Roflupram, a Phosphodiesterase 4 Inhibitior, Suppresses Inflammasome Activation through Autophagy in Microglial Cells.

Inhibition of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) suppressed the inflammatory responses in the brain. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Roflupram (ROF) is a novel PDE4 inhibitor. In the present study, we found that ROF enhanced the level of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 II (LC3-II) and decreased p62 in microglial BV-2 cells. Enhanced fluorescent signals were observed in BV-2 cells treated with ROF by Lysotracker red and acridine orange staining. In addition, immunofluorescence indicated a significant increase in punctate LC3. Moreover, β amyloid 25-35 (Aβ