Ligustilide promotes apoptosis of cancer-associated fibroblasts via the TLR4 pathways

Exploring the immunometabolic potential of Danggui Buxue Decoction for the treatment of IBD-related colorectal cancer

Danggui Buxue (DGBX) decoction is a classical prescription composed of Astragali Radix (AR) and Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR), used to enrich blood, and nourish Qi in Chinese medicine, with the potential to recover energy and stimulate metabolism. Chronic inflammation is a risk factor in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-related colorectal cancer (CRC). More importantly, AR and ASR have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities, as well as prefiguring a potential effect on inflammation-cancer transformation. We, therefore, aimed to review the immunometabolism potential of DGBX decoction and its components in this malignant transformation, to provide a helpful complement to manage the risk of IBD-CRC. The present study investigates the multifaceted roles of DGBX decoction and its entire components AR and ASR, including anti-inflammation effects, anti-cancer properties, immune regulation, and metabolic regulation. This assessment is informed by a synthesis of scholarly literature, with more than two hundred articles retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases within the past two decades. The search strategy employed utilized keywords such as "Danggui Buxue", "Astragali Radix", "Angelicae Sinensis Radix", "Inflammation", and "Metabolism", alongside the related synonyms, with a particular emphasis on high-quality research and studies yielding significant findings. The potential of DGBX decoction in modulating immunometabolism holds promise for the treatment of IBD-related CRC. It is particularly relevant given the heterogeneity of CRC and the growing trend towards personalized medicine, but the precise and detailed mechanism necessitate further in vivo validation and extensive clinical studies to substantiate the immunometabolic modulation and delineate the pathways involved.

A comprehensive review of the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, quality control and other applications of Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ligusticum sinense Oliv. and L. jeholense Nakai et Kitag. are globally recognized as medicinal botanical species, specifically the rhizomes and roots. These plant parts are collectively referred to as Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix (LReR), which is recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (Ch. P). LReR enjoys widespread recognition in many countries such as China, Russia, Vietnam, and Korea. It is an herbal remedy traditionally employed for dispelling wind and cold, eliminating dampness, and alleviating pain. Numerous bioactive compounds have been successfully isolated and identified, displaying a diverse array of pharmacological activities and medicinal value.

THE AIM OF THE REVIEW

This review aims to primarily center on the botanical aspects, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, quality control, and other applications of LReR to furnish a comprehensive and multidimensional foundation for future exploration and utilization.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant information about LReR was acquired from ancient books, doctoral and master's dissertations, Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), ScienceDirect, classical literature, and clinical reports. Several electronic databases were also incorporated.

RESULTS

In traditional usage, LReR had been traditionally employed for the treatment of anemofrigid headaches, colds, and joint pain. It possessed therapeutic properties for facial skin disorders, thereby facilitating skin regeneration. It has been subjected to comprehensive chemical analysis, resulting in the identification and isolation of 190 compounds, including phthalides, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenes, steroids, volatile oil, fatty acids, and other constituents. The pharmacological activities have been in-depth explored through modern in vivo and in vitro studies, confirming its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-melanin effects. Furthermore, it exhibited pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, and vasodilatory properties. This study provides a basic to contribute to the advancement of research, medicinal applications and product development related to LReR.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering its traditional and contemporary applications, phytochemical composition, and pharmacological properties, LReR was regarded as a valuable botanical resource for pharmaceutical and pest control purposes. While certain constituents had demonstrated diverse pharmacological activities and application potential, further elucidation was required to fully understand their specific actions and underlying mechanisms. Hence, there was a need to conduct additional investigations to uncover its material foundation and mode of action.

Ligustilide, a novel SIRT1 agonist, alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury through deacetylation of NICD

Development and progression of sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) involve apoptosis and oxidative stress in lung epithelial cells. Ligustilide (LIG) is one of the main bioactive constituents derived from the Angelica sinensis. As a novel SIRT1 agonist, LIG owns powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, exerting remarkable therapeutic effects on cancers, neurological disorders, and diabetes mellitus. However, whether LIG could protect against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI by activating SIRT1 remains unclear. Mice underwent intratracheal LPS injection to mimic sepsis-induced ALI while MLE-12 cells were treated with LPS for 6 h to establish an in vitro ALI model. At the same time, mice or MLE-12 cells were treated with different doses of LIG to access its pharmacological effect. The results demonstrated that LIG pretreatment could improve LPS-induced pulmonary dysfunction and pathological injury, apart from increasing 7-day survival rate. In addition, LIG pretreatment also decreased inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis during LPS-induced ALI. Mechanically, LPS stimulation decreased the expression and activity of SIRT1 but increased the expression of Notch1 and NICD. And LIG could also enhance the interaction between SIRT1 and NICD, thus deacetylating NICD. In vitro experiments also unveiled that EX-527, a selective SIRT1 inhibitor, could abolish LIG-elicited protection in LPS-treated MLE-12 cells. And in SIRT1 knockout mice with ALI, LIG pretreatment also lost its effects on inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress during ALI.

