Osteoarthritis (OA), a chronic articular disease characterized by cartilage degradation and osteophyte formation, involves mechanical and hereditary factors. French researchers investigated pro inflammatory paracrine interactions between human primary chondrocytes and macrophages following interleukin 1-β (IL-1β) treatment, to evaluate the molecular mechanism responsible for the inhibitory effect of resveratrol. They found that the activation of NF-kB in chondrocytes by IL-1β induced IL-6 secretion, which will then activate STAT3 protein in macrophages. Also, STAT3 was able to positively regulate IL-6 secretion, as confirmed by the doubling level of IL-6 in the coculture compared to macrophage monoculture. Resveratrol showed a strong inhibitory effect on the pro inflammatory marker secretion. The decrease of IL-6 secretion is dependent on the NF-kB inhibition in the chondrocytes, and the reduction of the IL-6 level can limit STAT3 activation in the macrophages, leading to the interruption of the inflammatory amplification loop. Researchers concluded that these results increase our understanding of the anti-inflammatory actions of resveratrol and open new potential approaches to prevent and treat osteoarthritis.
Limagne, E, et al. Resveratrol Interferes with IL1-β-Induced Pro-Inflammatory Paracrine Interaction between Primary Chondrocytes and Macrophages. Nutrients 2016, 8,280; doi: 10.3390/nu8050280