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Dietary apigenin reduces LPS-induced expression of miR-155 restoring immune balance during inflammation
Daniel Arango1, Mayra Diosa-Toro, Laura S Rojas-Hernandez
1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Scope:
High incidence of inflammatory diseases afflicts the increasing aging-population infringing a great health burden. Dietary flavonoids, including the flavone apigenin, are emerging as important anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals due to their health benefits, lack of adverse effects and reduced costs. MicroRNAs (miRs) play a central role in inflammation by regulating gene expression, yet how dietary ingredients affect miRs is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to identify miRs involved in the anti-inflammatory activity of apigenin and apigenin-rich diets and determine their immune regulatory mechanisms in macrophages and in vivo.
Methods And Results:
A high-throughput quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR screen of 312 miRs in macrophages revealed that apigenin reduced LPS-induced miR-155 expression. Analyses of miR-155 precursor and primary transcript indicated that apigenin regulated miR-155 transcriptionally. Apigenin-reduced expression of miR-155 led to the increase of anti-inflammatory regulators forkhead box O3a and smooth-muscle-actin and MAD-related protein 2 in LPS-treated macrophages. In vivo, apigenin or a celery-based apigenin-rich diet reduced LPS-induced expression of miR-155 and decreased tumor necrosis factor α in lungs from LPS-treated mice.
Conclusion:
These results demonstrate that apigenin and apigenin-rich diets exert effective anti-inflammatory activity in vivo by reducing LPS-induced expression of miR-155, thereby restoring immune balance.
Insights
Apigenin, a dietary flavonoid, reduces inflammation by lowering miR-155 expression. This finding supports apigenin-rich diets as a strategy to restore immune balance and combat inflammatory diseases.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Nutritional Science
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Inflammatory diseases pose a significant health burden, particularly in aging populations.
- Dietary flavonoids, such as apigenin, show promise as anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals.
- MicroRNAs (miRs) are key regulators of inflammation, but their interaction with dietary compounds is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify microRNAs modulated by apigenin and apigenin-rich diets.
- To elucidate the immune regulatory mechanisms of apigenin's anti-inflammatory effects.
- To investigate apigenin's impact on inflammation in macrophages and in vivo.
Main Methods:
- High-throughput quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR screening of 312 miRs in macrophages.
- Analysis of miR-155 precursor and primary transcript regulation by apigenin.
- In vivo studies using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice.
Main Results:
- Apigenin significantly reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced miR-155 expression in macrophages.
- Apigenin demonstrated transcriptional regulation of miR-155.
- Apigenin administration led to increased anti-inflammatory regulators and decreased tumor necrosis factor α in vivo.
Conclusions:
- Apigenin and apigenin-rich diets effectively reduce inflammation in vivo.
- The anti-inflammatory action is mediated by the reduction of LPS-induced miR-155 expression.
- These findings highlight a mechanism for restoring immune balance through dietary apigenin.