Ligustilide induces apoptosis and reduces proliferation in human bladder cancer cells by NFκB1 and mitochondria pathway

Ligustilide (LIG), the bioactive constituent of Angelica sinensis, may exert potential benefits in cancer treatment. However, the potential mechanism of LIG in the suppression of bladder cancer (BC) has not been reported yet. This study uncovered the inhibitory effect of LIG on the proliferation and cell cycle arrest of BC cells (T24 and EJ-1) along with unveiling the underlying molecular mechanism. The IC₅₀ values of LIG-treated T24 for 24 and 48 h are 39.91 μg/mL (209.8 μM) and 40.94 μg/mL (215.2 μM) separately. The same conditions, the IC₅₀ values of EJ-1 are 45.73 μg/mL (240.4 μM) and 43.81 μg/mL (230.3 μM), separately. Additionally, LIG induced apoptosis and cycle arrest of T24 and EJ-1 cells in sub-G1 phase. Further studies showed that LIG induced apoptosis of BC cells by upregulating Caspase-8, truncated BID (tBID) and BAX proteins, and downregulating NFκB1 (p50) protein. In conclusion, LIG significantly inhibits the growth of BC cells in vitro and in vivo by inducing apoptosis and is inexpensive, making it a promising candidate for novel anti-BC drugs.

Ligustilide Inhibits Tumor Angiogenesis by Downregulating VEGFA Secretion from Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Prostate Cancer via TLR4

CAFs secrete VEGFA in the tumor microenvironment to induce angiogenesis and promote tumor growth. The downregulation of VEGFA secretion from CAFs helps block angiogenesis and exerts an anti-tumor effect. In vivo experiments showed that the angiogenesis of the tumor-bearing mice in the ligustilide group was significantly reduced. The results of MTT, tube formation, Transwell and scratch experiments showed that ligustilide did not affect the proliferation of HUVECs in a certain concentration range (<60 μM), but it inhibited the proliferation, tube formation and migration of HUVECs induced by CAFs. At this concentration, ligustilide did not inhibit CAF proliferation. The qPCR and WB results revealed that ligustilide downregulated the level of VEGFA in CAFs via the TLR4-ERK/JNK/p38 signaling pathway, and the effect was attenuated by blockers of the above molecules. Ligustilide also downregulated the autocrine VEGFA of HUVECs induced by CAFs, which inhibited angiogenesis more effectively. In addition, ligustilide inhibited glycolysis and HIF-1 expression in CAFs. Overall, ligustilide downregulated the VEGFA level in CAFs via the TLR4-ERK/JNK/p38 signaling pathway and inhibited the promotion of angiogenesis. This study provides a new strategy for the anti-tumor effect of natural active molecules, namely, blockade of angiogenesis, and provides a new candidate molecule for blocking angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment.

Z-Ligustilide Induces c-Myc-Dependent Apoptosis via Activation of ER-Stress Signaling in Hypoxic Oral Cancer Cells

Z-ligustilide (or ligustilide) is found in Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels and may exert potential benefits in cancer treatment. Previous research has reported that ligustilide has anti-cancer effects on several types of cancer cells. However, studies of ligustilide on oral cancer cells have not been reported, especially under hypoxic conditions. This study focuses on the molecular mechanism of ligustilide-induced apoptosis in hypoxic oral cancer cells. We found that in hypoxic TW2.6 cells, ligustilide inhibited cell migration and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis. Accumulation of c-Myc accompanied by BH3-only members suggests that ligustilide may induce c-Myc-dependent apoptosis. In addition, we reported that ligustilide has an effect on ER-stress signaling. By using inhibitors of c-Myc, IRE1α, and ER-stress inhibitors, we found that cell morphologies or cell viability were rescued to some degree. Moreover, ligustilide is able to increase the expression of γ-H2AX and enhance the occurrence of DNA damage in oral cancer cells after radiation treatment. This result suggests that ligustilide has potential as a radiation sensitizer. Altogether, we propose that ligustilide may induce c-Myc-dependent apoptosis via ER-stress signaling in hypoxic oral cancer cells.

