Quercetin attenuates the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in H292 human lung epithelial cells infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, by modulating ExoS production

Abstract

Background: The type three secretion system (T3SS) is a major virulence system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). The effector protein Exotoxin S (ExoS) produced by P. aeruginosa is secreted into the host cells via the T3SS. For the purpose of screening the inhibitors with regard to ExoS secretion, we developed the sandwich-type enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system. From the initial screening, quercetin was selected because it has the prominent effect of ExoS inhibition and also is known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on mammalian cells.Results: In this study, we investigated the effects of quercetin on the expression and secretion of ExoS using the ELISA and Western blot analysis methods. The results showed that the secretion of ExoS was significantly decreased by 10, 20uM quercetin. Also, pscF and popD, which are composed of the T3SS needle, are reduced by quercetin at the mRNA level, and we confirmed the inhibitory effect of quercetin on cytokines in P. aeruginosa-infected H292 cells by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Conclusion: Collectively, quercetin inhibits the secretion of ExoS by reducing both ExoS production and the expression of the needle protein of T3SS. Furthermore, these results suggest that quercetin has the potential to be used as an anti-toxic treatment for the disease caused by P. aeruginosa infection.