Sulforaphane suppressed LPS-induced inflammation in mouse peritoneal macrophages through Nrf2 dependent pathway

• Published in: Biochemical pharmacology 2008-10, Vol.76 (8), p.967-973
• Main Authors: Lin, Wen, Wu, Rachel T., Wu, Tienyuan, Khor, Tin-Oo, Wang, Hu, Kong, Ah-Ng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anticarcinogenic Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Brassica; Cyclooxygenase-2; Dinoprostone - metabolism; Inducible nitric oxide synthase; Inflammation; Inflammation - chemically induced; Inflammation - prevention & control; Interleukin-1beta - metabolism; Interleukin-1β; Isothiocyanates; Lipopolysaccharides - pharmacology; Lipopolysaccharides - toxicity; Macrophages, Peritoneal - drug effects; Macrophages, Peritoneal - physiology; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Knockout; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 - deficiency; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 - genetics; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 - physiology; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Nuclear E2-factor related factor 2; Peritoneal macrophage; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA - genetics; RNA - isolation & purification; Sulforaphane; Sulfoxides; Thiocyanates - pharmacology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Tumor necrosis factor-α
• ISSN: 0006-2952; 1873-2968
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2008.07.036

Sulforaphane (SFN) is a natural isothiocyanate that is present in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage. Previous studies have shown that SFN is effective in preventing carcinogenesis induced by carcinogens in rodents, which is related in part to its potent anti-inflammation properties. In the present study, we compared the anti-inflammatory effect of SFN on LPS-stimulated inflammation in primary peritoneal macrophages derived from Nrf2 (+/+) and Nrf2 (−/−) mice. Pretreatment of SFN in Nrf2 (+/+) primary peritoneal macrophages potently inhibited LPS-stimulated mRNA expression, protein expression and production of TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2 and iNOS. HO-1 expression was significantly augmented in LPS-stimulated Nrf2 (+/+) primary peritoneal macrophages by SFN. Interestingly, the anti-inflammatory effect was attenuated in Nrf2 (−/−) primary peritoneal macrophages. We concluded that SFN exerts its anti-inflammatory activity mainly via activation of Nrf2 in mouse peritoneal macrophages.