Ninjinyoeito ameliorated cigarette smoke extract-induced apoptosis and inflammation through JNK signaling inhibition in human lung fibroblasts

Effects of Tibetan medicine Longdan zhike tablet on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through MAPK pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Longdan zhike tablet (LDZK) is a Tibetan medicine formula commonly used in the highland region of Tibet, China, to ameliorate respiratory diseases, such as acute bronchitis and asthma. In Chinese traditional medicine, some herbal formulas with anti-inflammatory properties targeting the respiratory system are clinically adopted as supplementary therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the specific anti-COPD effects of LDZK remain to be evaluated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to identify the principal bioactive compounds in LDZK, and elucidate the effects and mechanisms of the LDZK on COPD.

METHODS

High-resolution mass spectrometry was utilized for a comprehensive characterization of the chemical composition of LDZK. The therapeutic effects of LDZK were assessed on the LPS-papain-induced COPD mouse model, and LPS-induced activation model of A549 cells. The safety of LDZK was evaluated by orally administering a single dose of 30 g/kg to rats and monitoring physiological and biochemical indicators after a 14-day period. Network pharmacology and Western blot analysis were employed for mechanism prediction of LDZK.

RESULTS

A comprehensive analysis identified a total of 45 compounds as the major constituents of LDZK. Oral administration of LDZK resulted in notable ameliorative effects in respiratory function, accompanied by reduced inflammatory cell counts and cytokine levels in the lungs of COPD mice. Acute toxicity tests demonstrated a favorable safety profile at a dose equivalent to 292 times the clinically prescribed dose. In vitro studies revealed that LDZK exhibited protective effects on A549 cells by mitigating LPS-induced cellular damage, reducing the release of NO, and downregulating the expression of iNOS, COX2, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Network pharmacology and Western blot analysis indicated that LDZK primarily modulated the MAPK signaling pathway and inhibited the phosphorylation of p38/ERK/JNK.

CONCLUSIONS

LDZK exerts significant therapeutic effects on COPD through the regulation of the MAPK pathway, suggesting its potential as a promising adjunctive therapy for the treatment of chronic inflammation in COPD.

Lung Fibroblasts from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Subjects Have a Deficient Gene Expression Response to Cigarette Smoke Extract Compared to Healthy

Background and aim

Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but more mechanistic studies are needed. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) can elicit a strong response in many COPD-related cell types, but no studies have been performed in lung fibroblasts. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of CSE on gene expression in lung fibroblasts from healthy and COPD subjects.

Patients and methods

Primary lung fibroblasts, derived from six healthy and six COPD subjects (all current or ex-smokers), were either unstimulated (baseline) or stimulated with 30% CSE for 4 h prior to RNA isolation. The mRNA expression levels were measured using the NanoString nCounter Human Fibrosis V2 panel (760 genes). Pathway enrichment was assessed for unique gene ontology terms of healthy and COPD.

Results

At baseline, a difference in the expression of 17 genes was found in healthy and COPD subjects. Differential expression of genes after CSE stimulation resulted in significantly less changes in COPD lung fibroblasts (70 genes) than in healthy (207 genes), with 51 genes changed in both. COPD maintained low NOTCH signaling throughout and upregulated JUN >80%, indicating an increase in apoptosis. Healthy downregulated the Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade, including a ≥50% reduction in FGF2, CRK, TGFBR1 and MEF2A. Healthy also downregulated KAT6A and genes related to cell proliferation, all together indicating possible cell senescence signaling.

Conclusion

Overall, COPD lung fibroblasts responded to CSE stimulation with a very different and deficient expression profile compared to healthy. Highlighting that stimulated healthy cells are not an appropriate substitute for COPD cells which is important when investigating the mechanisms of COPD.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Mechanisms and Future Perspectives

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an integral organelle for maintaining protein homeostasis. Multiple factors can disrupt protein folding in the lumen of the ER, triggering ER stress and activating the unfolded protein response (UPR), which interrelates with various damage mechanisms, such as inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy. Numerous studies have linked ER stress and UPR to the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This review focuses on the mechanisms of other cellular processes triggered by UPR and summarizes drug intervention strategies targeting the UPR pathway in COPD to explore new therapeutic approaches and preventive measures for COPD.

Ninjin’yoeito ameliorated PPE-induced pulmonary emphysema and anxiety/depressive-like behavior in aged C57BL/6J mice

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing in the elderly. COPD is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by airway remodeling and alveolar emphysema. COPD patients are also at high risk for mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Ninjin’yoeito (NYT) is prescribed to patients with conditions such as post-illness and postoperative weakness, fatigue, poor appetite, skin rash, cold hands and feet, and anemia. In addition to traditional uses, NYT is also prescribed as a therapeutic drug for poor functioning of the digestive organs, respiratory organs, and urinary organs. NYT is also known to have an antioxidant effect. The objective of this study was to investigate whether NYT could ameliorate COPD-induced lung injury and anxiety/depression in aged C57BL/6J mice exposed to porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE). While intratracheal administration of PPE induced emphysema in elderly mice, long-term administration of NYT suppressed the pathology. NYT was also found to suppress the apoptosis and oxidative stress caused by PPE. In addition, long-term administration of NYT was found to ameliorate PPE-induced depressive-like behavior in three different behavioral studies. These results suggest that NYT has a therapeutic effect on emphysema and the behavioral abnormalities caused by PPE.