Ferulic acid prevents liver injury induced by Diosbulbin B and its mechanism

Molecular mechanism and research progress on pharmacology of ferulic acid in liver diseases

Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural polyphenol, a derivative of cinnamic acid, widely found in Angelica, Chuanxiong and other fruits, vegetables and traditional Chinese medicine. FA contains methoxy, 4-hydroxy and carboxylic acid functional groups that bind covalently to neighbouring adjacent unsaturated Cationic C and play a key role in many diseases related to oxidative stress. Numerous studies have shown that ferulic acid protects liver cells and inhibits liver injury, liver fibrosis, hepatotoxicity and hepatocyte apoptosis caused by various factors. FA has protective effects on liver injury induced by acetaminophen, methotrexate, antituberculosis drugs, diosbulbin B and tripterygium wilfordii, mainly through the signal pathways related to TLR4/NF-κB and Keap1/Nrf2. FA also has protective effects on carbon tetrachloride, concanavalin A and septic liver injury. FA pretreatment can protect hepatocytes from radiation damage, protects the liver from damage caused by fluoride, cadmium and aflatoxin b1. At the same time, FA can inhibit liver fibrosis, inhibit liver steatosis and reduce lipid toxicity, improve insulin resistance in the liver and exert the effect of anti-liver cancer. In addition, signalling pathways such as Akt/FoxO1, AMPK, PPAR γ, Smad2/3 and Caspase-3 have been shown to be vital molecular targets for FA involvement in improving various liver diseases. Recent advances in the pharmacological effects of ferulic acid and its derivatives on liver diseases were reviewed. The results will provide guidance for the clinical application of ferulic acid and its derivatives in the treatment of liver diseases.

Ferulic acid prevents Diosbulbin B-induced liver injury by inhibiting covalent modifications on proteins

Diosbulbin B (DIOB) has been reported to cause serious liver injury. However, in traditional medicine, DIOB-containing herbs are highly safe in combination with ferulic acid (FA)-containing herbs, suggesting potential neutralizing effect of FA on the toxicity of DIOB. DIOB can be metabolized to generate reactive metabolites (RMs), which can covalently bind to proteins and lead to hepatoxicity. In the present study, the quantitative method was firstly established for investigating the correlation between DIOB RM-protein adducts (DRPAs) and hepatotoxicity. Then, we estimated the detoxication effect of FA in combination with DIOB and revealed the underlying mechanism. Our data indicated that the content of DRPAs positively correlate with the severity of hepatotoxicity. Meanwhile, FA is able to reduce the metabolic rate of DIOB in vitro. Moreover, FA suppressed the production of DRPAs and decreased the serum alanine/aspartate aminotransferase (ALT/AST) levels elevated by DIOB in vivo. Thus, FA can ameliorate DIOB-induced liver injury through reducing the production of DRPAs.

Ferulic acid attenuates pancreaticobiliary duct occlusion-induced inflammation in both pancreas and liver

INTRODUCTION

Acute pancreatitis is a systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by the hyperactivation of digestion enzymes and the release of proinflammatory cytokines. Ferulic acid (FA) is a hydroxycinnamic acid derivative that has recently been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

AIM

The anti-inflammatory effects of FA were investigated in the pancreaticobiliary duct ligation (PBDL)-induced pancreatitis model.

METHODS

Wistar albino rats (250-300 g; female = male) were divided into sham operation and PBDL groups. Some PBDL-performed animals were given intragastric saline or 250 mg/kg FA or 500 mg/kg FA 30 min before the PBDL and for 3 consecutive days. Moreover, the control group received saline. Blood samples are collected at the 24th, 48th, and 72nd hours to measure serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, liver, and pancreatic enzymes. At the 72nd hour, rats were euthanized; pancreas, lung, and liver samples were collected, scored microscopically, and analyzed for myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde, and glutathione levels. One-way ANOVA with Tukey-Kramer tests were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

FA treatment reduced myeloperoxidase activity and prevented the depletion of glutathione in all three tissues. With FA treatments, high malondialdehyde levels in the pancreas and liver were reduced, as were serum TNF- α, amylase, lipase, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin levels. Additionally, FA ameliorated microscopic damage in the pancreas and liver significantly.

