Renoprotective effects of ferulic acid mediated by AMPKα1 against lipopolysaccharide-induced damage

Ferulic acid from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels ameliorates lipid metabolism in alcoholic liver disease via AMPK/ACC and PI3K/AKT pathways

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels is a well-known traditional medicinal plant. In China, it is a common blood tonic drug that has been inherited for thousands of years. There is a consensus that Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels has a protective effect against various liver diseases. However, the effects and mechanisms of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels and its active components on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) have not been clearly defined yet.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect and explore the mechanism of ferulic acid (FA) from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels ameliorates lipid metabolism in ALD.

METHODS

C57BL/6 mice were fed ethanol-containing liquid feeds to establish ALD model in vivo. The lipid metabolism-related indexes were detected by kits, H&E staining and oil red O staining were used to analyze liver histopathological changes and fat deposition, to evaluate the protective effect of water extraction and ethanol precipitation of Angelica sinensis radix (WEEPAS) on ethanol-induced liver injury. The active components and potential targets of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels for ALD were screened by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Ethanol was co-incubated with HepG2 cells to construct the ALD model in vitro, then the same approaches were used to explore the effect of FA for ALD in vivo and in vitro. The levels of proteins and mRNA related to AMPK/ACC and PI3K/AKT pathways were detected by Western Blotting and RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

WEEPAS could protect mice from ethanol-induced liver tissues injury by ameliorating fat deposition and inhibiting oxidative stress response. Network pharmacology and molecular docking results suggested that FA might be the main bioactive component in Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels for ALD, and its mechanism might be related to the regulation of AMPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. In vitro and in vivo experiments further demonstrated that FA regulated lipid metabolism via AMPK/ACC and PI3K/AKT pathways, thereby ameliorating ethanol-induced liver tissues injury and lipid metabolism disorders in HepG2 cells and mice, which were consistent with the network pharmacology results.

CONCLUSION

In summary, the results indicated that FA from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels was able to ameliorate ethanol-induced ALD. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of lipid metabolism via AMPK/ACC and PI3K/AKT pathways.

Ferulic acid attenuates difenoconazole exposure induced liver injury in carp by modulating oxidative damage, inflammation and apoptosis

Difenoconazole (DFZ) is a widely used triazole fungicide in agricultural production. However, the presence of DFZ residue in the environment poses a significant risk to non-target organisms. Ferulic acid (FA) is a phenolic compound known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aims to investigate the hepatic damage caused by DFZ in carp and explore the mechanism through which FA alleviates this damage. The findings revealed that FA enhanced the antioxidant capability of the carp's liver and reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the liver tissue. Moreover, FA regulated the transcriptional levels of inflammation-related factors, effectively preventing the inflammatory response triggered by the NF-κB signaling pathway. Additionally, TUNEL results demonstrated that DFZ initiated apoptosis, while dietary supplementation with FA decreased the protein expression levels of Bax and Cytochrome C (Cyt c) and the transcriptional levels of bax, caspase3, caspase9, p53 genes. Furthermore, FA increased the protein expression and transcriptional levels of Bcl-2. In conclusion, FA protects against liver injury induced by DFZ exposure in carp by modulating oxidative damage, inflammation, and apoptosis.