Caffeoyloxy-5,6-dihydro-4-methyl-(2H)-pyran-2-one isolated from the leaves of Olinia usambarensis attenuates LPS-induced inflammatory mediators by inactivating AP-1 and NF-κB

Anti-inflammatory activities of Levilactobacillus brevis KU15147 in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide on attenuating NF-κB, AP-1, and MAPK signaling pathways

Probiotics confer many beneficial effects on several illnesses, ranging from microbial diarrhea to inflammatory diseases. This study was conducted on whether Levilactobacillus brevis KU15147 obtained from kimchi has anti-inflammatory effects in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and antioxidant potential. L. brevis KU15147 reduced nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 levels with decreasing the activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 without cell cytotoxicity. In addition, L. brevis KU15147 attenuated proinflammatory cytokine production including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with LPS. Additionally, L. brevis KU15147 reduced the activity of nuclear factor-κB, activator protein-1, and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Furthermore, L. brevis KU15147 downregulated the production of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, L. brevis KU15147 was concluded that had an inhibition effect on LPS-induced inflammatory responses and can be used in functional foods to suppress inflammatory diseases.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01318-w.

Design and Development of COX-II Inhibitors: Current Scenario and Future Perspective

Innate inflammation beyond a threshold is a significant problem involved in cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and many other chronic conditions. Cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes are key inflammatory markers as they catalyze prostaglandins production and are crucial for inflammation processes. While COX-I is constitutively expressed and is generally involved in "housekeeping" roles, the expression of the COX-II isoform is induced by the stimulation of different inflammatory cytokines and also promotes the further generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which affect the prognosis of various diseases. Hence, COX-II is considered an important therapeutic target for drug development against inflammation-related illnesses. Several selective COX-II inhibitors with safe gastric safety profiles features that do not cause gastrointestinal complications associated with classic anti-inflammatory drugs have been developed. Nevertheless, there is mounting evidence of cardiovascular side effects from COX-II inhibitors that resulted in the withdrawal of market-approved anti-COX-II drugs. This necessitates the development of COX-II inhibitors that not only exhibit inhibit potency but also are free of side effects. Probing the scaffold diversity of known inhibitors is vital to achieving this goal. A systematic review and discussion on the scaffold diversity of COX inhibitors are still limited. To address this gap, herein we present an overview of chemical structures and inhibitory activity of different scaffolds of known COX-II inhibitors. The insights from this article could be helpful in seeding the development of next-generation COX-II inhibitors.

Mycotoxin Altertoxin II Induces Lipid Peroxidation Connecting Mitochondrial Stress Response to NF-κB Inhibition in THP-1 Macrophages

Prolonged exposure to mycotoxins, even in subtoxic concentrations, might contribute to modulate pro- or anti-inflammatory cascades and ultimately have long-term consequences on our health. In line, there is an increasing need to describe and comprehend the potential immunomodulatory effects of toxins that can be produced from fungi proliferating even in a domestic environment like, for instance, Alternaria alternata. Taking this as a starting point, we investigated the effects of one of the most potent genotoxic compounds produced by this fungi type, namely altertoxin II (ATXII) on THP-1 macrophages. In noncytotoxic concentrations (0.1-1 μM), ATXII inhibited the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB, and this event was accompanied by significant mitochondrial superoxide production (1 μM ATXII). Both responses seemed dependent on membrane structure and morphology since they were modulated by the coincubation with the cholesterol complexing agent methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD, 10-50 μM). Moreover, toxicity of ATXII was enhanced by cholesterol load (cholesterol-MβCD). The mycotoxin induced also lipid peroxidation (1-10 μM, ATXII) possibly streaming down at the mitochondrial level and suppressing NF-κB activation in THP-1 macrophages.