CONCLUSION

According to the findings, FA protects endogenous antioxidant content, prevents neutrophil infiltration, and decreases lipid peroxidation in PBDL-induced pancreatitis. Furthermore, FA improves tissue damage induced by pancreatitis with its anti-inflammatory effects.

Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) attenuates diosbulbin-B (DB)-induced hepatotoxicity through activating the MEK/ERK pathway

Diosbulbin-B (DB) is a promising therapeutic drug for cancer treatment; however, DB-induced hepatotoxicity seriously limits its clinical utilization. Based on this, the present study investigated whether the Angelica sinensis extract, angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP), was effective to attenuate DB-induced cytotoxicity in hepatocytes. The primary hepatocytes were isolated from rats and cultured in vitro, which were subsequently treated with high-dose DB (100 μM) and ASP (12 μg/ml) to establish the DB-induced hepatotoxicity models. MTT assay and flow cytometry (FCM) were performed to evaluate cell viability, and the results showed that high-dose DB-induced cell apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation were reversed by co-treating cells with ASP, which were supported by our Western Blot assay data that ASP upregulated Cyclin D1 and CDK2 to abrogate high-dose DB-induced cell cycle arrest. In addition, ASP exerted its regulating effects on cell autophagy, and we found that ASP increased LC3B-II/I ratio and Atg5, but decreased p62 to activate the autophagy flux. Of note, the MEK/ERK pathway could be activated by ASP in the DB-treated hepatocytes, and the protective effects of ASP on high-dose DB-induced hepatocyte death were abolished by co-treating cells with the autophagy inhibitor (3-methyladenine, 3-MA) and MEK/ERK selective inhibitor (SCH772984). Moreover, blockage of the MEK/ERK pathway suppressed cell autophagy in the hepatocytes co-treated with ASP and high-dose DB. Taken together, this in vitro study illustrated that ASP activated the MEK/ERK pathway mediated autophagy to suppress high-dose DB-induced hepatotoxicity.

Ferulic acid alleviates lipotoxicity-induced hepatocellular death through the SIRT1-regulated autophagy pathway and independently of AMPK and Akt in AML-12 hepatocytes

Background

Lipotoxicity-induced cell death plays a detrimental role in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases. Ferulic acid, widespread in plant-based food, is a radical scavenger with multiple bioactivities. However, the benefits of ferulic acid against hepatic lipotoxicity are largely unclear. Here, we investigated the protective effect of ferulic acid against palmitate-induced lipotoxicity and clarified its potential mechanisms in AML-12 hepatocytes.

Methods

AML-12 mouse hepatocytes were exposed to palmitate to mimic lipotoxicity. Different doses (25, 50, and 100 μM) of ferulic acid were added 2 h before palmitate treatment. Cell viability was detected by measuring lactate dehydrogenase release, nuclear staining, and the expression of cleaved-caspase-3. Intracellular reactive oxygen species content and mitochondrial membrane potential were analysed by fluorescent probes. The potential mechanisms were explored by molecular biological methods, including Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR, and were further verified by siRNA interference.

Results

Our data showed that ferulic acid significantly inhibited palmitate-induced cell death, rescued mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation, and decreased inflammatory factor activation, including IL-6 and IL-1beta. Ferulic acid significantly stimulated autophagy in hepatocytes, whereas autophagy suppression blocked the protective effect of ferulic acid against lipotoxicity. Ferulic acid-activated autophagy, which was triggered by SIRT1 upregulation, was mechanistically involved in its anti-lipotoxicity effects. SIRT1 silencing blocked most beneficial changes induced by ferulic acid.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that the phytochemical ferulic acid, which is found in plant-based food, protected against hepatic lipotoxicity, through the SIRT1/autophagy pathway. Increased intake of ferulic acid-enriched food is a potential strategy to prevent and/or improve metabolic diseases with lipotoxicity as a typical pathological feature.

Dendrobium officinale Flower Extraction Mitigates Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice: Role of Antisteatosis, Antioxidative, and Anti-Inflammatory

The study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of Dendrobium officinale flower extraction (DOFE) on alcohol-induced liver injury and its probable mechanisms in mice. The chemical composition of DOFE was performed via UPLC/MS. Male Kunming mice were used to establish alcohol-induced liver injury models by oral gavage of 56% alcohol. Results showed that DOFE dramatically attenuated the increased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total cholesterol (TC), and triacylglycerol (TG). Meanwhile, hematoxylin and eosin and Oil Red O staining showed that DOFE attenuated degeneration, inflammatory infiltration, and lipid droplet accumulation. DOFE was also found to suppress the activity of malonaldehyde (MDA) and enhanced the level of glutathione (GSH) and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) in the liver. The protection of DOFE against oxidative stress was associated with the downregulation of hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase l (NQO1). Additionally, DOFE suppressed inflammation via downregulating Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and nuclear factor kappa-B P65 (NF-κB P65). Thus, DOFE exhibited a significant protective effect against alcohol-induced liver injury through its antisteatosis, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory effect.