Alleviation of glucolipotoxicity-incurred cardiomyocyte dysfunction by Z-ligustilide involves in the suppression of oxidative insult, inflammation and fibrosis

Diabetes mellitus ranks as a major risk cause for disability and death around the world due to its complications, especially diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Glucolipotoxicity is one of the critical causal factors of DCM. Recent finding confirms the beneficial roles of Z-ligustilide in diabetes mellitus. Nevertheless, its efficacy in DCM remains elusive. Here, Z-ligustilide elevated high glucose/high palmitic acid (HG/P)-inhibited cell viability and attenuated HG/P-induced cell apoptosis, caspase-3 activity, pro-apoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein expression. Furthermore, Z-ligustilide alleviated HG/P-evoked oxidative damage by decreasing HG/P-induced elevation in ROS, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) leakage, but increasing antioxidant enzyme-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) levels suppressed by HG/P. Concomitantly, Z-ligustilide attenuated HG/P-induced cardiomyocyte fibrosis by increasing MMP-14 expression and diminishing HG/P-enhanced fibrotic protein expression, including collagen I, collagen II and TGF-β. Mechanistically, Z-ligustilide offset the adverse effects of HG/P on the activation of the AMPK/GSK-3β/Nrf2 pathway. Importantly, blocking the AMPK signaling overturned the protective efficacy of Z-ligustilide against HG/P-induced cardiomyocyte oxidative damage, inflammation and fibrosis. Together, these findings highlight that Z-ligustilide may alleviate glucolipotoxicity-induced cardiomyocyte dysfunction by regulating cell oxidative injury, inflammation and fibrosis via the AMPK/GSK-3β/Nrf2 pathway. Consequently, Z-ligustilide may represent a promising therapeutic agent against DCM by restoring cardiomyocyte dysfunction.

Ligustilide counteracts carcinogenesis and hepatocellular carcinoma cell-evoked macrophage M2 polarization by regulating yes-associated protein-mediated interleukin-6 secretion

Cross-communication between cancer cells and macrophages within the tumor microenvironment fulfills the critical roles in the progression of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Ligustilide exerts anti-inflammation, anti-injury, and anti-tumor pleiotropic pharmacological functions. Nevertheless, its roles in HCC cells and tumor microenvironment remain elusive. In the current study, ligustilide dramatically restrained HCC cell viability and migration but had little cytotoxicity to normal hepatocytes. Importantly, ligustilide antagonized HCC cell co-culture-induced macrophage recruitment and M2 polarization by enhancing the percentage of CD14+CD206+ cells and macrophage M2 markers (CD163, Arg1, CD206, CCL22, IL-10, and TGF-β). Mechanistically, ligustilide repressed yes-associated protein (YAP) activation by reducing nuclear translocation, protein expression, transcriptional regulatory activity of YAP, and increasing p-YAP levels. Noticeably, blocking the YAP offset the suppressive effects of ligustilide on macrophage recruitment and M2 polarization evoked by HCC cells. Moreover, the release of interleukin-6 (IL-6) was mitigated by ligustilide in a YAP-dependent manner in HCC cells, concomitant with inhibition of IL-6R/STAT3 signaling activation. Of interest, interdicting the IL-6 aggravated ligustilide-mediated suppression in HCC-induced macrophage recruitment and M2 polarization; whereas exogenous IL-6 treatment reversed the above effects. Additionally, blockage of IL-6R signaling also overturned IL-6-induced macrophage recruitment and M2 phenotype. Consequently, these findings support a notion that ligustilide not only restrains HCC cell malignancy but also antagonizes HCC cell-evoked macrophage recruitment and M2 polarization by inhibiting YAP/IL-6 release-induced activation of the IL-6 receptor/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (IL-6R/STAT3) signaling. Thus, ligustilide may be a promising therapeutic agent to fight HCC by regulating cancer cells and cross-talk between tumor cells and macrophages in tumor microenvironment.

Ligustilide inhibits the proliferation of human osteoblastoma MG63 cells through the TLR4-ERK pathway

OBJECTIVE

To study the proapoptotic effect of ligustilide on osteoblastoma (OS) and the relative related molecular mechanism.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

An MTT was used to examine the proliferation of OS cells, and Flow cytometry was used to analyze apoptosis and the cell cycle. Western blotting was used to detect the signaling pathway of apoptosis, and immunohistochemical (IH) staining was used to detect the apoptosis status of OS cells. A TLR4 inhibitor was used to study the effect of ligustilide on OS.

RESULTS

Ligustilide inhibited OS cell proliferation but had no inhibitory effect on normal bone marrow cells. Flow cytometry results showed that ligustilide induced apoptosis in OS cells, and the cell cycle was arrested at the M/G2 phase. Western blot results showed that ERK, P53, P21, Caspase 9, Caspase 8 and Caspase 3 were all activated; cytochrome C and Bax increased; and Bcl-2 decreased when OS was treated with ligustilide. When an ERK or Caspase inhibitor was added to the culture medium, the apoptosis of OS cells decreased to some degree. When OS cells were pretreated with CLI-095, which is a TLR4 inhibitor, the percentage of apoptotic cells and cell cycle arrest were both reversed. IH results also showed that ligustilide induced apoptosis in OS cells, and the effect was blocked by the TLR4 inhibitor.

