[Sodium Ferulate Attenuates Oxidative Stressvia Suppressing NALP3 Inflammasome and ERK Signal Pathway].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Study the gene and protein expression of NACHT-PYD-containing protein 3 (NALP3) inflammasome and extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK), the intervention effects of sodium ferulate (SF) in human lung epithelial cells A549 under oxidative stress, and to investigate the possible mechanism. METHODS: Human lung epithelial cells A549 cultured in vitro were divided into 6 groups, including control group,H2O2(200 umol/L) group, SF group (400 ug/mL), caspase-1 blockers (Z-VAD) group (Z-VAD 20 umol/L+H2O2200 umol/L), ERK blockers (PD98059) group (PD98059 50 umol/L+H2O2 200 umol/L), and SF+H2O2 group (SF 400 ug/mL+H2O2 200 umol/L). Fluorescent quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect the mRNA levels of caspase-1 and NALP3, the expression of caspase-1, NALP3, phosphorylated ERK p-ERK, ERK protein were evaluated by Western blot. The level of interleukin-1 ß (IL-1ß) were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Compared with the control group,H2O2 not only increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of caspase-1 and NALP3 and the protein expression levels of p-ERK/ERK, but also enhanced the secretion of IL-1ß in human lung epithelial cells A549 (P<0.05),while SF group showed no statistic significance of those indicators above (P>0.05). The Z-VAD group, the PD98059 group and the SF+H2O2 group resisted the effects of H2O2 on A549 cells by decreasing the mRNA and protein expressions of caspase-1 and NALP3,and the protein expression of p-ERK/ERK, as well as reducing the secretion of IL-1ß(P<0.05),when compared with the H2O2 group. CONCLUSIONS: SF may reduce the expression of caspase-1, NALP3 and IL-1ß by inhibiting ERK, so as to reduce the inflammation caused by oxidative stress.