The Beneficial Effect of Carvacrol in HL-1 Cardiomyocytes Treated with LPS-G: Anti-Inflammatory Pathway Investigations

Carvacrol (CAR), a natural phenolic monoterpene, possesses different biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The current study aimed to evaluate the response of HL-1 cardiomyocytes to an inflammatory stimulus triggered by lipopolysaccharide from Porphyromonas gingivalis (LPS-G), alone or in co-treatment with CAR, to investigate the potential protective role of CAR in the inflammatory process through modulation of the TLR4/NFκB/NALP3/IL1β pathway and ROS production. In an in vitro experiment, HL-1 cardiomyocytes were exposed to LPS-G and incubated with CAR. We evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of CAR by the reduction in TLR4, NFκB, NALP3, and IL-1β expression using immunofluorescence staining. Western blot analysis also validated the modulation of the TLR4/NFκB/NALP3/IL-1β pathway. ROS analyses confirmed the protective effects of CAR. Our results suggest that CAR could provide a significant protection role against inflammatory stimulus generated by LPS-G, involving the suppression of the TLR4/NFκB/NALP3/IL-1β signaling pathway.