Carbon monoxide ameliorates Staphylococcus aureus-elicited COX-2/IL-6/MMP-9-dependent human aortic endothelial cell migration and inflammatory responses

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) can often lead to many life-threatening diseases. It has the ability to invade normal endovascular tissue. Acute inflammation and its resolution are important to ensure bacterial clearance and limit tissue injury. Carbon monoxide (CO) has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects in various tissues and organ systems. In our study, we investigated the effects and the mechanisms of carbon monoxide releasing molecule-2 (CORM-2) on S. aureus-induced inflammatory responses in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). We proved that S. aureus induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/prostaglandin E ₂ (PGE ₂ )/interleukin-6 (IL-6)/matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9) expression and cell migration, which were decreased by CORM-2. Moreover, CORM-2 had no effects on TLR2 mRNA levels in response to S. aureus. Interestingly, we proved that S. aureus decreased intracellular ROS generation, suggesting that the inhibition of ROS further promoted inflammatory responses. However, CORM-2 significantly inhibited S. aureus-induced inflammation by increasing intracellular ROS generation. S. aureus-induced NF-κB activation was also inhibited by CORM-2. Finally, we proved that S. aureus induced levels of the biomarkers of inflammation in cardiovascular diseases, which were inhibited by CORM-2. Taken together, these results suggest that CORM-2 inhibits S. aureus-induced COX-2/PGE ₂ /IL-6/MMP-9 expression and aorta inflammatory responses by increasing the ROS generation and reducing the inflammatory molecules levels.