Anti-inflammatory activity of soluble chito-oligosaccharides (CHOS) on VitD3-induced human THP-1 monocytes

PLoS One. 2021 Feb 3;16(2):e0246381. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246381. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Chito-oligosaccharides (CHOS) are oligomers of D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-glucosamine. Anti-inflammatory activities of a wide variety of CHOS mixtures have previously been reported, mainly based on studies with mouse models and murine macrophages. Since the mouse and human immune systems are quite different, gaining insight into the activity of CHOS on human cell lines, using well-characterized CHOS mixtures, is of considerable interest. Bacillus subtilis chitosanase (BsCsn46A) can efficiently convert chitosan to mixtures of water soluble low molecular weight CHOS. Here, the anti-inflammatory activity of a properly characterized CHOS mixture was studied, using human THP-1 cells that were differentiated to mature monocytes using vitamin D3. Addition of CHOS reduced the production of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with bacterial lipopolyssacharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammation, in a dose-dependent manner and without affecting cell viability. Interestingly, only minimal effects of CHOS were observed in similar experiments with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate- (PMA-) differentiated, macrophage-like, THP-1 cells. Altogether, in addition to showing promising biological effects of well-characterized low molecular weight soluble CHOS in a human system, the present study also points at Vitamin D3-stimulated THP-1 cells as a favorable system for assessing the anti-inflammatory activity of bioactive compounds.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects*
  • Cell Survival / drug effects*
  • Chitosan / chemistry*
  • Cholecalciferol / administration & dosage
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / drug therapy*
  • Oligosaccharides / pharmacology*
  • THP-1 Cells

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Oligosaccharides
  • Cholecalciferol
  • Chitosan

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) [grant no. RU12/2562], the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) and the Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC) under the National Research University (NRU) project [grant no. SUT3-304-55-36-18 and SUT3-304-62-36-18]. MK and KR were supported by SUT Fulltime Doctoral Research [grants no. 61/13/2561 and 61/28/2563] and Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI). PP was supported by a SUT-PhD scholarship.