Antioxidant activity of pomegranate juice reduces emphysematous changes and injury secondary to cigarette smoke in an animal model and human alveolar cells

Abstract

BackgroundCigarette smoke (CS) increases oxidative stress (OS) in the lungs. Pomegranate juice (PJ) possesses potent antioxidant activities, attributed to its polyphenols. This study investigates the effects of PJ on the damaging effects of CS in an animal model and on cultured human alveolar cells (A549).MethodsMale C57BL/6J mice were divided into the following groups: Control, CS, CS + PJ, and PJ. Acute CS exposure was for 3 days, while chronic exposure was for 1 and 3 months (5 days of exposure/week). PJ groups received daily 80 μmol/kg via bottle, while other groups received distilled water. At the end of the experiments, different parameters were studied: 1) expression levels of inflammatory markers, 2) apoptosis, 3) OS, and 4) histopathological changes. In vitro, A549 cells were pretreated for 48 hours with either PJ (0.5 μM) or vehicle. Cells were then exposed to increasing concentrations of CS extracted from collected filters. Cell viability was assessed by counting of live and dead cells with trypan blue staining.ResultsAcutely, a significant increase in interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression, apoptosis, and OS was noted in CS when compared to Control. PJ significantly attenuated the expression of inflammatory mediators, apoptosis, and OS. Chronically (at 1 and 3 months), increased expression of TNF-α was observed, and lung sections demonstrated emphysematous changes when compared to Control. PJ supplementation to CS animals attenuated the increased expression of TNF-α and normalized lung cytoarchitecture. At the cellular level, CS extract reduced cellular proliferation and triggered cellular death. Pretreatment with PJ attenuated the damaging effects of CS extract on cultured human alveolar cells.ConclusionThe expression of inflammatory mediators associated with CS exposure and the emphysematous changes noted with chronic CS exposure were reduced with PJ supplementation. In vitro, PJ attenuated the damaging effects of CS extract on cultured human alveolar cells.

Could Pomegranate Juice Help in the Control of Inflammatory Diseases?

“…Animal models have been used to investigate the pathology of a wide range of chronic inflammatory diseases—COPD, IBD, metabolic and cardiovascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, RA, cancer—in which inflammation is induced experimentally by genetic manipulation or pharmacologically (diet, drugs, or exogenous toxicants) ( Table 4 ). These studies examined the effects of different pomegranate-related products, including whole fruit juice [ 19 , 21 , 26 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 48 , 50 , 60 ] or extract [ 22 , 24 , 26 , 40 , 43 , 44 , 52 , 55 , 56 , 59 , 67 , 68 , 69 ], extracts obtained using various parts of the fruit (e.g., peel [ 17 , 45 , 47 , 58 ], seeds [ 20 , 43 , 46 , 50 , 54 ], flowers [ 27 , 45 ], leaves [ 18 ]), concentrated extracts (POMx TM [ 65 ], Pomanox ® [ 51 ]) and bioactive molecules found in pomegranates (punicalagin [ 53 ], EA [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 49 , 57 ], punicic acid [ 20 ]) and their derived metabolites (urolithins […”

Antiinflammatory and anti‐cancer activities of pomegranate and its constituent, ellagic acid: Evidence from cellular, animal, and clinical studies

“…Husari et al figured out the effects of pomegranate juice (80 μmol/kg) on cigarette smoke‐induced lung damages in C57BL/6J mice. They demonstrated that pomegranate juice alleviates the expression levels of IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α in lungs (Husari et al, ). In another study, the effects of pomegranate juice concentrate (equivalent to 80 μmol polyphenols/mL) were measured on cigarette smoking‐induced‐cardiac hypertrophy in rats.…”

Cigarette Smoking-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy, Vascular Inflammation and Injury Are Attenuated by Antioxidant Supplementation in an Animal Model

“…Animals received a continuous flow of cigarette smoke or room air into the airways via the “nose only” delivery system. As described before, the smoking rate was controlled to one puff of smoke each minute (Husari et al, 2016). Rats of the CS and CS + AO groups were exposed to cigarette smoke generated from 3R4F cigarettes (University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA), which are scientifically prepared cigarettes concentrated with toxins and chemical rendering the study timeline suitable to observe the effects of smoking on the rats (Roemer et al, 2014).…”

“…The other groups received placebo free drinking water. The dose of pomegranate juice supplementation was deduced from previous studies performed by our group (Husari et al, 2014, 2016). …”