Dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is involved in the pathogenesis of many cerebral diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation are contributing factors for BBB injury. Piceatannol, a natural ingredient found in various plants, such as grapes, white tea, and passion fruit, plays an important role in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses. In this study, we examined the protective effects of piceatannol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) insult in mouse brain endothelial cell line (bEnd.3) cells and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that piceatannol mitigated the upregulated expression of adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) and iNOS in LPS-treated bEnd.3 cells. Moreover, piceatannol prevented the generation of reactive oxygen species in bEnd.3 cells stimulated with LPS. Mechanism investigations suggested that piceatannol inhibited NF-κB and MAPK activation. Taken together, these observations suggest that piceatannol reduces inflammation and oxidative stress through inactivating the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways on cerebral endothelial cells in vitro.
Keywords: brain endothelial cells; inflammation; lipopolysaccharide; oxidative stress; piceatannol.