Protective Effect of Silibinin on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Responses in Equine Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells, an In Vitro Study.

Enrico Gugliandolo,Annamaria Passantino,Vito Biondi,Salvatore Cuzzocrea,Patrizia Licata,Rosalia Crupi

doi:10.3390/ani10112022

Abstract

Simple SummaryNatural compounds are often an important source of biologically active molecules, which can find important applications in the treatment or pharmacological prevention of several pathologies. Silibinin is a natural polyphenolic flavonoid that is extracted from plant milk thistle, Silybum marianum. Silibinin has been reported to have antioxidant and immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities. In horses, in particular, inflammation secondary to bacterial infection or translocation is one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to test the effect of silibinin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Taken together, our results showed an interesting prospective in therapeutic use of silibinin in equine inflammatory disease. Furthermore, the results from this study support the evidence of use equine PBMCs as an in vitro model to study inflammatory and immune response and for drug screening into the target specie.Although inflammation is an important physiological response, it plays a prominent role in several diseases across the mammalian species. In horses, in particular, inflammation secondary to bacterial infection or translocation is one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality. Research in new molecules with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory proprieties and safe use profile is constantly an active field; natural compounds are an important source of molecules with peculiar properties such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and immune modulating. Silibinin, a natural polyphenolic flavonoid, extracted from plant milk thistle, Silybum marianum, has been reported to have actions such as antioxidant immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory. The aim of this study was to test the effect of silibinin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Our results showed the protective effect of silibinin 10 μM and 50 μM in equine PBMCs stimulated with LPS. Silibilinin was able to prevent the LPS induced increased levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8. The results from this study on LPS-stimulated equine PBMCs showed that silibinin could be a useful pharmacological approach in treatment or prevention of several inflammatory conditions in horse.

Highlights

Inflammation is widely known to be associated with several pathological conditions across different species
An exacerbate inflammatory response may may lead a continuum of events that ranging from acute phase responses, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) to generalised lead a continuum of events that ranging from acute phase responses, SIRS to generalised immunosuppression [22]
Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are key molecules involved in the (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are key molecules involved in the immune response activation trough the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs)

Summary

Introduction

Inflammation is widely known to be associated with several pathological conditions across different species. In equids, inflammation secondary to bacterial infection or translocation is one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality [1]. Inflammation is a key factor for several horse inflammatory diseases such as laminitis [2]. Inflammation is responsible for a common and harmful condition in horses known as Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS). During septicaemia or the endotoxemia-induced inflammatory response, the immune response activation is a fundamental step, for the progression and worsening of these diseases [3]. The gold standard for an effective drug against these diseases such as SIRS must include an immune modulating and anti-inflammatory action

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