An unbiased lipidomics approach identifies key lipid molecules as potential therapeutic targets of Dohongsamul-tang against non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases in a mouse model of obesity

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Dohongsamul-tang (DST) is a traditional herbal formula used to promote the blood circulation and inhibit inflammation, and also widely has been used in the treatment of patients with chronic liver diseases in Korea and China.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the effect of DST on regulation of lipid metabolism of chronic liver diseases in mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we evaluated the effect of DST on high-fat and high-cholesterol diet (HFHC, 40% fat and 1% cholesterol)-induced NAFLD, and applied unbiased lipidomics using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS) coupled with multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

DST improved hepatic morphology and reduced levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). In addition, DST inhibited hepatic lipid accumulation through the downregulation of C/EBPα, PPARγ, and pAMPK. To further elucidate the effect of DST on hepatic lipid metabolism, we applied UPLC/Q-TOF MS-based lipidomics. The score plots of partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed that DST changed the lipid metabolic pattern of high-fat and high-cholesterol diet (HFHC) mice. Twenty-two lipid metabolites were selected as biomarkers regulated by DST and pathway analysis revealed that sphingolipid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism were associated with the effect of DST on NAFLD. Among the 22 selected biomarkers, 14 were phospholipids, and DST significantly reversed the increased expression of lysophospholipase 3 (LYPLA3) and neuropathy target esterase (NTE), which are key enzymes in glycerophospholipid metabolism. Given that alterations in sphingolipids and phospholipids can have effects on apoptosis and insulin resistance (IR), we subsequently investigated changes in the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, including Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), and IR-related markers after DST treatment. We accordingly found that the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 expression, a maker of apoptosis, was also elevated in HFHC mice and reduced by DST treatment. In addition, DST enhanced hepatic insulin signaling by upregulating the expression of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and phospho-protein kinase B (pAKT), and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) analysis indicated that this herbal preparation also ameliorated systemic IR.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that DST might have an effect on NAFLD by regulating the metabolism of lipids such as phospholipids and sphingolipids and demonstrated that lipidomic profiling is useful to investigate the therapeutic effects of herbal decoctions from traditional Korean and Chinese medicine.

Ferulic acid prevents oxidative stress, inflammation, and liver injury via upregulation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling in methotrexate-induced rats

Liver injury is one of the adverse effects of methotrexate (MTX). Ferulic acid (FA) is an antioxidant phytochemical that confers hepatoprotective efficacy; however, its effect against MTX hepatotoxicity remains unexplored. This study investigated the role of FA in modulating oxidative stress, inflammation, Nrf2/HO-1 signaling, and PPARγ in MTX-administered rats. Following oral FA supplementation for 15 days, rats received a single dose of MTX at day 16 and samples were collected at day 19. MTX provoked multiple histological manifestations, including degenerative changes, steatosis, inflammatory cells infiltration and hemorrhage, and altered serum transaminases, bilirubin, and albumin. Reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and nitric oxide were increased in the liver of rats that received MTX. FA prevented all histological alterations, ameliorated liver function markers, suppressed oxidative stress, and boosted antioxidants in MTX-induced rats. FA reduced serum TNF-α and IL-1β, and hepatic NF-κB p65, Bax, and caspase-3, whereas increased Bcl-2, Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1, and PPARγ. In conclusion, FA prevented MTX hepatotoxicity by activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling and PPARγ, and attenuating oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death.

