Anthocyanin effects on microglia M1/M2 phenotype: Consequence on neuronal fractalkine expression

• Anthocyanins induced a less pro-inflammatory profile of microglia cells.
• Anthocyanins were not able to shift microglia to an M2 strict phenotype.
• Anthocyanins did increase neuronal expression of CX3CL1 (fractalkine).
• Microglia-neuron crosstalk may be modulated by anthocyanins.

Microglia mediate multiple aspects of neuroinflammation, including cytotoxicity, repair, regeneration, and immunosuppression due to their ability to acquire diverse activation states, or phenotypes. Modulation of microglial phenotype or microglia-neuron crosstalk can be an appealing neurotherapeutic strategy. Anthocyanins are a class of flavonoids found e.g., in berries that has been attracting interest due to its neuroprotective potential. However, there are no data clarifying the impact of anthocyanins on microglial phenotype or on microglia-neuron crosstalk (CX3CR1/CX3CL1). N9 microglia cell line was treated with 1 μM cyanidin (Cy), cyanidin-3-glucose (Cy3glc) and a methylated form of cyanidin-3-glucose (Met-Cy3glc) in basal conditions and with LPS/IL-4 stimulation. SH-SY5Y cell line was treated with the conditioned medium of microglia and with the anthocyanins alone.At basal conditions, microglia treatment with anthocyanins for 24 h induced a less pro-inflammatory profile. Decreased TNF-α mRNA expression was induced either by Cy and Met-Cy3glc. LPS markedly increase IL-6 mRNA expression, which was lowered by Cy3glc. IL-1β LPS-induced expression was reverted by Cy. Cy increased CX3CL1 mRNA expression in SH-SY5Y comparing either with control or LPS.Anthocyanins and metabolites were not able to shift microglia to an M2 strict phenotype however they did interact with microglia biology. There was an attenuation of M1 phenotype and increase of neuronal expression of CX3CL1 mRNA.Understanding how flavonoids modulate microglia-neuron crosstalk can open new directions for future nutritional interventions.