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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #271094
Title: Blueberries reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha and IL-6 production in mouse macrophages by inhibiting NF Kappa B activation and the MAPK pathway

Author
item XIE, CHENGHUI - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item KANG, JIE - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item FERGUSON, MATTHEW - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item NAGARAJAN, SHANMUGAM - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item Badger, Thomas - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item WU, XIANLI - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)

Submitted to: Molecular Nutrition and Food Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/28/2011
Publication Date: 10/1/2011
Citation: Xie, C., Kang, J., Ferguson, M., Nagarajan, S., Badger, T.M., Wu, X. 2011. Blueberries reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha and IL-6 production in mouse macrophages by inhibiting NF Kappa B activation and the MAPK pathway. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. 55(10):1587-1591.

Interpretive Summary: Blueberries (BB) have been reported to attenuate atherosclerosis in apoE deficient (ApoE-/-) mice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of BB in reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine production in mouse macrophages. Protein level and mRNA expression of two pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-6 were significantly lower in the peritoneal macrophages from mice fed BB without or with LPS or oxLDL stimulation. Furthermore, blueberry components inhibited the phosphorylation of I kappa B, NF-kappa B p65, MAPK p38 and JNK. All of these are important signaling pathways involved in the production of TNF-alpha and IL-6.

Technical Abstract: Blueberries (BB) have been reported to attenuate atherosclerosis in apoE deficient (ApoE-/-) mice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of BB in reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine production in mouse macrophages. ApoE-/- mice were fed AIN-93G diet (CD) or CD formulated to contain 1% freeze-dried BB for 5 weeks. TNF-alpha and IL-6 were lower in serum of BB fed mice and TNF-alpha expression in aorta was down-regulated with BB feeding. Protein level and mRNA expression of TNF-alpha and IL-6 were significantly lower in the peritoneal macrophages from mice fed BB without or with LPS or oxLDL stimulation. RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with polyphenol-enriched extracts made from the sera of rats fed CD (SEC) or CD containing 10% BB (SEB). SEB significantly inhibited LPS-induced mRNA expression and protein levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6. Furthermore, SEB inhibited the phosphorylation of I kappa B, NF- kappa B p65, MAPK p38 and JNK. All of these are important signaling pathways involved in the production of TNF-alpha and IL-6.