Regulation of interleukin-8 secretion in human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells by α-humulene

Issue title: The Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Food Factors (ICoFF 03)

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Satsu, Hideo | Matsuda, Tomoko | Toshimitsu, Takayuki | Mori, Akira | Mae, Tatsumasa | Tsukagawa, Misuzu | Kitahara, Mikio | Shimizu, Makoto

Affiliations: Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan | Kaneka Co. Ltd., 1-8 Miyamae-machi, Takasago-cho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-8688, Japan

Note: [] Corresponding author. Tel.: +81 3 5841 5131; Fax: +81 3 5841 8026; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: It is well known that various cytokines such as interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α are expressed and secreted from intestinal epithelial cells and that these cytokines affect the immune cells beneath the intestinal epithelial monolayers. As the secretion of these cytokines is likely to be regulated by food-derived substances, we focused on those food substances which regulate the secretion of IL-8 in human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells. 72 food samples extracted with 40% ethanol were tested, and the extracts of peppermint and dokudami significantly increased the IL-8 secretion. Among the compounds known to be contained in peppermint and dokudami, α-humulene substantially increased the IL-8 secretion.α-Humulene had no significant effect on the secretion of such other soluble factors as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, or NGF, suggesting that the effect of α-humulene was specific for IL-8 secretion. The expression level of IL-8 mRNA was significantly increased by treating with α-humulene. These results suggest that the secretion of IL-8 by α-humulene is regulated at the transcriptional level.

Keywords: interleukin-8, chemokine, Caco-2, α-humulene, peppermint

Journal: BioFactors, vol. 21, no. 1-4, pp. 137-139, 2004