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Du X, Tao Q, Du H, Zhao Z, Dong Y, He S, Shao R, Wang Y, Han W, Wang X, Zhu Y. Tengdan Capsule Prevents Hypertensive Kidney Damage in SHR by Inhibiting Periostin-Mediated Renal Fibrosis. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:638298. [PMID: 34084130 PMCID: PMC8167194 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.638298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hypertension-induced renal damage is a serious and complex condition that has not been effectively treated by conventional blood pressure-lowering drugs. Tengdan capsule (TDC) is a China FDA-approved compound herbal medicine for treating hypertension; however, its chemical basis and pharmacological efficacy have not been fully investigated in a preclinical setting. METHODS: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify and quantify the major chemical components of TDC extracted from ultrapure water. Adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and age/sex-matched Wistar Kyoto normotensive rats (WKY) were both treated with TDC, losartan, or saline for one month, and their blood pressure (BP) was monitored at the same time by tail-cuff BP system. Biochemical indexes such as urine creatinine (CRE) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were determined. Kidney tissue sections were examined with (H&E), and Masson staining to evaluate the pathological effect of TDC on SHR’s kidneys. After TDC treatment, the differentially expressed proteins in the kidneys of SHR were identified by the TMT-based quantitative proteomics analysis, which may provide the targets and possible mechanisms of TDC action. In addition, Western blot analysis, RT-qPCR, and ELISA assays were carried out to further verify the proteomics findings. Finally, two different models involving in vitro renal injuries were established using human kidney HEK293 cells; and the molecular mechanism of TDC kidney protection was demonstrated. RESULTS: Seven chemical compounds, namely Notoginsenoside R1, Ginsenoside RG1, Ginsenoside Re, Ginsenoside Rb1, Sodium Danshensu, Protocatechualdehyde, and Salvianolic acid B, were identified and quantified from the water-soluble extracts of TDC by HPLC. In vivo study using rats showed that TDC effectively reduced BP, BUN, and CRE levels and attenuated renal fibrosis in SHR, and ameliorated damage to the kidneys. Proteomics and subsequent bioinformatics analyses indicated that periostin-mediated inflammatory response and TGFβ/Smad signaling pathway proteins were closely related to the therapeutic effect of TDC in rat kidneys. Western blot analysis and RT-qPCR showed that TDC markedly downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of periostin in renal tissues compared to the untreated SHR. In addition, TGF-β and COL1A1 mRNA levels also decreased in SHR renal tissues following TDC treatment. In vitro studies showed that low to medium doses of TDC down-regulated the expression of periostin in the injury model of HEK293 cell. In addition, medium to high doses of TDC significantly inhibited collagen deposition in TGFβ1-induced HEK293 cell fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Major components from the compound herbal medicine Tengdan Capsule are identified and quantified. TDC effectively lowers blood pressure and protects against renal damage caused by hypertension in SHR. Mechanistically, TDC blocks periostin by regulating the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in the kidney, both in vivo and in vitro. Preventing periostin-mediated renal fibrosis and inflammation might be a promising strategy for treating a hypertensive renal injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Du
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Department of pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical College, Hohhot, China.,Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Qianqian Tao
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongxia Du
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhenbang Zhao
- Department of pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical College, Hohhot, China
| | - Yu Dong
- Department of pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical College, Hohhot, China.,Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuang He
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Rui Shao
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yule Wang
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenrun Han
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xintong Wang
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
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Du QH, Zhang CJ, Li WH, Mu Y, Xu Y, Lowe S, Han L, Yu X, Wang SY, Li Y, Li J. Gan Shen Fu Fang ameliorates liver fibrosis in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting the inflammatory response and extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation. World J Gastroenterol 2020; 26:2810-2820. [PMID: 32550756 PMCID: PMC7284177 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i21.2810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver fibrosis is a common health problem worldwide and there is still a lack of effective medicines. The Chinese herbal medicine, Gan Shen Fu Fang (GSFF) is composed of salvianolic acid B and diammonium glycyrrhizinate. In this study, we observed the effects of GSFF on liver fibrosis in vivo and in vitro in an attempt to provide some hope for the treatment.
AIM To observe the effects of GSFF on liver fibrosis in vivo and in vitro and investigate the mechanism from the perspective of the inflammatory response and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation.
METHODS Common bile duct-ligated rats were used for in vivo experiments. Hepatic stellate cells-T6 (HSC-T6) cells were used for in vitro experiments. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Masson staining, biochemical assays, hydroxyproline (Hyp) assays, enzyme-linked immunoasorbent assay and western blotting were performed to evaluate the degree of liver fibrosis, liver function, the inflammatory response and ERK phosphorylation. The CCK8 assay, immunofluorescence and western blotting were applied to test the effect of GSFF on HSC-T6 cell activation and determine whether GSFF had an effect on ERK phosphorylation in HSC-T6 cells.
RESULTS GSFF improved liver function and inhibited liver fibrosis in common bile duct-ligated rats after 3 wk of treatment, as demonstrated by histological changes, hydroxyproline assays and collagen I concentrations. GSFF alleviated inflammatory cell infiltration and reduced the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interlukin-1β] and NF-κB. In addition, GSFF decreased ERK phosphorylation. In vitro, GSFF inhibited the viability of HSC-T6 cells with and without transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) stimulation and decreased the synthesis of collagen I. GSFF had the greatest effect at a concentration of 0.5 μmol/L. GSFF inhibited the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), a marker of HSC activation, in HSC-T6 cells. Consistent with the in vivo results, GSFF also inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK and downregulated the expression of NF-κB.
CONCLUSION GSFF inhibited liver fibrosis progression in vivo and HSC-T6 cell activation in vitro. These effects may be related to an alleviated inflammatory response and downregulated ERK phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Hong Du
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
- Institute of Tibetan Medicine, University of Tibetan Medicine, Lhasa 850000, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
| | - Chu-Jun Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Wei-Hong Li
- School of Nursing, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Yan Mu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Ya Xu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Scott Lowe
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61820, United States
| | - Lin Han
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Xue Yu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Shu-Yan Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Yu Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
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