Thymoquinone (TQ) Inhibits Inflammation and Migration of THP-1 Macrophages: Mechanistic Insights into the Prevention of Atherosclerosis Using In-Vitro and In-Silico Analysis

Autor: Etimad Huwait, Nouf Al-Gharawi, Maryam A. Al-Ghamdi, Mamdooh Gari, Alexandre Prola, Peter Natesan Pushparaj, Gauthaman Kalamegam
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Current Issues in Molecular Biology, Vol 44, Iss 4, Pp 1740-1753 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1467-3045
1467-3037
DOI: 10.3390/cimb44040120
Popis: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease mediated by interferon (IFN-γ) in concert with cell adhesion molecules and chemokines. Thymoquinone (TQ), a flavonoid derived from Nigella sativa, is reported to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cardiovascular protective properties. We evaluated the effects of TQ on the key pathogenic stages of atherosclerosis, including cell viability, inflammatory gene expression, cell migration, and cholesterol efflux, on human THP-1 macrophages in-vitro. Moreover, in-silico analysis was performed to predict the molecular targets and signaling mechanisms. We demonstrated that TQ treatment had no effect on cell viability and decreased the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) in response to IFN-γ. In addition, we have also demonstrated that the THP-1 cell migration was inhibited by TQ in the absence or presence of MCP-1. Thymoquinone had no effect on cholesterol efflux from monocytes. In-silico analysis also identified several putative targets for TQ that are associated with inflammatory diseases and associated signaling pathways. Collectively, these results suggest that TQ has anti-inflammatory effects and may be a potential nutraceutical candidate for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals