Abstract

Aluminum is an inorganic contaminant and has adverse effects on human and animal health by mainly accumulating in the immune system to exert toxicity. α-Linolenic acid (ALA), a crucial dietary component, possesses various bioactivities. Nevertheless, the effects of ALA on Al-induced toxicity have not been sufficiently understood. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the possible mechanism of aluminium chloride hexahydrate (AlCl 3 ·6H 2 O, Al) exposure to RAW264.7 cells and the response of ALA through an RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq). RNA-seq results demonstrated that Al exposure resulted in 2106 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with 53 pathways, including the NF-κB, enriched by the KEGG analysis. 200 of the 2106 DEGs were modulated in ALA-pretreated group, which were enriched into 36 pathways, containing the NF-κB. qRT-PCR results displayed the RNA-seq's reproducibility and reliability. Western blot analysis confirmed that the protection of ALA against Al toxicity was associated with NF-κB mediated JAK2/STAT3/SOCS3 pathway and HO-1 activation. These results elucidated the protection of ALA against Al-induced toxicity from a new perspective and provided a potential therapy for Al treatment.