A lipid anchor improves the protective effect of ectoine in inflammation

Others and we have shown in several studies that the natural tetrahydropyrimidine ectoine protects mammalian cells and tissues against various stress factors including ischemia/reperfusion injury, UV-irradiation, and inflammation. Since little is known about the molecular mechanism of this protective effect, which was ascribed exclusively to an extracellular action of this small water-soluble molecule, we asked whether and how a hydrophobic anchor modulates the inflammation protective properties of ectoine. We therefore investigated the influence of ectoine and of its semi-synthetic derivative lauryl-ectoine on inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages and primary cultured rat intestinal smooth muscle (RISM) cells. Both, ectoine and lauryl-ectoine considerably decreased lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced interleukin (IL)- 1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- α, and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 gene expression in macrophages as well as TNF-α- induced IL-1, IL-6 and COX-2 expression in RISM cells. This reduction of inflammatory agents was accompanied on the one hand by a significant decrease of nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and on the other hand by a reduction of cellular ceramide content. Interestingly, lauryl- ectoine was much more active exerting its effect at about 10-fold lower concentrations than its natural counterpart. Note that ectoine was almost completely recovered in the medium whereas lauryl-ectoine was found to be cell-associated. Together our data indicate that a lipid anchor considerably improves a possible preventive and/or therapeutic implementation of ectoine in inflammatory processes.