Stearoyl lysophosphatidylcholine inhibits LPS-induced extracellular release of HMGB1 through the G2A/calcium/CaMKKβ/AMPK pathway.

Stearoyl lysophosphatidylcholine (sLPC) has protective effects against several lethal sepsis models, even after induction of sepsis, which is associated with sLPC-mediated inhibition of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) release. This study investigated the mechanism by which sLPC inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced extracellular secretion of HMGB1 after the onset of sepsis. sLPC increased AMPK phosphorylation and the binding of AMPK to calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ), one of the upstream signals of AMPK. Inhibition of CaMKKβ activity decreased sLPC-mediated inhibition of HMGB1 release, and sLPC increased the concentration of intracellular calcium. Blocking of the macrophage G protein-coupled receptor G2A (G2A) suppressed AMPK phosphorylation, suppressed increases in the intracellular levels of calcium, and prevented the inhibition of HMGB1 release by sLPC. In particular, when macrophages were incubated with sLPC even after LPS treatment, sLPC increased the phosphorylation of AMPK and the binding of CaMKKβ and AMPK, and suppressed the secretion of HMGB1. In addition, sLPC administered 1 h before or 4 h after establishment of sepsis significantly diminished circulating HMGB1 levels in mice. sLPC inhibited LPS-induced extracellular release of HMGB1 through the activation of the G2A/calcium/CaMKKβ/AMPK pathway. These findings suggest that sLPC may be a potential anti-inflammatory agent for acute inflammatory conditions such as sepsis.