Moderate Beer Intake Downregulates Inflammasome Pathway Gene Expression in Human Macrophages.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to investigate the effects of moderate daily intake of alcohol-free and traditional beer on TLR-mediated inflammatory responses in overweight but healthy individuals.
Results Summary
Alcohol-free beer serum significantly reduced pro-inflammatory interleukin transcription (e.g., IL-1β and TNF), while traditional beer serum showed regulatory effects at the protein level by decreasing pro-IL-1β levels and preventing cleaved-IL-1β release.
Population
Healthy but overweight individuals.
Effective Dosage
Moderate and regular daily intake (specific amount not stated).
Duration
Four-week intervention.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Low-to-moderate beer consumption | decrease | cardiovascular event presentation | - | - | is inversely associated with | #1 |
high levels of alcohol intake | increase | cardiovascular risk | - | - | are associated with increased | #2 |
serum obtained after four-week intervention with alcohol-free beer | decrease | pro-inflammatory interleukins such as IL-1β and TNF | THP-1 macrophages | - | significantly reduced the transcription of | #3 |
serum of traditional beer consumers | no change | pro-inflammatory interleukins | - | - | did not exhibit the same capacity as the serum of alcohol-free beer consumers to reduce gene expression of | #4 |
serum from traditional beer consumers | decrease | pro-IL-1β | primed macrophages | - | showed a regulatory effect at the protein level by significantly decreasing the intracellular protein levels of | #5 |
serum from traditional beer consumers | decrease | cleaved-IL-1β protein release | primed macrophages | - | preventing | #6 |
Inflammasomes are key components of the innate immunity system that trigger the inflammatory response. Inappropriate activity of the inflammasome system has been linked to onset and perpetuation of inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques and cardiovascular disease. Low-to-moderate beer consumption is inversely associated with cardiovascular event presentation, while high levels of alcohol intake are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Although fermented beverages have been suggested to exert their beneficial effects through their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, little is known regarding the capacity of beer to modulate innate immunity cell responses. To this aim, primed or activated THP-1 macrophages were conditioned with human serum obtained from a prospective two-arms longitudinal crossover study to investigate the effect of a moderate and regular daily intake of beer, either alcohol-free or traditional, in the regulation of TLR-mediated inflammatory responses in healthy but overweight individuals. Conditioned macrophages with serum obtained after four-week intervention with alcohol-free beer significantly reduced the transcription of pro-inflammatory interleukins such as IL-1β and TNF. The serum of traditional beer consumers did not exhibit the same capacity as the serum of alcohol-free beer consumers to reduce gene expression of pro-inflammatory interleukins; however, serum from traditional beer consumers showed a regulatory effect at the protein level by significantly decreasing the intracellular protein levels of pro-IL-1β in primed macrophages and preventing cleaved-IL-1β protein release.