Inhibitory effects of oligochitosan on TNF-α, IL-1β and nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells.

Oligochitosan has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory properties; however, the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effects of oligochitosan remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and the production of nitric oxide (NO), in the nuclear factor (NF)-B pathway of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 murine macrophages. The results of the present study demonstrated that different concentrations of oligochitosan could significantly lower the levels of NO, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- and interleukin (IL)-1, released from LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. This was shown to be mediated through inhibiting the activation of the NF-B pathway. These results demonstrate that oligochitosan may efficiently inhibit inflammation and has the potential to be an effective anti-inflammatory agent.