Silymarin protects pancreatic beta-cells against cytokine-mediated toxicity: Implication of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways

Silymarin is a polyphenolic flavonoid that has a strong antioxidant activity and exhibits anticarcinogenic, antiinflammatory, and cytoprotective effects. Although its hepatoprotective effect has been well documented, the effect of silymarin on pancreatic beta-cells is largely unknown. In this study, the effect of silymarin on IL-1beta and/or interferon(IFN)-gamma-induced beta-cell damage was investigated using RINm5F cells and human islets. IL-1beta and/or IFN-gamma induced cell death in a time-dependent manner in RINm5F cells. The time-dependent increase in cytokine-induced cell death appeared to correlate with the time-dependent nitric oxide ( NO) production. Silymarin dose-dependently inhibited both cytokine-induced NO production and cell death in RINm5F cells. Treatment of human islets with a combination of IL-1beta and IFN-gamma(IL-1beta+IFN-gamma), for 48 h and 5 d, resulted in an increase of NO production and the impairment of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, respectively. Silymarin prevented IL-1beta+IFN-gamma-induced NO production and beta-cell dysfunction in human islets. These cytoprotective effects of silymarin appeared to be mediated through the suppression of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways. Our data show a direct cytoprotective effect of silymarin in pancreatic beta-cells and suggest that silymarin may be therapeutically beneficial for type 1 diabetes.