A Pharmacological Advantage of Ursodeoxycholic Acid in Cytoprotection in Primary Rat Microglia

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has long been used as an adjuvant or first choice of therapy for liver disease. Commonly, UDCA has been reported to play a role in improving hyperbilirubinemia and disorder of bromsulphalein. More commonly, UDCA has been used in reducing the rate of cholesterol level in bile juice that can cause cholesterol stone. The effects on the promotion of bile acid release that leads an excretion of toxic materials and wastes produced in liver cells as well as various arrays of liver disease such as hepatitis. Other than already reported in clinical use, immunosuppressive effect has been studied, especially in transplantation. In the study, we hypothesized that UDCA might have a certain role in anti-inflammation through a preventive effect of pro-inflammatory potentials in the brain macrophages, microglia. We found that the treatment of $200\;{\mu}g/ml$ UDCA effectively suppressed the pro-inflammatory mediators (i.e. nitric oxide and interleukin-$1{\beta}$) in rat microglia compared to comparators. Interestingly, RT-PCR analysis suggested that UDCA strongly attenuated the expression of $IL-1{\beta}$ that was comparable with cyclosporine A at 48 h incubation. Conclusively, we found that UDCA may playa cytoprotective role in microglial cells through direct or indirect pathways by scavenging a toxic compound or an anti-inflammatory effect, which are known as major causes of neurodegenerative diseases.