Royal jelly attenuates LPS-induced immune dysfunction of dendritic cells via Nrf2/HO-1 axis

In the bacterial infection of humans, sepsis is of great concern based on its high fatality rate. Correction of immune dysfunction by targeting dendritic cells (DCs) is a promising strategy for sepsis therapy. Royal jelly, a natural health product, is produced by worker bees for feeding queens. In the study, we evaluated whether royal jelly could attenuate LPS-induced immune dysfunction of DCs. We found that royal jelly reduced the expression levels of mature phenotype (MHCII, CD40, CD80, and CD86), activation marker (CD69), and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-10) in LPS-induced DCs. In addition, royal jelly enhanced the endocytosis levels and abrogated allogeneic CD4+ T cell proliferation in LPS-induced DCs. Finally, we found that the Nrf2/HO-1 axis played a vital role in the inhibition of LPS-induced immune dysfunction of DCs by royal jelly. These re-sults indicated that royal jelly had a potential application in sepsis therapy by regulating DC function.

Automated summary

The study found that royal jelly could alleviate LPS-induced immune dysfunction of dendritic cells (DCs). It enhanced endocytosis and inhibited allogeneic CD4+ T cell proliferation in LPS-induced DCs. The Nrf2/HO-1 axis played a vital role in this process. These findings suggest the potential application of royal jelly in sepsis therapy.