| Title | Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced IL-1β Production is Inhibited by Sophora flavescens via the NF-κB/inflammasome Pathways |
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| Author | Jung-Hoon Lee1, Heesung Shin1, Yong-Jae Kim1, Se-Hwan Paek1, Shouguang Jin2*, and Un-Hwan Ha1* |
| Address | 1Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Republic of Korea, 2Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 52(12),1044-1049, 2014, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-014-4512-3 |
| Key Words | IL-1β, inflammasome, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Sophora flavescens |
| Abstract | The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β plays an important role in protecting the host against airway infection; however, it can also trigger a massive influx of neutrophils into the airways, causing tissue damage. Anti-inflammatory treatments are particularly in demand for patients suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases. Sophora flavescens is a traditional herbal medicine used to reduce inflammation, but no study has examined its ability to block IL-1β production. Here, we show that S. flavescens reduced the Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced expression of IL-1β by lung epithelial cells and macrophages. S. flavescens was also effective at reducing IL-1β production induced by either Staphylococcus aureus or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, indicating that the effect is generalizable to diverse inflammatory stimuli. In addition, S. flavescens blocked the phosphorylation of IKKα/β, key upstream kinases involved in the degradation of IκBα, and the cleavage of caspase-1, a key component of the inflammasome. Thus, this study demonstrates that S. flavescens exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by blocking P. aeruginosa-mediated NF-κB/inflammasome activation and the subsequent production of IL-1β. |