Phenylethanol Glycosides from Cistanche tubulosa Suppress Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Block the Conduction of Signaling Pathways in TGF-β1/smad as Potential Anti-Hepatic Fibrosis Agents

Molecules

Jun Zhao¹  Shi-Lei Zhang²  Tao Liu²  Long Ma²  Shu-Ping You² 

[1] Key Laboratory for Uighur Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica of Xinjiang, No. 140 Xinhua South Road, Tianshan District, Urumqi 830000, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China;School of Public Health, Xinjiang Medical University, No. 393 Xinyi Road, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China;

关键词: Cistanche tubulosa;    phenylethanol glycosides from Cistanche (CPHGs);    echinacoside;    acteoside;    hepatic stellate cells (HSC);    TGF-β1/smad;   

DOI  :  10.3390/molecules21010102

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Cistanche tubulosa is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine widely used for regulating immunity and phenylethanol glycosides (CPhGs) are among the primary components responsible for this activity. Previous studies have indicated the preventive and therapeutic effects of CPhGs on bovine serum albumin (BSA)-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats. The aim of the study was to evaluate the anti-hepatic fibrosis effect of CPhGs and the monomers echinacoside and acteoside by inhibiting hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation, blocking the conduction of signaling pathways in transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/smad, and determine their in vitro hepatoprotective activity. HSC proliferation was obviously inhibited after treatment with CPhGs (100, 50 μg/mL)/echinacoside (500, 250, 125 μg/mL)/acteoside (6, 3 μg/mL), with IC50 values of 119.125, 520.345 and 6.999 μg/mL, respectively, in the MTT assay. Different concentrations of CPhGs/echinacoside/acteoside did not affect the cellular toxicity on HSC according to lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) measurements. Different concentrations of CPhGs/echinacoside/acteoside increased the mRNA level and protein expression of smad7, and decreased the mRNA levels of smad2, smad3 and the protein expression of smad2, phospho-smad2 (p-smad2), smad3, phospho-smad3 (p-smad3) in HSC. In summary, these results demonstrate that CPhGs/echinacoside/acteoside can block the conduction of the signaling pathways in TGF-β1/smad, and inhibit the activation of HSC, suggesting that C. tubulosa may thus be a potential herbal medicine for the treatment of liver fibrosis.

【 授权许可】

Unknown