Korean red ginseng extracts inhibit NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasome activation

Immunol Lett. 2014 Mar-Apr;158(1-2):143-50. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2013.12.017. Epub 2014 Jan 10.

Abstract

Korean red ginseng extract (RGE) is one of the most popular natural herbs modulating the immune system. Although the effects of RGE on immunity have been reported, its effects on inflammasomes, multi-protein complexes that activate caspase-1 to induce maturation of interleukin (IL)-1β, have not been studied yet. In this study, we elucidated the effect of RGE on inflammasome activation using mouse and human macrophages. In our results, RGE inhibited IL-1β maturation resulting from NLRP3 inflammasome activation in both in vitro and in vivo models. In addition, RGE strongly attenuated IL-1β secretion as well as pathogen clearance via pyroptotic cell death by macrophages through inhibition of AIM2 inflammasome activation. Ginsenosides Rg1 and Rh3 were suggested as inhibitors of the inflammasome activation. Thus, we demonstrated that RGE inhibits both NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasome activation, with predominant involvement of the AIM2 inflammasome.

Keywords: AIM2; Cytokine; Inflammasome; Interleukin-1; Macrophages; Red ginseng extracts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carrier Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Cell Line
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Ginsenosides / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Inflammasomes / drug effects*
  • Inflammasomes / immunology
  • Interleukin-1beta / immunology
  • Interleukin-1beta / metabolism
  • Listeria monocytogenes / immunology
  • Macrophages / drug effects*
  • Macrophages / immunology
  • Macrophages / microbiology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • Panax*
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Salmonella typhimurium / immunology

Substances

  • AIM2 protein, human
  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Ginsenosides
  • IL1B protein, mouse
  • Inflammasomes
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • NLRP3 protein, human
  • Plant Extracts