Royal jelly attenuates LPS-induced immune dysfunction of dendritic cells via Nrf2/HO-1 axis

In the bacterial infection of humans, sepsis is of great concern based on its high fatality rate. Correction of immune dysfunction by targeting dendritic cells (DCs) is a promising strategy for sepsis therapy. Royal jelly, a natural health product, is produced by worker bees for feeding queens. In the study, we evaluated whether royal jelly could attenuate LPS-induced immune dysfunction of DCs. We found that royal jelly reduced the expression levels of mature phenotype (MHCII, CD40, CD80, and CD86), activation marker (CD69), and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10) in LPS-induced DCs. In addition, royal jelly enhanced the endocytosis levels and abrogated allogeneic CD4 + T cell proliferation in LPS-induced DCs. Finally, we found that the Nrf2/HO-1 axis played a vital role in the inhibition of LPS-induced immune dysfunction of DCs by royal jelly. These results indicated that royal jelly had a potential application in sepsis therapy by regulating DC function.