Quercetin-Induced miR-369-3p Suppresses Chronic Inflammatory Response Targeting C/EBP-β

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells that play an important role in the crosstalk between the innate and the adaptive immune response. Quercetin exposure is identified as an effective strategy to suppress the inflammatory response induced by LPS.

In this study, using a next-generation sequencing analysis, the effect of quercetin on microRNAs (miRNAs) expression in DCs is examined. A signature of 113 miRNAs that are differentially regulated in LPS-stimulated DCs after quercetin exposure is defined. It is demonstrated that the loss of function of miR-369-3p in LPS-stimulated DCs during quercetin exposure led to an increase of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β (C/EBP-β) mRNA and protein and its downstream targets tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL6). Conversely, it is shown that the ectopic induction of miR-369-3p without quercetin suppresses the inflammatory response of LPS reducing C/EBP-β, TNF-α, and IL6 production. In vivo, oral administration of quercetin in dextran-sulfate-sodium-induced colitis induces miR-369-3p expression.

These findings indicate that quercetin-induced miR-369-3p regulates the inflammatory cascade in chronic inflammatory response and present promising therapeutic implications.