Lignans 7-hydroxymatairesinol and 7-hydroxymatairesinol 2 exhibit anti-inflammatory activity in human aortic endothelial cells

Abstract

Scope: In the present study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory properties of several plant lignans most commonly distributed in foods. 7-Hydroxymatairesinol (HMR) and its major isomer 7-hydroxymatairesinol 2 (HMR2), lariciresinol, secoisolariciresinol, and pinoresinol, isolated from Norway spruce knots were examined.

Methods and results: We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of lignans on tumor necrosis factor-α-treated human aortic endothelial cells by measuring the expression of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 by cell ELISA and the adhesion of U937 monocytes to activated endothelial cells using a cell adhesion assay. Among the lignans studied, HMR and HMR2 significantly reduced intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 levels as well as the adhesion of U937 to endothelial cells. To further characterize the molecular mechanisms involved in this regulation, the effect of HMR and HMR2 on nuclear factor-κB, SAPK/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and extracellular signal regulated kinase phosphorylation was assessed.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that the lignans HMR and HMR2, dominant in cereals such as in wheat, triticale, oat, barley, millet, corn bran, and in amaranth whole grain, exhibit strong anti-inflammatory properties in endothelial cells, at least in part, through attenuation of nuclear factor-κB and extracellular signal regulated kinase phosphorylation.

Keywords: 7-Hydroxymatairesinol; Adhesion molecules; Atherosclerosis; Endothelial cells; Lignans; NF-κB.