10-Hydroxydecanoic acid inhibits LPS-induced inflammation by targeting p53 in microglial cells.

Neuroinflammation, characterized by the activation of microglia and astrocytes, is important in the pathogenesis of many neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), a group of chemically heterogenous medications, are used widely in the treatment of inflammation. However, the safety of these drugs is a growing concern due to their side effects on the gastrointestinal tract and liver. Royal jelly (RJ) is a potential functional food produced by the hypopharynx and mandibular salivary glands of nurse bees. In this study, we explored the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of 10-hydroxydecanoic acid (10-HDAA), which is the second most abundant but less studied fatty acid in RJ. We showed that 10-HDAA decreased the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced elevation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in both microglial BV-2 and N9 cell lines. Compared to the LPS group, the 10-HDAA/LPS treated BV-2 cells had a higher level of the phagocytic receptor TREM2. RNAseq transcriptomic results showed a different transcriptional profile between the LPS group and the 10-HDAA/LPS group in BV-2 cells and the 10-HDAA pre-treatment significantly decreased levels of pro-inflammatory mediators, which were further confirmed by qRT-PCR analysis. Moreover, we found that p53 was a target of 10-HDAA. p53 may mediate the anti-inflammation effect of 10-HDAA in two ways: first by directly deactivating the NLRP3 inflammatory pathway, second by indirectly promoting autophagy. Taken together, our results reveal a novel function of tumor suppressor p53 in the inhibition of neuroinflammation and provide a theoretical basis for broadening the application range of 10-HDAA and RJ.

Royal jelly attenuates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by inhibiting oxidative stress and regulating the expression of circadian genes in ovariectomized rats.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has a high incidence in postmenopausal women and is accompanied by insulin resistance, obesity, and dyslipidemia. Royal jelly (RJ), a natural substance derived from hive, possesses numerous health-beneficial properties. Here, we evaluated the effects of RJ (150, 300, and 450 mg kg-1  day-1 , 8 weeks) on NAFLD in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Based on the results, RJ ameliorated the degree of anxiety, improved serum lipid profile, and attenuated the hepatic steatosis and liver injury in OVX rats. Furthermore, the protective effects of RJ could be attributed to its antioxidant properties, which enhance the levels of hepatic antioxidant enzymes. The qRT-PCR results also suggest that RJ improves the disturbances of circadian genes by downregulating their expression, including that of Per1 and Per 2, in the liver of OVX rats. Altogether, our findings suggest that RJ may be a promising agent for the treatment of NAFLD. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Postmenopausal women are at an increased risk of NAFLD. Currently, there are no licensed therapies for NAFLD. Although hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is reported to inhibit the development of NAFLD, it causes unexpected adverse effects. As HRT is controversial, the use of natural supplements to counteract the detrimental effects of menopause has recently attracted more attention. RJ is a natural product secreted from the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of worker bees. The present study illustrates the protective effect of the natural product, RJ, and its underlying mechanisms on NAFLD. This is the first study to assess the effect of RJ on NAFLD under estrogen deficiency. Such findings contribute to the further utilization of RJ, which might serve as a promising therapeutic option and natural food for the treatment of NAFLD.

Trans-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid protects against LPS-induced neuroinflammation through FOXO1-mediated activation of autophagy.

PURPOSE: Neuroinflammation is thought to be associated with the pathogenesis of a series of neurodegenerative diseases. We have previously reported that royal jelly (RJ) has an anti-inflammatory effect on microglial BV-2 cells. However, components contributing to the effect of RJ were largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to assess whether trans-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), the exclusive fatty acid in RJ, can alleviate neuroinflammation and to further explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry staining, ELISA, qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to assess the effect of 10-HDA on LPS-induced neuroinflammation both in vivo and in vitro. To determine the extent of inflammatory changes after 10-HDA treatment, RNAseq transcriptomic analysis was conducted. RESULTS: 10-HDA pretreatment significantly reduced the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in LPS-treated C57BL/6J mice and microglial BV-2 cells. 10-HDA inhibited the activation of the TNF-α/NF-κB axis and NLRP3 inflammasome-IL-1ß pathway, which may be the anti-neuroinflammatory mechanism of 10-HDA. We also demonstrated that 10-HDA triggered cell autophagy, as evidenced by elevated levels of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II) and decreased expression of SQSTM1. More importantly, 10-HDA increased the transcriptional activity of FOXO1 by increasing FOXO1 nuclear localization. Inhibition of FOXO1 and autophagy using chemical inhibitors markedly blunted the effect of 10-HDA on the TNF-α pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome-IL-1ß pathway, indicating that 10-HDA alleviates neuroinflammation in BV-2 cells by modulating FOXO1-mediated autophagy. CONCLUSIONS: 10-HDA may be a promising agent for various neuroinflammation-associated diseases.

Trans-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid alleviates LPS-induced blood-brain barrier dysfunction by activating the AMPK/PI3K/AKT pathway.

We previously reported that trans-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), the exclusive lipid component of royal jelly (RJ), alleviates Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation both in vivo and in vitro. However, whether 10-HDA can protect against LPS-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage is largely unexplored. In this study, we first observed that 10-HDA decreased BBB permeability in LPS-stimulated C57BL/6 mice by Evan's blue (EB) dye. Immunostaining and Western blot results showed that 10-HDA alleviated BBB dysfunction by inhibiting the degradation of tight junction proteins (occludin, claudin-5 and ZO-1). In LPS-stimulated human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs), 10-HDA decreased the expression of chemokines (CCL-2 and CCL-3), adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1), reactive oxygen species, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and increased the expression of tight junction proteins. Interestingly, LC-MS/MS analysis showed that 10-HDA pretreatment upregulated the expression of mitochondria-associated proteins, which may reflect the mechanism underlying the regulatory effect of 10-HDA on reactive oxygen species. We further illustrated that 10-HDA promoted the activation of the AMPK pathway and the downstream PI3K/AKT pathway. Compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) and LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor) markedly reversed the alleviating effect of 10-HDA on the expression of tight junction proteins, indicating that 10-HDA inhibited LPS-induced BBB dysfunction by triggering the activation of the AMPK/PI3K/AKT pathway. Collectively, these data reveal that 10-HDA may be an interesting candidate for clinical evaluation in the treatment of diseases related to BBB damage.