The major role of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in astaxanthin alleviates immune stress in Channa argus lymphocyte.

Astaxanthin is an important immunoactive adjuvant. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in astaxanthin alleviates LPS-induced immune stress in Channa argus lymphocyte. After astaxanthin or PDTC treatment, lymphocytes exposed to 10 μg/mL LPS for 24 h, showed significantly decreased NF-κB p65, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, NO, NOS, caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 levels. Upon LPS stimulation, astaxanthin significantly upregulated GR, HSP70 and HSP90 gene expression, in response to inflammatory responses. Treatment with GR inhibitors (RU486) or astaxanthin and 10 μg/ml LPS exposure, showed that RU486 significantly inhibited GR phosphorylation and blocked astaxanthin alleviated LPS-induced NF-κB pathway activation. Meanwhile, RU486 interfered with the anti-inflammatory and increased the inflammatory and apoptotic factors expression levels under LPS stimulation. Collectively, GR plays major role in astaxanthin alleviates LPS-induced immune stress in Channa argus lymphocyte. • Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) interacts with NF-κB to inhibit the inflammatory response in lymphocytes. • Astaxanthin inhibits NF-κB activation by phosphorylation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in lymphocytes. • Under the inhibition of GR activity, anti-inflammatory activity of astaxxanthin was attenuated in lymphocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]