Quercetin protects macrophages from oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the endoplasmic reticulum stress-C/EBP homologous protein pathway.

Quercetin (QUE), a member of the bioflavonoid family, has been proposed to have antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive properties. This study was designed to investigate the protective effect of QUE on oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced cytotoxicity in RAW264.7 macrophages and specifically the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) pathway-mediated apoptosis. Our results showed that treatment with QUE (20, 40 and 80 μmol/L) significantly attenuated ox-LDL-induced cholesterol accumulation in macrophages and foam cell formation in a dose-dependent manner. Similar to tunicamycin (TM), a classical ER stress inducer, ox-LDL reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis in RAW264.7 macrophages. The cytotoxic effects of ox-LDL and TM were significantly inhibited by QUE treatment. Interestingly, we found that QUE also significantly suppressed the ox-LDL- and TM-induced activation of ER stress signaling events, including the phosphorylation of inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), translocation of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and upregulation of X-box-binding protein 1. In addition, exposure of RAW264.7 macrophages to ox-LDL or TM resulted in a significant increase in the expression of CHOP, a transcription factor regulated by IRE1 and ATF6 under conditions of ER stress, as well as a decrease in Bcl-2 transcript and protein concentrations. QUE blocked these effects in a dose-dependent manner. These data indicate that QUE can protect RAW264.7 cells from ox-LDL-induced apoptosis and that the mechanism at least partially involves its ability to inhibit the ER stress-CHOP signaling pathway.