Docosahexaenoic acid inhibits both NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and JNK-mediated mature IL-1β secretion in 5-fluorouracil-treated MDSC: implication in cancer treatment

Cell Death Dis. 2019 Jun 19;10(7):485. doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-1723-x.

Abstract

Limitation of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) anticancer efficacy is due to IL-1β secretion by myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), according to a previous pre-clinical report. Release of mature IL-1β is a consequence of 5-FU-mediated NLRP3 activation and subsequent caspase-1 activity in MDSC. IL-1β sustains tumor growth recovery in 5-FU-treated mice. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) belongs to omega-3 fatty acid family and harbors both anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, which could improve 5-FU chemotherapy. Here, we demonstrate that DHA inhibits 5-FU-induced IL-1β secretion and caspase-1 activity in a MDSC cell line (MSC-2). Accordingly, we showed that DHA-enriched diet reduces circulating IL-1β concentration and tumor recurrence in 5-FU-treated tumor-bearing mice. Treatment with 5-FU led to JNK activation through ROS production in MDSC. JNK inhibitor SP600125 as well as DHA-mediated JNK inactivation decreased IL-1β secretion. The repression of 5-FU-induced caspase-1 activity by DHA supplementation is partially due to β-arrestin-2-dependent inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activity but was independent of JNK pathway. Interestingly, we showed that DHA, through β-arrestin-2-mediated inhibition of JNK pathway, reduces V5-tagged mature IL-1β release induced by 5-FU, in MDSC stably overexpressing a V5-tagged mature IL-1β form. Finally, we found a negative correlation between DHA content in plasma and the induction of caspase-1 activity in HLA-DR- CD33+ CD15+ MDSC of patients treated with 5-FU-based chemotherapy, strongly suggesting that our data are clinical relevant. Together, these data provide new insights on the regulation of IL-1β secretion by DHA and on its potential benefit in 5-FU-based chemotherapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Caspase 1 / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids / pharmacology*
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / pharmacology*
  • Fluorouracil / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Inflammasomes / drug effects*
  • Inflammasomes / metabolism*
  • Interleukin-1beta / metabolism*
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • beta-Arrestin 2 / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Inflammasomes
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • beta-Arrestin 2
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Casp1 protein, mouse
  • Caspase 1
  • Fluorouracil