Black raspberry anthocyanins protect BV2 microglia from LPS-induced inflammation through down-regulating NOX2/TXNIP/NLRP3 signaling

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence has established neuroinflammation as the hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, despite the underlying immunological mechanisms are far from being understood, the involvement of excessive activation of microglia is attracting more and more attention. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of black raspberry (BRB) anthocyanins on LPS-induced neuroinflammation in BV2 microglia. METHODS: LPS-induced mouse BV2 microglia were treated with black raspberry anthocyanins and the levels of NO, ROS, IL-1β and IL-18 produced by the cells were measured to determine the extent of oxidative stress and inflammatory response. RESULTS: The results showed that BRB anthocyanins reduced the production of ROS in LPS-induced BV2 microglia by down-regulating the level of NOX2 and its downstream factors, including thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) and NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. Furthermore, BRB anthocyanins inhibited the secretion of Interleukin-18 (IL-18) and Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), eventually attenuating the LPS-induced inflammatory response of BV2 microglia. CONCLUSIONS: BRB anthocyanins might play an important neuroprotective role in inflammation-related neurodegenerative disease, potentially, by down-regulating the NOX2 /TXNIP/ NLRP3 signaling axis in brain microglia.