Effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate on LPS-induced p38 MAPK pathway in mouse macrophages / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced p38 MAPK activation and tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF-?) secretion in macrophages. METHODS: Western blotting was used to detect the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in mouse macrophages cultured in vitro. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the secretion of TNF-? in macrophages. Electron microscopy was used to study the effect of EGCG on the structure of LPS. RESULTS: LPS caused activation of p38 MAPK and more production of TNF-?, EGCG inhibited LPS-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and TNF-? production and had no effect on the structure of LPS. CONCLUSIONS: EGCG has no direct effect on LPS, but blocks cellular signal pathway. The inhibition of EGCG on LPS-induced TNF-? production is mediated, at least in part, through blocking of p38 MAPK pathway. [