Anti-inflammatory effects of farrerol on IL-1β-stimulated human osteoarthritis chondrocytes

The present study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and the underlying molecular mechanism of farrerol on IL-1β-stimulated human osteoarthritis chondrocytes. Chondrocytes were pretreated with farrerol 1 h before IL-1β stimulation. The effects of farrerol on NO and PGE2 production were tested by Griess reagent and ELISA. The effects of farrerol on COX-2, iNOS, Akt, phosphorylated Akt, and NF-κB activation were measured by western blot analysis. The results showed that farrerol remarkably inhibited IL-1β-induced NO and PGE2 production, as well as COX-2 and iNOS expression. Farrerol also inhibited IL-1β-induced NF-κB activation. Furthermore, farrerol significantly inhibited IL-1β-induced phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt. In conclusion, these results indicated that farrerol inhibited IL-1β-induced inflammatory responses in osteoarthritis chondrocytes by blocking PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.