Effects of Caffeine on THP-1 Myelogenous Cell Inflammatory Gene Expression

Caffeine is administered to preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units for prevention and treatment of apnea of prematurity. Although caffeine’s primary effect is to impact the respiratory drive of preterm infants, caffeine also has anti-inflammatory properties. This study investigated the rol...

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Main Authors: Zeyar T. Htun, Thomas M. Raffay, Richard J. Martin, Peter M. MacFarlane, Tracey L. Bonfield
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Current Issues in Molecular Biology
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/4/248
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author Zeyar T. Htun
Thomas M. Raffay
Richard J. Martin
Peter M. MacFarlane
Tracey L. Bonfield
author_facet Zeyar T. Htun
Thomas M. Raffay
Richard J. Martin
Peter M. MacFarlane
Tracey L. Bonfield
author_sort Zeyar T. Htun
collection DOAJ
description Caffeine is administered to preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units for prevention and treatment of apnea of prematurity. Although caffeine’s primary effect is to impact the respiratory drive of preterm infants, caffeine also has anti-inflammatory properties. This study investigated the role of caffeine on the inflammatory gene expression in THP-1 pre-monocytes exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro, mimicking a clinical pro-inflammatory scenario. The effects of different physiologic dosages of caffeine administration post-LPS (treatment with caffeine) and pre-LPS (prophylaxis with caffeine) on pro-inflammatory gene expressions (<i>TNF-α</i>, <i>NF-κB</i>, <i>IL-8</i>, <i>PPARγ</i>) of the THP-1 cells were investigated. The post-LPS group showed a dose-dependent decrease in <i>TNF-α</i> at a caffeine concentration of 100 μM and <i>NF-κB</i> gene expression at 50 and 100 μM, with the implication that this is an optimal anti-inflammatory caffeine concentration range. Clinically, this would correspond to a serum caffeine level between 10 and 20 μg/mL, respectively. For the pre-LPS group, <i>TNF-α</i> and <i>NF-κB</i> gene expression decreased at all studied caffeine concentrations. These findings point to caffeine’s potential therapeutic capacity in regulating monocyte inflammatory responses to gram-negative infections in addition to regulating neuron response in the brainstem for preterm infants.
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spelling doaj-art-5979c2c090fd4abf9d53d27f29f330fd2025-08-20T02:28:19ZengMDPI AGCurrent Issues in Molecular Biology1467-30371467-30452025-04-0147424810.3390/cimb47040248Effects of Caffeine on THP-1 Myelogenous Cell Inflammatory Gene ExpressionZeyar T. Htun0Thomas M. Raffay1Richard J. Martin2Peter M. MacFarlane3Tracey L. Bonfield4Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, NY 11501, USADivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USADivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USADivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USADepartment of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USACaffeine is administered to preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units for prevention and treatment of apnea of prematurity. Although caffeine’s primary effect is to impact the respiratory drive of preterm infants, caffeine also has anti-inflammatory properties. This study investigated the role of caffeine on the inflammatory gene expression in THP-1 pre-monocytes exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro, mimicking a clinical pro-inflammatory scenario. The effects of different physiologic dosages of caffeine administration post-LPS (treatment with caffeine) and pre-LPS (prophylaxis with caffeine) on pro-inflammatory gene expressions (<i>TNF-α</i>, <i>NF-κB</i>, <i>IL-8</i>, <i>PPARγ</i>) of the THP-1 cells were investigated. The post-LPS group showed a dose-dependent decrease in <i>TNF-α</i> at a caffeine concentration of 100 μM and <i>NF-κB</i> gene expression at 50 and 100 μM, with the implication that this is an optimal anti-inflammatory caffeine concentration range. Clinically, this would correspond to a serum caffeine level between 10 and 20 μg/mL, respectively. For the pre-LPS group, <i>TNF-α</i> and <i>NF-κB</i> gene expression decreased at all studied caffeine concentrations. These findings point to caffeine’s potential therapeutic capacity in regulating monocyte inflammatory responses to gram-negative infections in addition to regulating neuron response in the brainstem for preterm infants.https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/4/248caffeinemonocytesinflammation
spellingShingle Zeyar T. Htun
Thomas M. Raffay
Richard J. Martin
Peter M. MacFarlane
Tracey L. Bonfield
Effects of Caffeine on THP-1 Myelogenous Cell Inflammatory Gene Expression
Current Issues in Molecular Biology
caffeine
monocytes
inflammation
title Effects of Caffeine on THP-1 Myelogenous Cell Inflammatory Gene Expression
title_full Effects of Caffeine on THP-1 Myelogenous Cell Inflammatory Gene Expression
title_fullStr Effects of Caffeine on THP-1 Myelogenous Cell Inflammatory Gene Expression
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Caffeine on THP-1 Myelogenous Cell Inflammatory Gene Expression
title_short Effects of Caffeine on THP-1 Myelogenous Cell Inflammatory Gene Expression
title_sort effects of caffeine on thp 1 myelogenous cell inflammatory gene expression
topic caffeine
monocytes
inflammation
url https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/4/248
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