α-cyperone alleviates lung cell injury caused by Staphylococcus aureus via attenuation of α-hemolysin expression.
In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of α- cyperone on S. aureus. We used a hemolysin test to examine the hemolytic activity in supernatants of S. aureus cultured with increasing concentrations of α- cyperone. In addition, we evaluated the production of α- hemolysin (Hla) by Western blotting. Real-time RT-PCR was performed to test the expression of hla (the gene encoding Hla) and agr (accessory gene regulator). Furthermore, we investigated the protective effect of α- cyperone on Hla-induced injury of A549 lung cells by live/ dead and cytotoxicity assays. We showed that in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of α-cyperone, Hla production was markedly inhibited. Moreover, α- cyperone protected lung cells from Hla-induced injury. These findings indicate that α-cyperone is a promising inhibitor of Hla production by S. aureus and protects lung cells from this bacterium. Thus, α-cyperone may provide the basis for a new strategy to combat S. aureus pneumonia.
Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China.
Mingjing
M
Luo
Jiazhang
J
Qiu
Yu
Y
Zhang
Jianfeng
J
Wang
Jing
J
Dong
Hongen
H
Li
Bingfeng
B
Leng
Qian
Q
Zhang
Xiaohan
X
Dai
Xiaodi
X
Niu
Shuhua
S
Zhao
Xuming
X
Deng
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000096:biosynthesis; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis
C095698:Agr protein, Staphylococcus aureus; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D037521:Virulence Factors; C021091:staphylococcal alpha-toxin