Exogenous Hydrogen Sulfide Alleviates-Induced Intracellular Inflammation in HepG2 Cells

Fatty acids induced hepatic inflammation plays an important role in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) pathogenesis. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), an endogenous gasotransmitter, has been established to possess potent anti-inflammation in various human organs. However, the anti-inflammation property of H₂S in the fatty liver is still needed to further elucidate. Hence, this study aimed to investigate whether exogenous H₂S can protect hepatocytes against inflammation induced by palmitic acid (PA). HepG2 hepatocytes were exposed to PA for 24 h to induce free fatty acids-induced inflammation. The cells were pretreated with NaHS (a donor of H₂S) before exposure to PA. Cell viability, inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β), NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB were measured by a combination of MTT assay, ELISA, Western blot and Immunofluorescence. Here, we found that exogenous H₂S dose-dependently inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, NLRP3 inflammasome and activation of NF-κB signaling in PA-induced HepG2 cells. Thus, H₂S might be a candidate therapeutic agent against NAFLD.