Wedelolactone suppresses LPS-induced caspase-11 expression by directly inhibiting the IKK complex

Abstract

Caspase-11 is a key regulator of proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β maturation and pathological apoptosis. Caspase-11 is not expressed in most tissues under normal condition, but highly inducible upon pathological stimulation such as in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Here, we describe the identification and characterization of wedelolactone, a natural compound that inhibits LPS-induced caspase-11 expression in cultured cells by inhibiting NF-κB-mediated transcription. We demonstrate that wedelolactone is an inhibitor of IKK, a kinase critical for activation of NF-κB by mediating phosphorylation and degradation Of IκBα.