The licorice flavonoid isoliquiritigenin attenuates Mycobacterium tuberculosis-induced inflammation through Notch1/NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The genus Glycyrrhiza is a small perennial herb that has been traditionally used to treat many diseases across the world. Licorice (Gancao in Chinese) is the dried root and rhizome of G. glabra, G. uralensis or G. inflata. Licorice plays an important role in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and is the most frequently used in Chinese herbal formulas. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is a flavonoid extracted from licorice, and has been evaluated for its various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and anti-oxidant activities. Excessive and persistent inflammation in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection is not conducive to the elimination of Mtb, but contributes to serious pulmonary dysfunction.

Aim Of The Study: This study aimed to examine the anti-inflammatory effects of ISL in the Mtb infection.

Methods: In vitro models of Mtb-infected macrophages were established. Murine macrophage Raw 264.7 cells and primary peritoneal macrophages were used in this study. Cell viability was determined by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The effects of ISL on the secretion levels of interleukin -1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor -α (TNF-α), and interleukin -6 (IL-6) were detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) were measured by the real time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot. Western blot was used to assess the effects of ISL on the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and Notch1/NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Immunofluorescence assays was used to detected the translocation of phosphorylation of p65 subunit of NF-κB.

Results: It was revealed that ISL inhibited the secretion of IL-1β and the activation of pore-forming protein (gasdermin D, GSDMD) by suppressing the activation of NLPR3 inflammasome induced by Mtb infection. ISL was also shown to have promising inhibitory effects on inflammatory factors, such as TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS and COX2. Regarding the anti-inflammatory mechanism of ISL, it was found that ISL exerted its anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the activation of Notch1/NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

Conclusion: ISL reduced Mtb-induced inflammation through the Notch1/NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. ISL might be used as a potential adjuvant drug to treat tuberculosis by adjusting host immune responses.