Cholesterol crystals induce inflammatory cytokines expression in a human retinal pigment epithelium cell line by activating the NF-κB pathway

• Published in: Discovery medicine Vol. 18; no. 97; p. 7
• Main Authors: Hu, Yijun, Lin, Haijiang, Dib, Bernard, Atik, Alp, Bouzika, Peggy, Lin, Christopher, Yan, Yueran, Tang, Shibo, Miller, Joan W, Vavvas, Demetrios G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.2014
• Subjects: Blotting, Western; Cell Line; Cholesterol - chemistry; Cholesterol - metabolism; Crystallization; Cytokines - metabolism; Humans; Inflammation Mediators - metabolism; NF-kappa B - antagonists & inhibitors; NF-kappa B - metabolism; Nitriles - pharmacology; Retinal Pigment Epithelium - cytology; Retinal Pigment Epithelium - metabolism; Sulfones - pharmacology
• ISSN: 1944-7930

To investigate the expression of inflammatory cytokines in ARPE-19 cells after stimulation with cholesterol crystals. APRE-19 cells were cultured, primed with IL-1α, and treated with cholesterol crystals under different concentrations. Inflammatory cytokines (mature-IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8) in supernatant and inflammatory cytokines (pro-IL-1β, IL-18) in cell lysate were detected by western blot. The NF-κB pathway inhibitor BAY 11-7082 was used to determine the pathway of cytokine expression. Cholesterol crystals did not induce the nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat containing family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, but did increase pro-IL-1β expression in ARPE-19 cells. Cholesterol crystals increased pro-IL-1β expression by activating the NF-κB pathway. Cholesterol crystal activation of the NF-κB pathway also leads to increased IL-6 and IL-8 expression. Cholesterol crystals can induce inflammatory cytokine expression in ARPE-19 cells by activating the NF-κB pathway.