CONCLUSION

Ligustilide selectively inhibited the proliferation of OS cells by inducing apoptosis, which possibly included endogenous and exogenous apoptosis through TLR4.

Ligustilide inhibits the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer via glycolytic metabolism

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. The abnormal activation of glycolytic metabolism and PTEN/AKT signaling in NSCLC cells are highly correlated with their proliferation abilities and viability. Ligustilide is one of the major bioactive components of multiple Chinese traditional medicine including Angelica sinensis and Ligusticum. Ligustilide exposure inhibits the proliferation and viability of multiple cancer cell lines in vitro. However, the impact of ligustilide to the progression of NSCLC and its detailed pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear. In this research, CCK-8 and colony formation assay were performed to demonstrate ligustilide treatment inhibited the viability and proliferation ability of NSCLC cells in vitro. Caspase-3/-7 activity assay and nucleosome ELISA assay were utilized to show ligustilide promoted the apoptosis of NSCLC cells. Metabolic analysis and qRT-PCR assay were used to demonstrated that ligustilide dampened aerobic glycolysis of NSCLC cells. Nude mice were exposed to 5 mg/kg ligustilide and ligustilide inhibited orthotopic NSCLC growth in vivo. qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis were performed to substantiate the regulatory function of ligustilide to PTEN/AKT signaling in NSCLC cells. Overall, this study revealed that ligustilide regulated the proliferation, apoptosis and aerobic glycolysis of NSCLC cells through PTEN/AKT signaling pathway.

Ligustilide modulates oxidative stress, apoptosis, and immunity to avoid pathological damages in bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis rats via inactivating TLR4/MyD88/NF-KB P65

Background

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a fatal disease with increasing incidence. Ligustilide (LIG) has been shown to inhibit oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation. Here we investigated the possible effect of LIG on bleomycin-induced PF in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Methods

PF rats were set up through a single endotracheal injection of bleomycin (5 mg/kg). Then rats were treated with 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg LIG for four weeks, and the effects were estimated.

Results

Overall, LIG significantly improved ventilation and reduced hyperplasia, and treatment of LIG reduced fibrosis as indicated by Masson staining and reduced expression of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), Fibronectin, and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Oxidative stress was induced with bleomycin while inhibited with LIG, as showed with rebalanced serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and tissue superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Apoptosis was further inhibited with LIG, as shown with Terminal dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining and expression of Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Bax, and Bcl-2. Th1/Th2 balance was also rebuilt as evaluated with CD4 and IFNγ/IL-4 labeled flow cytometry of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and IL-10 in the serum and lung. Protein expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), HSP60-TLR4-myeloid differentiation factor 88 (Myd88) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p-P65/P65 was significantly reduced with LIG treatment. All the effects of LIG exhibited in a dose-dependent way.

Conclusions

LIG improved bleomycin-induced PF with improved ventilation, reduced fibroblast, reduced oxidative stress and apoptosis, and rebalanced Th1/Th2 immunity, through TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB P65 signaling.

UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS Analysis for Identification of Lipophilic Components in Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus from Different Origins in China Using Supercritical CO2 Fluid Extraction Method

To thoroughly evaluate the quality of Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus (CSF) and acquire knowledge of the lipophilic components of CSF from different origins, a simple and efficient approach based on supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) combined with ultraperformance liquid chromatography plus Q-Exactive Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS) detection for the discrimination of components from CSF was set up for the first time in this work. Eight batches of CSF samples from five main producing areas were extracted by SFE under optimized conditions, and then SFE extracts were dissected via UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS. The results indicated that 39 lipophilic compounds were successfully separated and unambiguously or tentatively identified, where 4 coumarins, 6 polymethoxyflavones, 3 phthalides, 6 terpenes, and 4 phenolics were not reported formerly. It was illustrated that CSF may be abundant in polymethoxyflavones, as in coumarins. Moreover, there were significant differences in the components of CSF from different origins. Especially, coumarin, dehydrocostus lactone, atractylenolide II, and atractylenolide I were exclusively found in CSF from the Guangdong province; isopsoralen was almost exclusively found in CSF from the Guangxi province; and ferulic acid was exclusively found in CSF from the Zhejiang province. These observations indicated that SFE joint with UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS owing to the potential of characterizing the lipophilic components could be used to promote quality assessment and chemotaxonomic investigation in phytology sciences of CSF.