydrolyzing activity of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase as potently as ouabain. These results clearly demonstrate that odoroside A and ouabain prevent NF-kappaB-inducible protein expression by blocking the Na(+)-dependent amino acid transport.