A food-born heterocyclic amine, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), suppresses tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression in lipoteichoic acid-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), a heterocyclic amine with strong carcinogenic and mutagenic potential, is created abundantly in the overcooking of meat and fish. Carcinogenic toxicants are often implicated in immunosuppression, where cancer cells are not easily eliminated by the host immune system. Here, we investigated the effect of PhIP on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) expression by murine macrophage-like cells (RAW 264.