Farrerol regulates antimicrobial peptide expression and reduces Staphylococcus aureus internalization into bovine mammary epithelial cells.

Abstract

Mastitis, defined as inflammation of the mammary gland, is an infectious disease with a major economic influence on dairy industry. Staphylococcus aureus is a common gram-positive pathogen that frequently causes subclinical, chronic infection of the mammary gland in dairy cows. Farrerol, a traditional Chinese medicine isolated from rhododendron, has been shown to have anti-bacterial activity. However, the effect of farrerol on S. aureus infection in mammary epithelium has not been studied in detail. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of farrerol on the invasion of bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMEC) by S. aureus. The expression of antimicrobial peptide genes by bMEC were assessed in the presence or absence of S. aureus infection. Our results demonstrated that farrerol (4-16 μg/ml) reduced > 55% the internalization of S. aureus into bMEC. We also found that farrerol was able to down-regulate the mRNA expression of tracheal antimicrobial peptide (TAP) and bovine neutrophil β-defensin 5 (BNBD5) in bMEC infected with S. aureus. The Nitric oxide (NO) production of bMEC after S. aureus stimulation was decreased by farrerol treatment. Furthermore, farrerol treatment suppressed S. aureus-induced NF-κB activation in bMEC. These results demonstrated that farrerol modulated TAP and BNBD5 gene expression in mammary gland, enhances bMEC defense against S. aureus infection and could be useful in protection against bovine mastitis.

• Authors: Zhengtao Yang, Yunhe Fu, Bo Liu, Ershun Zhou, Zhicheng Liu, Xiaojing Song, Depeng Li, Naisheng Zhang
• Journal: Microbial pathogenesis (Microb Pathog) Vol. 65 Pg. 1-6 (Dec 2013) ISSN: 1096-1208 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 24036182 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Anti-Infective Agents
• Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
• Chromones
• NF-kappa B
• beta-Defensins
• tracheal antimicrobial peptide, bovine
• farrerol
• Nitric Oxide

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Infective Agents (pharmacology)
• Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides (biosynthesis)
• Cattle
• Chromones (pharmacology)
• Enzyme Activation
• Epithelial Cells (cytology, microbiology)
• Female
• Gene Expression (drug effects)
• Mammary Glands, Animal (cytology, microbiology)
• Mastitis, Bovine (drug therapy, microbiology)
• Medicine, Chinese Traditional
• NF-kappa B (metabolism)
• Nitric Oxide (biosynthesis)
• Staphylococcal Infections (drug therapy, microbiology)
• Staphylococcus aureus (drug effects)
• beta-Defensins (biosynthesis)