Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Lipids Extracted from Arctoscopus japonicus Eggs on LPS-Stimulated RAW264.7 Cells

Abstract

<i>Arctoscopus japonicus</i> is a cold-water marine fish. The present study investigated the fatty acid composition of <i>A. japonicus</i> egg lipids and their anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-stimulated RAW246.7 macrophages. The results showed that <i>A. japonicus</i> egg lipids contained primarily polyunsaturated fatty acids (52.9% of the total fatty acid content; mostly eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA, 21.2 ± 0.5%] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA, 25.9 ± 0.1%]), followed by monounsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids (23.7% and 23.4%, respectively). <i>A. japonicus</i> egg lipids significantly decreased nitric oxide (NO) production and suppressed the expression of immune-associated genes such as <i>iNOS</i>, <i>COX-2</i>, <i>IL-1β</i>, <i>IL-6</i>, and <i>TNF-α</i> LPS-stimulated RAW246.7 macrophages in dose-dependent manner. <i>A. japonicus</i> egg lipids also reduced the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p-65, p38, ERK1/2, and JNK, key components of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways, suggesting that the lipid-induced anti-inflammatory activity is related to these signaling pathways. These results indicate that the lipids extracted from <i>A. japonicus</i> eggs have potential biofunctions and might be useful for regulating inflammation in macrophages.