Silibinin attenuates oxidative metabolism and cytokine production by monocytes from preeclamptic women

Abstract

Silibinin is a polyphenolic plant flavonoid with anti-inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the effect of silibinin on oxidative metabolism and cytokine production - tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)12, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-6, IL-10, and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β1) - by peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) from preeclamptic pregnant women. It is a case-controlled study involving women with preeclampsia (PE, n = 30) compared with normotensive pregnant (NT, n = 30) and with non-pregnant (NP, n = 30) women. Monocytes were obtained and cultured with or without silibinin (5 μM or 50 μM) for 18 h. Superoxide anion (O2-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) release were determined by specific assays, and cytokine levels were determined by immunoenzymatic assays (ELISA). Monocytes from preeclamptic women cultured without stimulus released higher levels of O22, H2O2 and TNF-α, and lower levels of IL-10 and TGF-β1 than did monocytes from NT and NP women. Treatment in vitro with silibinin significantly inhibited spontaneous O2- and H2O2 release and TNF-α production by monocytes from preeclamptic women. The main effect of silibinin was obtained at 50 μM concentration. Thus, silibinin exerts anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects on monocytes from preeclamptic pregnant women by inhibiting the in vitro endogenous release of reactive oxygen species and TNF-α production.

Effect of Silibinin in Reducing Inflammatory Pathways in In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Infection-Induced Preterm Birth

“…Chelation of iron may be a mode of action in the anti-cancer properties of silibinin [33]. While the effect of silibinin on reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines has been explored in peripheral blood monocytes from women with preeclampsia [34], [35], there are no other studies describing the effect of silibinin on labour mediators in human gestational tissues. Thus, the aims of this study were to determine the effect of silibinin on pro-inflammatory mediators in (i) human fetal membranes and myometrium treated with bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β, and (ii) in preterm fetal membranes with chorioamnionitis.…”

Silymarin Inhibits Cytokine-Stimulated Pancreatic Beta Cells by Blocking the ERK1/2 Pathway

“…Various studies also indicate that sili binin, a major polyphenolc flavonoid in silymarin, exhibits anticarcinogenic effects (Hogan et al ., 2007; Mokhtari et al ., 2008). Moreover, silibinin possesses a number of additional biological effects such as anti-inflammatory effects (Kang et al ., 2002; Cristofalo et al ., 2013). Silymarin induces recovery of the endocrine function of damaged pancreatic tissue in alloxan-induced diabetic rats (Soto et al ., 2004).…”

Silibinin Inhibits LPS-Induced Macrophage Activation by Blocking p38 MAPK in RAW 264.7 Cells

“…Various studies also indicate that silibinin exhibits anticarcinogenic effects (Hogan et al ., 2007; Mokhtari et al ., 2008). Moreover, silibinin possesses a number of additional biological effects such as anti-inflammatory effects (Kang et al ., 2002; Cristofalo et al ., 2013). Although the mechanism or mechanisms of action are largely unknown, silymarin and silibinin have been shown to have direct antioxidant activity mediated through the scavenging of free radicals, and modulations of antioxidant and inflammatory enzymes (Letteron et al ., 1990; Zhao et al ., 1999).…”