Dietary hydroxytyrosol and hydroxytyrosyl acetate supplementation prevent pristane-induced systemic lupus erythematous in mice

Current experimental studies suggest a beneficial role of dietary phenolic compounds on prevention and management of immune-inflammatory disorders. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a multisystemic autoimmune chronic disease, remains without an effective and safe treatment. Thus, diet therapy could be a promising approach in SLE due to its potential prophylactic effects without the side effects of classical pharmacology. This study evaluates the effects of diets supplemented with phenolic compounds: hydroxytyrosol (HTy) and hydroxytyrosyl acetate (HTy-Ac) in pristane-induced SLE mice. Peritoneal macrophages and spleens were isolated and cultured to evaluate cytokines levels by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Renal changes of inflammatory markers and signaling pathways were determined by western blot. Dietary phenol supplementation significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and prevented renal damage with a considerably blockage of different inflammatory-related pathways suggesting that HTy and HTy-Ac supplementation might provide a basis for developing a new dietary strategy for prevention and management of SLE.