Exogenous Hydrogen Sulfide Alleviates-Induced Intracellular Inflammation in HepG2 Cells.

Fatty acids induced hepatic inflammation plays an important role in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) pathogenesis. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an endogenous gasotransmitter, has been established to possess potent anti-inflammation in various human organs. However, the anti-inflammation property of H2S in the fatty liver is still needed to further elucidate. Hence, this study aimed to investigate whether exogenous H2S can protect hepatocytes against inflammation induced by palmitic acid (PA). HepG2 hepatocytes were exposed to PA for 24 h to induce free fatty acids-induced inflammation. The cells were pretreated with NaHS (a donor of H2S) before exposure to PA. Cell viability, inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β), NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB were measured by a combination of MTT assay, ELISA, Western blot and Immunofluorescence. Here, we found that exogenous H2S dose-dependently inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, NLRP3 inflammasome and activation of NF-κB signaling in PA-induced HepG2 cells. Thus, H2S might be a candidate therapeutic agent against NAFLD.