Apigenin suppresses mycoplasma-induced alveolar macrophages necroptosis via enhancing the methylation of TNF-α promoter by PPARγ-Uhrf1 axis

• Published in: Phytomedicine (Stuttgart) Vol. 108; p. 154504
• Main Authors: Mei, Xiuzhen, Wang, Jian, Zhang, Chao, Zhu, Jiale, Liu, Beibei, Xie, Qingyun, Yuan, Ting, Wu, Yuzi, Chen, Rong, Xie, Xing, Wei, Yanna, Wang, Li, Shao, Guoqing, Xiong, Qiyan, Xu, Yefen, Feng, Zhixin, Zhang, Zhenzhen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier GmbH 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Alveolar macrophages; Apigenin; Mycoplasma pneumonia; Necroptosis; MLKL; BALF; ChIP; IL-1β; IL-8; Alveolar macrophages; PPARγ; IL-6; TNFR1; zVAD-fmk; NF-κB; CFU; TNF-α; Uhrf1; Apigenin; Necroptosis; Mycoplasma pneumonia; RIPK1
• ISSN: 0944-7113; 1618-095X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154504

•Apigenin reduced mycoplasma-upregulated TNF-α expression and necroptosis in vitro.•Uhrf1 is a hub gene involved in apigenin-mediated TNF-a expression reduction.•Apigenin enhanced the methylation of TNF-a promoter by Uhrf1.•Apigenin upregulated Uhrf1 transcription via the binding of PPARγ to its promoter.•Apigenin reduced lung injury and improved alveolar macrophage survival in vivo. Mycoplasma-associated pneumonia is characterized by severe lung inflammation and immunological dysfunction. However, current anti-mycoplasma agents used in clinical practice do not prevent dysfunction of alveolar macrophages caused by the high level of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) after mycoplasma infection. Apigenin inhibits the production of TNF-α in variet inflammation associated disease. This study aimed to investigate apigenin's effect on mycoplasma-induced alveolar immune cell injury and the mechanism by which it inhibits TNF-α transcription. In this study, we performed a mouse model of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection to evaluate the effect of apigenin on reducing mycoplasma-induced alveolar immune cell injury. Furthermore, we carried out transcriptome analysis, RNA interference assay, methylated DNA bisulfite sequencing assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay to explore the mechanism of action for apigenin in reducing TNF-α. We discovered that M. hyopneumoniae infection-induced necroptosis in alveolar macrophages MH-S cells and primary mouse alveolar macrophages, which was activated by TNF-α autocrine. Apigenin inhibited M. hyopneumoniae-induced elevation of TNF-α and necroptosis in alveolar macrophages. Apigenin inhibited TNF-a mRNA production via increasing ubiquitin-like with PHD and RING finger domains 1 (Uhrf1)-dependent DNA methylation of the TNF-a promotor. Finally, we demonstrated that apigenin regulated Uhrf1 transcription via peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) activation, which acts as a transcription factor binding to the Uhrf1 promoter and protected infected mice's lungs, and promoted alveolar macrophage survival. This study identified a novel mechanism of action for apigenin in reducing alveolar macrophage necroptosis via the PPARγ/ Uhrf1/TNF-α pathway, which may have implications for the treatment of Mycoplasma pneumonia. [Display omitted]