Dietary Apigenin Exerts Immune-Regulatory Activity in Vivo by Reducing NF-κB Activity, Halting Leukocyte Infiltration and Restoring Normal Metabolic Function

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2016-03, Vol.17 (3), p.323-323
• Main Authors: Cardenas, Horacio, Arango, Daniel, Nicholas, Courtney, Duarte, Silvia, Nuovo, Gerard J, He, Wei, Voss, Oliver H, Gonzalez-Mejia, M Elba, Guttridge, Denis C, Grotewold, Erich, Doseff, Andrea I
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Apigenin - administration & dosage; Apigenin - pharmacology; Apigenin - therapeutic use; Apoptosis; Dietary Supplements; Leukemic Infiltration - drug therapy; Leukemic Infiltration - immunology; Lipopolysaccharides - toxicity; Lung - drug effects; Lung - metabolism; Lung - pathology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; NF-kappa B - metabolism; Sepsis - drug therapy; Sepsis - immunology; Spleen - drug effects; Spleen - metabolism; Spleen - pathology
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms17030323

The increasing prevalence of inflammatory diseases and the adverse effects associated with the long-term use of current anti-inflammatory therapies prompt the identification of alternative approaches to reestablish immune balance. Apigenin, an abundant dietary flavonoid, is emerging as a potential regulator of inflammation. Here, we show that apigenin has immune-regulatory activity in vivo. Apigenin conferred survival to mice treated with a lethal dose of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) restoring normal cardiac function and heart mitochondrial Complex I activity. Despite the adverse effects associated with high levels of splenocyte apoptosis in septic models, apigenin had no effect on reducing cell death. However, we found that apigenin decreased LPS-induced apoptosis in lungs, infiltration of inflammatory cells and chemotactic factors' accumulation, re-establishing normal lung architecture. Using NF-κB luciferase transgenic mice, we found that apigenin effectively modulated NF-κB activity in the lungs, suggesting the ability of dietary compounds to exert immune-regulatory activity in an organ-specific manner. Collectively, these findings provide novel insights into the underlying immune-regulatory mechanisms of dietary nutraceuticals in vivo.