Berberine inhibits the production of thymic stromal lymphopoietin by the blockade of caspase-1/NF-κB pathway in mast cells

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) plays a pivotal role in allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, it has not been clarified the effect of berberine (BER) on the production of TSLP yet. Thus, we investigated how BER inhibits the production of TSLP in the human mast cell line (HMC-1) cells. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, luciferase assay, and Western blot analysis to investigate the effects of BER. BER inhibited the production and mRNA expression of TSLP in HMC-1 cells. BER also inhibited the nuclear factor-kappa B luciferase activity induced by phorbol myristate acetate plus A23187. BER inhibited the activation of caspase-1 in HMC-1 cells. Furthermore, BER inhibited the production of TSLP in primary mast cells. These results provide evidence that BER can help to treat inflammatory and atopic diseases through the inhibition of TSLP. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.