The Effects and Mechanisms of Dihydroartemisinin on Influenza A Virus H1N1 Induces TNF-α and IL-6 Expression in Bronchial Epithelial Cells

  Objective  To investigate the effects of dihydroartemis (DHA) on influenza A virus (IAV) A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) induces the pro-inflammatory factor and protein of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway expression in bronchial epithelial cells.

  Methods  The BEAS-2B cells were treated with different concentrations of DHA (i.e.,0, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 μmol/L) for 24 h and the effect of DHA on the viability of BEAS-2B cells were measure by CCK8 method. The BEAS-2B cells were absorbed with IAV for 1 h, and then were treated with different concentrations of DHA (i.e., 12.5, 25 and 50 μmol/L) for 24 h, meanwhile, the normal control group and IAV group were established. The mRNA and protein expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL-6) were measured by real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the expression levels of phospho-ERK (p-ERK) proteins were tested by Western blot (WB). Then, an ERK agonist (20 ng/mL) was used to treat BEAS-2B cells (the groups were divided into normal control group, DHA group, DHA+IAV group, ERK agonist group and DHA+IAV+ERK agonist group) for 24 h, and to observe the effect of DHA on inhibiting IAV induce the TNF-α, IL-6 and p-ERK expression in the BEAS-2B cells.

  Results  The BEAS-2B cells viability was not significantly different from that of the normal control group after treatment with DHA (i.e., 12.5, 25, and 50 μmol/L). The expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6 mRNA and TNF-α, IL-6, p-ERK protein in IAV group were significantly up-regulated compared with that in the normal control group (P<0.05), meanwhile, compared with the IAV group, the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6 mRNA and TNF-α, IL-6, p-ERK protein showed dose-dependent decrease in IAV+DHA group (P<0.05). However, ERK agonists attenuated the DHA inhibit IAV induced the proinflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6 secretion and the p-ERK protein expression of ERK signaling pathway in BEAS-2B cells.

  Conclusion  These data suggest that DHA can inhibit IAV induces the TNF-α and IL-6 expression in BEAS-2B cells through ERK signaling pathway.