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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #270284

Title: Blueberries inhibit proinflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha and IL-6 production in macrophages

Author
item WU, XIANLI - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item XIE, CHENGHUI - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item KANG, JIE - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2010
Publication Date: 4/1/2011
Citation: Wu, X., Xie, C., Kang, J. 2011. Blueberries inhibit proinflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha and IL-6 production in macrophages [abstract]. Proceddings of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 25(Meeting Abstracts):971.1.

Interpretive Summary: Blueberries (BB) have been reported to attenuate atherosclerosis in apoE deficient (ApoE-/-) mice. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, the effect of BB on proinflammatory cytokine production in macrophages was investigated. ApoE-/- mice were fed AIN-93G diet (CD) or CD formulated to contain 1% freeze-dried whole wild BB (BB) for 5 weeks. Protein level and mRNA expression of the two inflammatory cytokinesTNF-alpha and IL-6 were significantly lower in macrophages from mice fed BB. Since TNF-a and IL-6 are key players in vascular inflammation underlying atherosclerosis, inhibition of TNF-alpha and IL-6 production and enhancement of resistance of macrophages to inflammatory stimuli could be an important mechanism of athero-protective effects of BB.

Technical Abstract: Blueberries (BB) have been reported to attenuate atherosclerosis in apoE deficient (ApoE-/-) mice. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, the effect of BB on proinflammatory cytokine production in macrophages was investigated. ApoE-/- mice were fed AIN-93G diet (CD) or CD formulated to contain 1% freeze-dried whole wild BB (BB) for 5 weeks. Peritoneal macrophages were collected and cultured. Protein level and mRNA expression of TNF-alpha and IL-6 were significantly lower in macrophages from mice fed BB. When stimulated by LPS, TNF-alpha and IL-6 mRNA expression increased by about 120 fold and about 550 fold in macrophages from CD fed mice, but only by about 16 fold and about 6 fold in macrophages from BB mice. Similarly, the oxLDL also induced marked increases in TNF-alpha and IL-6 mRNA expressions by about 12 fold and about 70 fold in macrophages from CD mice. While in macrophages from BB mice, TNF-a expression only went up about 3 fold and IL-6 was unchanged. Since TNF-alpha and IL-6 are key players in vascular inflammation underlying atherosclerosis, inhibition of TNF-alpha and IL-6 production and enhancement of resistance of macrophages to inflammatory stimuli could be an important mechanism of athero-protective effects of BB.