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Wang Y, Liu K. Therapeutic potential of oleanolic acid in liver diseases. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024; 397:4537-4554. [PMID: 38294504 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-02959-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Liver-associated diseases affect millions of individuals worldwide. In developed countries, the incidence of viral hepatitis is reducing due to advancements in disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. However, with improvements in living standards, the prevalence of metabolic liver diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcohol-related liver disease, is expected to increase; notably, this rise in the prevalence of metabolic liver disease can lead to the development of more severe liver diseases, including liver failure, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. The growing demand for natural alternative therapies for chronic diseases has highlighted the importance of studying the pharmacology of bioactive compounds in plants. One such compound is oleanolic acid (OA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, antibacterial, antiviral, antihypertensive, anti-obesity, anticancer, anti-diabetic, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, and anti-neurodegenerative properties. Recent studies have demonstrated that OA treatment can reduce the risk of pathological liver damage, ultimately alleviating liver dysregulation and restoring overall liver function. This review aims to explore the latest research on the biological effects of OA and its derivatives. Notably, it explores the mechanisms of action of these compounds in both in vitro and in vivo research models and, ultimately, highlights OA as a promising candidate for alternative therapies in the treatment and management of chronic liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongxin Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery II, General Surgery Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery II, General Surgery Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
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Wang Y, Fu X, Zeng L, Hu Y, Gao R, Xian S, Liao S, Huang J, Yang Y, Liu J, Jin H, Klaunig J, Lu Y, Zhou S. Activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway exacerbates cholestatic liver injury. Commun Biol 2024; 7:621. [PMID: 38783088 PMCID: PMC11116386 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06243-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) antioxidant signaling is involved in liver protection, but this generalization overlooks conflicting studies indicating that Nrf2 effects are not necessarily hepatoprotective. The role of Nrf2/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in cholestatic liver injury (CLI) remains poorly defined. Here, we report that Nrf2/HO-1 activation exacerbates liver injury rather than exerting a protective effect in CLI. Inhibiting HO-1 or ameliorating bilirubin transport alleviates liver injury in CLI models. Nrf2 knockout confers hepatoprotection in CLI mice, whereas in non-CLI mice, Nrf2 knockout aggravates liver damage. In the CLI setting, oxidative stress activates Nrf2/HO-1, leads to bilirubin accumulation, and impairs mitochondrial function. High levels of bilirubin reciprocally upregulate the activation of Nrf2 and HO-1, while antioxidant and mitochondrial-targeted SOD2 overexpression attenuate bilirubin toxicity. The expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 is elevated in serum of patients with CLI. These results reveal an unrecognized function of Nrf2 signaling in exacerbating liver injury in cholestatic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Xiaolong Fu
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Li Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Yan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Rongyang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Siting Xian
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Songjie Liao
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Jianxiang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Yonggang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Jilong Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Hai Jin
- Institute of Digestive Diseases of Affiliated Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - James Klaunig
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Yuanfu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.
| | - Shaoyu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.
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Radwan MO, Kadasah SF, Aljubiri SM, Alrefaei AF, El-Maghrabey MH, El Hamd MA, Tateishi H, Otsuka M, Fujita M. Harnessing Oleanolic Acid and Its Derivatives as Modulators of Metabolic Nuclear Receptors. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1465. [PMID: 37892147 PMCID: PMC10604226 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclear receptors (NRs) constitute a superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors with a paramount role in ubiquitous physiological functions such as metabolism, growth, and reproduction. Owing to their physiological role and druggability, NRs are deemed attractive and valid targets for medicinal chemists. Pentacyclic triterpenes (PTs) represent one of the most important phytochemical classes present in higher plants, where oleanolic acid (OA) is the most studied PTs representative owing to its multitude of biological activities against cancer, inflammation, diabetes, and liver injury. PTs possess a lipophilic skeleton that imitates the NRs endogenous ligands. Herein, we report a literature overview on the modulation of metabolic NRs by OA and its semi-synthetic derivatives, highlighting their health benefits and potential therapeutic applications. Indeed, OA exhibited varying pharmacological effects on FXR, PPAR, LXR, RXR, PXR, and ROR in a tissue-specific manner. Owing to these NRs modulation, OA showed prominent hepatoprotective properties comparable to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in a bile duct ligation mice model and antiatherosclerosis effect as simvastatin in a model of New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits. It also demonstrated a great promise in alleviating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis, attenuated alpha-naphthol isothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced cholestatic liver injury, and controlled blood glucose levels, making it a key player in the therapy of metabolic diseases. We also compiled OA semi-synthetic derivatives and explored their synthetic pathways and pharmacological effects on NRs, showcasing their structure-activity relationship (SAR). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review article to highlight OA activity in terms of NRs modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed O. Radwan
- Medicinal and Biological Chemistry Science Farm Joint Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan; (H.T.); (M.O.); (M.F.)
| | - Sultan F. Kadasah
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Bisha, Bisha 61922, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Salha M. Aljubiri
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Bisha, Bisha 61922, Saudi Arabia;
| | | | - Mahmoud H. El-Maghrabey
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt;
| | - Mohamed A. El Hamd
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Shaqra University, Shaqra 11961, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt
| | - Hiroshi Tateishi
- Medicinal and Biological Chemistry Science Farm Joint Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan; (H.T.); (M.O.); (M.F.)
| | - Masami Otsuka
- Medicinal and Biological Chemistry Science Farm Joint Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan; (H.T.); (M.O.); (M.F.)
- Department of Drug Discovery, Science Farm Ltd., Kumamoto 862-0976, Japan
| | - Mikako Fujita
- Medicinal and Biological Chemistry Science Farm Joint Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan; (H.T.); (M.O.); (M.F.)
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Liao S, Fu X, Huang J, Wang Y, Lu Y, Zhou S. Suppression of SIRT1/FXR signaling pathway contributes to oleanolic acid-induced liver injury. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2023; 467:116509. [PMID: 37028458 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2023.116509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Oleanolic acid (OA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound used clinically for acute and chronic hepatitis. However, high dose or long-term use of OA causes hepatotoxicity, which limits its clinical application. Hepatic Sirtuin (SIRT1) participates in the regulation of FXR signaling and maintains hepatic metabolic homeostasis. This study was designed to determine whether SIRT1/FXR signaling pathway contributes to the hepatotoxicity caused by OA. C57BL/6J mice were administered with OA for 4 consecutive days to induce hepatotoxicity. The results showed that OA suppressed the expression of FXR and its downstream targets CYP7A1, CYP8B1, BSEP and MRP2 at both mRNA and protein levels, breaking the homeostasis of bile acid leading to hepatotoxicity. However, treatment with FXR agonist GW4064 noticeably attenuated hepatotoxicity caused by OA. Furthermore, it was found that OA inhibited protein expression of SIRT1. Activation of SIRT1 by its agonist SRT1720 significantly improved OA-induced hepatotoxicity. Meanwhile, SRT1720 significantly reduced the inhibition of protein expression of FXR and FXR-downstream proteins. These results suggested that OA may cause hepatotoxicity through SIRT1 dependent suppression of FXR signaling pathway. In vitro experiments confirmed that OA suppressed protein expressions of FXR and its targets through inhibition of SIRT1. It was further revealed that silencing of HNF1α with siRNA significantly weakened regulatory effects of SIRT1 on the expression of FXR as well as its target genes. In conclusion, our study reveals that SIRT1/FXR pathway is crucial in OA-induced hepatotoxicity. Activation of SIRT1/HNF1α/FXR axis may represent a novel therapeutic target for ameliorating OA and other herb-induced hepatotoxicity.
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