Meeting Abstract
Annonacin is an acetogenin found in extracts of Annona muricata (Soursoup). Annonacin is thought to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties which could have implications in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and biomaterial rejection. However, annonacin is believed to have pro-inflammatory effects, which could supersede its beneficial effects. Annonacin was extracted from the North American pawpaw fruit using Soxhlet Extraction, and verified using IR, NMR, and UV spectroscopy. The pro-inflammatory effects of annonacin were determined using Bovine Aortic Endothelial Cells (BAOECs) cultured with varying concentrations of annonacin and the adverse effects on cell growth and morphology were studied. An established model of cellular inflammation uses TNFα to induce an accumulation of actin stress fibers. Cells were treated with TNFα, annonacin, or both. These results demonstrate that annonacin alone increases actin stress fiber accumulation beyond TNFα and that there is a synergistic effect of TNFα and annonacin together. Furthermore, BAOECs treated with annonacin for 72 h and imaged every 24 h showed that prolonged exposure to annonacin causes an increase in actin stress fiber production, indicating its pro-inflammatory properties. Taken together, the data suggest that annonacin is pro-inflammatory in vascular endothelial cells which could lead to its cytotoxic effects. To further understand annonacin’s pro-inflammatory effects, a THP-1 cell adhesion assay was conducted using polyurethane films. THP-1 cells are a monocyte-derived macrophage cell line which model the body’s response to biomaterials. Cell attachment to the polyurethane films was not significantly increased when cultured with annonacin. These studies demonstrate that annonacin is pro-inflammatory in the vasculature but does not significantly increase the immune response to biomaterials.
