薬理と治療

Abstract

Background　We have recently demonstrated the antidepressant effect of liver hydrolysate （LH）. However, the effect of LH on inflammation remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether LH has any anti-inflammatory effects on inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide （LPS）in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Methods　We initially examined the injury caused by various concentrations of LH to the cells. Cell viability was determined by WST-1 assay. To investigate the effect of LH on the mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, we studied the mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-1β by quantitative RT-PCR. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory property of LH, we examined whether LH inhibits the NF-κB pathway. The expression of phosphorylated IKKβ and phosphorylated p65 subunit of NF-κB were measured by western blotting. Results　LH treatment distinctly suppressed the expression of IL-1β in comparison to that of the LPS-stimulated cells. The phosphorylation of IKKβ induced by LPS was distinctly reduced by LH treatment. Additionally, the phosphorylation of p65 induced by LPS was distinctly reduced by LH treatment. Conclusion　The results of this study indicated that LH decreased the inflammation induced by LPS in RAW 264.7 cells, at least partially, by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway. We propose that the use of LH could be a possible anti-inflammatory strategy.