Journal Article

Caffeine prevents hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal mice through NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB pathway

Zhong, Dingjuan, Wu, Qiuping, Chen, Shangqin, Li, Changchong, Du, Lizhong

2020

Overview

Background Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common chronic lung disease in premature infants and hyperoxia exposure is a major cause. In hyperoxic lung injury animal model, alveolar simplification and pro-inflammatory cells infiltration are the main pathophysiologic changes. Caffeine is a drug used to treat apnea in premature infants. Early use of caffeine can decrease the rate and the severity of BPD while the mechanisms are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of caffeine on inflammation and lung development in neonatal mice with hyperoxic lung injury and to explore the possible mechanism. Methods Following 14 d of 75% oxygen exposure in newborn mouse, the BPD model was established. Caffeine at a dose of 1 g/L was added in drinking water to nursing mouse. We measured the concentration of caffeine in serum and oxidative stress in lung by commercially available kits. Adenosine 2A receptor (A 2A R) expression and lung inflammation were measured by Immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Apoptosis and surfactant protein-C (SFTPC) levels were measured by immunofluorescence. The inflammasome and NF-κB pathway proteins were assessed by western blotting. Results We found that the caffeine concentration in plasma at present dose significantly decreased the expression of A 2A R protein in mice lung. Caffeine treatment significantly reduced oxidative stress, improved weight gain, promoted alveolar development, attenuated inflammatory infiltration and lung injury in hyperoxia-induced lung injury mice. Moreover, caffeine decreased the cell apoptosis in lung tissues, especially the Type II alveolar epithelial cell. The expression of NLRP3 inflammasome protein and NF-κB pathway were significantly inhibited by caffeine treatment. Conclusion Caffeine treatment can protect hyperoxia-induced mice lung from oxidative injury by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB pathway.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,Nature Publishing Group,BMC
• Subject: Adenosine / Alveoli / Animal models / Animals / Animals, Newborn / Apnea / Apoptosis / Bronchopulmonary dysplasia / Caffeine / Caffeine - pharmacology / Cytokines / Disease Models, Animal / Drinking water / Dysplasia / Enzymes / Epithelial cells / Epithelium / Hyperoxia / Hyperoxia - complications / Hyperoxia - metabolism / Hyperoxia - pathology / Immunofluorescence / Immunohistochemistry / Infants / Infiltration / Inflammasome / Inflammasomes / Inflammasomes - drug effects / Inflammasomes - metabolism / Inflammation / Injury prevention / Laboratory animals / Lung diseases / Lung Injury - etiology / Lung Injury - metabolism / Lung Injury - prevention & control / Lungs / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mice / Neonates / Neutrophils / NF-kappa B - metabolism / NF-κB pathway / NF-κB protein / NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein - metabolism / Nursing / Oxidative stress / Oxidative Stress - drug effects / Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors - pharmacology / Pneumology/Respiratory System / Premature babies / Premature birth / Proteins / Rodents / Signal transduction / Signal Transduction - drug effects / Studies / Toxicity / Western blotting