Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway is involved in ACTG-toxin H-mediated anti-inflammatory effect

ACTG-toxin H (AH) originates from Alternaria sp. In this study, we explored the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory properties of AH. Treatment with AH inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced interleukin-6, IL-1β, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 expression and nitric oxide production. Furthermore, AH inhibited LPS-induced P38 MAPK and Akt activation in RAW264.7 cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) showed that AH inhibited LPS-induced nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) DNA-binding activity. Using transfection assay and measurement of an NFκB-sensitive promoter region, we found that transfection of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) increased LPS-induced NFκB transcription activity in 293T cells. AH significantly blocked LPS-induced NFκB activation in TLR4-transfected cells. Taken together, our data indicated that anti-inflammatory properties of AH resulted from the inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines and enzyme production via the TLR4/NFκB signaling pathway.