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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #362603
Title: Resveratrol differentially modulates immune responses in human THP-1 monocytes and macrophages

Author
item FENG, LI - University Of Maryland
item YASMEEN, RUMANA - Former ARS Employee
item SCHOENE, NORBERTA - Former ARS Employee
item LEI, K - University Of Maryland
item Wang, Thomas - Tom

Submitted to: Nutrition Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/5/2019
Publication Date: 10/2/2019
Citation: Feng, L., Yasmeen, R., Schoene, N., Lei, K.Y., Wang, T.T. 2019. Resveratrol differentially modulates immune responses in human THP-1 monocytes and macrophages. Nutrition Research. 72:57-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2019.10.003.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2019.10.003

Interpretive Summary: Bioactive compounds from plant food have been suggested to contribute to health protective effects in humans, but the mechanisms remains unclear. Resveratrol (Res), a natural polyphenol compound found in grapes and red wine has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-carcinogenic effects. However, pro-inflammatory/tumor-promoting properties of Res have also been reported, rendering the polyphenol’s reported therapeutic benefits less convincing and controversial. In the present study, we investigated, at both physiological and pharmacological doses, the in vitro effects of Res on cell survival/proliferation, inflammatory genes and cytokine production in human monocytic cell line (THP-1) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) differentiated human THP-1-derived (D-THP-1) macrophages. Our data showed that Res, at physiological concentrations, inhibited proliferation of THP-1 monocytes with S phase arrest. On the contrary, at pharmacological concentrations, Res induced cell apoptosis and caused G0/G1 phase arrest. Additionally, Res showed differential effects on pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and production measured by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively, in THP-1 monocytes versus macrophages: promoting inflammation in monocytes, while exhibiting anti-inflammatory effects in macrophages. Comparative analysis on Res, and two other phytochemicals, pterostilbene and genistein, revealed that the differences in immunomodulatory properties were attributed to specific stilbene structure. Our results reveal a pleiotropic property of Res, and thus serve as a caution for the use of Res in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. This study provides novel information on biological effects of plant-derived compounds and will benefit basic and translational scientists who are in the field.

Technical Abstract: Resveratrol (Res), a natural polyphenol compound found in grapes and red wine has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-carcinogenic effects. However, pro-inflammatory/tumor-promoting properties of Res have also been reported, rendering the polyphenol’s reported therapeutic benefits less convincing and controversial. In the present study, we investigated, at both physiological and pharmacological doses, the in vitro effects of Res on cell survival/proliferation, inflammatory genes and cytokine production in human monocytic cell line (THP-1) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) differentiated human THP-1-derived (D-THP-1) macrophages. Our data showed that Res, at physiological concentrations, inhibited proliferation of THP-1 monocytes with S phase arrest. On the contrary, at pharmacological concentrations, Res induced cell apoptosis and caused G0/G1 phase arrest. Additionally, Res showed differential effects on pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and production measured by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively, in THP-1 monocytes versus macrophages: promoting inflammation in monocytes, while exhibiting anti-inflammatory effects in macrophages. Comparative analysis on Res, and two other phytochemicals, pterostilbene and genistein, revealed that the differences in immunomodulatory properties were attributed to specific stilbene structure. Our results reveal a pleiotropic property of Res and thus serve as a caution for the use of Res in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.