In vitro inhibitory effect of zingerone on TNFα-stimulated fibroblast-like synoviocytes

Targeting Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) is an attractive complementary approach for RA therapy. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects of zingerone on TNFα-induced arthritic FLSs. MTS, EdU, wound healing, DHE staining and real-time PCR were used to determine the effects of zingerone on the destructive behaviors of arthritic FLSs induced by TNFα. Western blot analysis was used to analyze cell signaling pathways. Zingerone treatment significantly inhibited TNFα-induced proliferation, migration, ROS formation and pro-inflammatory cytokines expression of FLSs. Molecular mechanism studies revealed that zingerone could suppress TNFα-induced activations of MAPKs (ERK, JNK and p38) in arthritic FLSs. Zingerone attenuated pathological features of FLSs via MAPKs pathways, indicating its potential as a complementary or alternative drug for RA therapy.