PLoS ONE (Jan 2024)

Neuroprotective and immunomodulatory effects of superoxide dismutase on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and RAW264.7 macrophages.

  • Moon-Beom Kim,
  • Su-Min Park,
  • Ga-Hyun Lim,
  • Yong-Hun Oh,
  • Kyung-Won Seo,
  • Hwa-Young Youn

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303136
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 19, no. 5
p. e0303136

Abstract

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Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an antioxidant enzyme that protects the body from free radicals. It has both antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties, inducing macrophage polarization from M1 to M2. Macrophages, key mediators of the innate immune response, are divided into the M1 (pro-inflammatory) and M2 (anti-inflammatory) subtypes. In this study, we aimed to assess the antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of SOD on nerve cells and its immunomodulatory effects on macrophages. We observed that SOD inhibited the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and enhanced the viability of H2O2-treated nerve cells. Furthermore, SOD reduced the degree of necrosis in nerve cells treated with the conditioned medium from macrophages, which induced inflammation. In addition, SOD promoted the M1 to M2 transition of macrophages. Our findings suggest that SOD protects nerve cells and regulates immune responses.