Asperosaponin VI protects alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis and injury via regulating lipid metabolism and ER stress

Elucidating hydroxysafflor yellow A's multi-target mechanisms against alcoholic liver disease through integrative pharmacology

BACKGROUND

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) significantly contributes to global liver-related morbidity and mortality. Natural products play a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of ALD. Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), a unique and primary component of Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius l.), exhibits diverse pharmacological activities. However, the impact and mechanism of HSYA on ALD have not been fully elucidated.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to employ an integrative pharmacology approach to assess the multi-targeted mechanism of HSYA against ALD.

METHODS

Network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques were used to analyze the potential therapeutic signaling pathways and targets of HSYA against ALD. An ALD model in zebrafish larvae was established. Larvae were pretreated with HSYA and then exposed to ethanol. Liver injury was measured by fluorescence expression analysis in the liver-specific transgenic zebrafish line Tg (fabp10a:DsRed) and liver tissue H&E staining. Liver steatosis was determined by whole-mount oil red O staining and TG level. Additionally, an ethanol-induced hepatocyte injury model was established in vitro to observe hepatocyte damage (cell viability, ALT level), lipid accumulation (oil red O staining, TC and TG), and oxidative stress (ROS, MDA, GPx and SOD) in HepG2 cells treated with or without HSYA. Finally, qRT-PCR combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking was employed to validate the effects of HSYA on targets.

RESULTS

HSYA exhibited a significant, dose-dependent improvement in ethanol-induced liver injury in zebrafish larvae and HepG2 cells. Network pharmacology analysis revealed that HSYA may exert pharmacological effects against ALD through 341 potential targets. These targets are involved in various signaling pathways, including lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and ALD itself. Molecular docking studies displayed that HSYA had a strong binding affinity toward the domains of IL1B, IL6, TNF, PPARA, PPARG, HMGCR and ADH5. qRT-PCR assays demonstrated that HSYA effectively reversed the ethanol-induced aberrant gene expression of SREBF1, FASN, ACACA, CPT1A, PPARA, IL1B, IL6, TNFα, ADH5, and ALDH2 in vivo and in vitro.

CONCLUSION

This study offers a comprehensive investigation into the anti-ALD mechanisms of HSYA using an integrative pharmacology approach. The potential targets of HSYA may be implicated in enhancing ethanol catabolism, reducing lipid accumulation, mitigating oxidative stress, and inhibiting inflammatory response.

An integrated network pharmacology approach reveals that Ampelopsis grossedentata improves alcoholic liver disease via TLR4/NF-κB/MLKL pathway

BACKGROUND

Alcohol-related liver damage is the most prevalent chronic liver disease, which creates a heavy public health burden worldwide. The leaves of Ampelopsis grossedentata have been considered a popular tea and traditional herbal medicine in China for more than one thousand years, and possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, hepatoprotective, and antiviral activities.

PURPOSE

We explored the protective effects of Ampelopsis grossedentata extract (AGE) against chronic alcohol-induced hepatic injury (alcoholic liver disease, ALD), aiming to elucidate its underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Firstly, UPLC-Q/TOF-MS analysis and network pharmacology were used to identify the constituents and elucidate the potential mechanisms of AGE against ALD. Secondly, C57BL/6 mice were pair-fed the Lieber-DeCarli diet containing either isocaloric maltodextrin or ethanol, AGE (150 and 300 mg/kg/d) and silymarin (200 mg/kg) were administered to chronic ethanol-fed mice for 7 weeks to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects. Serum biochemical parameters were determined, hepatic and ileum sections were used for histologic examination, and levels of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress in the liver were examined. The potential molecular mechanisms of AGE in improving ALD were demonstrated by RNA-seq, Western blotting analysis, and immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTS

Ten main constituents of AGE were identified using UPLC-Q/TOF-MS and 274 potential ALD-related targets were identified. The enriched KEGG pathways included Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, and necroptosis. Moreover, in vivo experimental studies demonstrated that AGE significantly reduced serum aminotransferase levels and improved pathological abnormalities after chronic ethanol intake. Meanwhile, AGE improved ALD in mice by down-regulating oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, AGE notably repaired damaged intestinal epithelial barrier and suppressed the production of gut-derived lipopolysaccharide by elevating intestinal tight junction protein expression. Subsequent RNA-seq and experimental validation indicated that AGE inhibited NF-κB nuclear translocation, suppressed IκB-α, RIPK3 and MLKL phosphorylation and alleviated hepatic necroptosis in mice.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we have demonstrated for the first time that AGE protects against alcoholic liver disease by regulating the gut-liver axis and inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB/MLKL-mediated necroptosis pathway. Therefore, our present work provides important experimental evidence for AGE as a promising candidate for protection against ALD.

Asperosaponin VI facilitates the regeneration of skeletal muscle injury by suppressing GSK-3β-mediated cell apoptosis

Asperosaponin VI (ASA VI) is a bioactive triterpenoid saponin extracted from Diptychus roots, of Diptyl, and has previously shown protective functions in rheumatoid arthritis and sepsis. This study investigates the effects and molecular mechanisms of ASA VI on skeletal muscle regeneration in a cardiotoxin (CTX)-induced skeletal muscle injury mouse model. Mice were subjected to CTX-induced injury in the tibialis anterior and C2C12 myotubes were treated with CTX. Muscle fiber histology was analyzed at 7 and 14 days postinjury. Apoptosis and autophagy-related protein expression were evaluated t s by Western blot, and muscle regeneration markers were quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Docking studies, cell viability assessments, and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) activation analyses were performed to elucidate the mechanism. ASA VI was observed to improve muscle interstitial fibrosis, remodeling, and performance in CTX-treated mice, thereby increased skeletal muscle size, weight, and locomotion. Furthermore, ASA VI modulated the expression of apoptosis and autophagy-related proteins through GSK-3β inhibition and activated the transcription of regeneration genes. Our results suggest that ASA VI mitigates skeletal muscle injury by modulating apoptosis and autophagy via GSK-3β signaling and promotes regeneration, thus presenting a probable therapeutic agent for skeletal muscle injury.