Protective effect of chitin oligosaccharides against lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response in BV-2 microglia

Chitin oligosaccharides (NA-COS) of two different molecular weight ranges (below 1 and 1-3 kDa) were examined for their capabilities against lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in BV-2 murine It was found that NA-COS reduced the level of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)) production by suppressing the expression of NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 without significant cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of NA-COS on generation of interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were determined. Notably, NA-COS exerted anti-inflammatory activities via blocking degradation of inhibitor of kappaB-alpha (I kappa B-alpha), translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B, and phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in a dose-dependent manner. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective actions of NA-COS in BV-2 microglia. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.