Ahn Huijeong, Lee Gilyoung, Han Byung-Cheol, Lee Seung-Ho, Lee Geun-Shik
College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea.
Korea Ginseng Research Institute, Korea Ginseng Corporation, Daejeon 34337, Korea.
Antioxidants (Basel). 2022 Sep 28;11(10):1923. doi: 10.3390/antiox11101923.
Maltol (3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone) is used widely as a food and cosmetic supplement, and it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Inflammasome causes the maturation and secretion of interleukin (IL)-1β and -18 through the activation of caspase-1 (Casp1), which contributes to various inflammatory diseases. This study examined the effects of maltol on the inflammasome activation in macrophages and mice. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-primed macrophages were treated with a trigger of NLRP3, NLRC4, AIM2, or non-canonical (NC) inflammasomes in the presence of maltol. The secretion of IL-1β and IL-18 and the cleavage of Casp1 were analyzed as indices of inflammasome activation. Mice were injected with LPS and an NLRP3 trigger with or without maltol, and the peritoneal IL-1β secretions were observed. The effects of maltol on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and Casp1 activity were analyzed to determine the mechanism. Maltol inhibited the activation of NLRP3 and NC inflammasomes, but it did not alter the other inflammasomes. Maltol also attenuated IL-1β secretion resulting from the inflammasome activation in mice. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of maltol was revealed by the inhibition of ROS production and Casp1 activity. Maltol is suggested to be promising as a anti-inflammasome molecule.
麦芽酚（3-羟基-2-甲基-4-吡喃酮）作为一种食品和化妆品添加剂被广泛使用，并且具有抗氧化和抗炎活性。炎性小体通过激活半胱天冬酶-1（Casp1）导致白细胞介素（IL）-1β和-18的成熟和分泌，这与多种炎症性疾病有关。本研究考察了麦芽酚对巨噬细胞和小鼠炎性小体激活的影响。用麦芽酚处理经脂多糖（LPS）预处理的巨噬细胞，并给予NLRP3、NLRC4、AIM2或非经典（NC）炎性小体的激活剂。分析IL-1β和IL-18的分泌以及Casp1的切割情况，作为炎性小体激活的指标。给小鼠注射LPS和NLRP3激活剂，同时给予或不给予麦芽酚，观察腹腔IL-1β的分泌情况。分析麦芽酚对活性氧（ROS）产生和Casp1活性的影响，以确定其作用机制。麦芽酚抑制NLRP3和NC炎性小体的激活，但不影响其他炎性小体。麦芽酚还减弱了小鼠炎性小体激活导致的IL-1β分泌。麦芽酚的抗炎机制是通过抑制ROS产生和Casp1活性来实现的。麦芽酚有望成为一种抗炎性小体分子。
