The Beneficial Effect of Carvacrol in HL-1 Cardiomyocytes Treated with LPS-G: Anti-Inflammatory Pathway Investigations

Carvacrol (CAR), a natural phenolic monoterpene, possesses different biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The current study aimed to evaluate the response of HL-1 cardiomyocytes to an inflammatory stimulus triggered by lipopolysaccharide from Porphyromonas gingivalis (LPS-G), alone or in co-treatment with CAR, to investigate the potential protective role of CAR in the inflammatory process through modulation of the TLR4/NF kappa B/NALP3/IL-1 beta pathway and ROS production. In an in vitro experiment, HL-1 cardiomyocytes were exposed to LPS-G and incubated with CAR. We evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of CAR by the reduction in TLR4, NF kappa B, NALP3, and IL-1 beta expression using immunofluorescence staining. Western blot analysis also validated the modulation of the TLR4/NF kappa B/NALP3/IL-1 beta pathway. ROS analyses confirmed the protective effects of CAR. Our results suggest that CAR could provide a significant protection role against inflammatory stimulus generated by LPS-G, involving the suppression of the TLR4/NF kappa B/NALP3/IL-1 beta signaling pathway.

Automated summary

This study investigated the protective role of carvacrol (CAR) in the inflammatory process by modulating the TLR4/NF kappa B/NALP3/IL-1 beta pathway and ROS production. CAR demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory effects by reducing TLR4, NF kappa B, NALP3, and IL-1 beta expression, and also showed protective effects against ROS. CAR could potentially be used as a therapeutic agent against inflammatory stimuli.