Protective effects of a mixed plant extracts derived from Astragalus membranaceus and Laminaria japonica on PTU-induced hypothyroidism and liver damages

Protective effects of a mixed hot water extracts of Astragalus membranaceus (AWE) and Laminaria japonica (LWE), AWE: LWE 85:15 (g/g; AL mix), were investigated against propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced hypothyroidism in rats. Rats were challenged with PTU, resulting in, increased thyroid gland weight, decreased liver weight and antioxidant activities, reduced serum tri-iodothyronine and thyroxine levels with increased thyroid stimulating hormone levels, and elevated serum aspartate aminotransferase level. However, orally administered AL mix with 100, 200, and 400 mg kg-1  day-1 , significantly inhibited such abnormalities, dose-dependently. Moreover, PTU-induced abnormal histological architecture of the rat thyroid gland and liver were also significantly ameliorated by an AL mix. The results suggested that, therapeutic use of AL mix for treating hypothyroidism can be characterized by its diversified active ingredients particularly iodine and ferulic acid as confirmed by phytochemical analyses. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The AL mix has synergistic effects in modulating thyroid hormone synthesis and preventing liver damages in PTU-induced hypothyroid rats. These effects of AL mix are mainly related to its richness specifically in iodine and ferulic acid. The growing interests of iodine and ferulic acid in AL mix are principally due to their beneficial effects in releasing sufficient thyroid hormones in hypothyroid conditions and promoting liver-protective functions through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials, respectively. Moreover, the results of AL mix are well-matched with the effects of standard drug levothyroxine in the present study. Therefore, appropriate dosage of AL mix will be promising as new medicinal food for preventing thyroid dysfunctions and its related liver damages.

Diosbulbin B-Induced Mitochondria-Dependent Apoptosis in L-02 Hepatocytes is Regulated by Reactive Oxygen Species-Mediated Autophagy

Aim: Diosbulbin B (DB) is a major diterpenoid compound found in Dioscorea bulbifera L, a traditional medicinal herb in China. Clinical reports have confirmed that Dioscorea bulbifera L. can induce significant hepatotoxicity. In this study, we showed that DB can induce mitochondria-dependent apoptosis and investigated the role of autophagy in DB-induced hepatotoxicity in L-02 hepatocytes.

Methods: L-02 hepatocytes were treated with different concentrations of DB for 48 h, after which indicators of autophagy and apoptosis were measured. 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) and rapamycin (Rapa) were used as inhibitor and agonist of autophagy, respectively. Furthermore, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) was used in combination with DB to evaluate the relationship between ROS and autophagy.

Results: L-02 cell viability was significantly decreased after treatment with DB for 48 h. Additionally, DB induced concentration-dependent apoptosis and autophagy and increased the activities of caspase-3, caspase-9, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST), and induced excessive leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA increased DB-induced apoptosis, resulting in aggravation of hepatotoxicity. Conversely, treatment with Rapa increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Moreover, we found that DB treatment increased the level of intracellular ROS, decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, and caused abnormal opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), which were finally restored by the ROS scavenger NAC.

Conclusions: Accumulation of ROS can induce mitochondria-dependent apoptosis and likely to play a key role in DB-induced hepatocellular injury. Activation of autophagy may inhibit apoptosis, but also reduces antioxidant capacity.

Ferulic acid attenuates liver fibrosis and hepatic stellate cell activation via inhibition of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway

Purpose

Liver fibrosis is a worldwide health issue. Development of effective new drugs for treatment of this disease is of great importance. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of ferulic acid on liver fibrosis in vitro and in vivo.

Materials and methods

Human hepatic stellate cell line (HSC) LX-2 was used for in vitro assays. Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) was used to induce hepatic fibrosis in LX-2 cells. Western blot was used to detect protein levels of collagen I, fibronectin, α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), p-Smad2, p-Smad3, p-p38, and p-JNK. Gene expression was measured by RT-qPCR. Fluorescence staining was used to determine localization of Smad4. CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in SD rats was used as an in vivo model. Histological features were detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), hexadecenoic acid (HA), and hydroxyproline (Hyp) were measured by ELISA.

Results

TGF-β1 treatment significantly increased levels of collagen I, fibronectin, α-SMA, p-Smad2, p-Smad3, and Smad4 in LX-2 cells. Ferulic acid improved TGF-β1-induced hepatic fibrosis via regulation of the TGF-β1/Smad pathway. Consistent with in vitro data, CCl4 caused severe hepatic fibrosis in SD rats, as determined by ALT, AST, HA, and Hyp upregulation. Protein levels of p-Smad2 and p-Smad3 in liver tissues were significantly increased following treatment with CCl4. All CCL4-induced changes were markedly attenuated by ferulic acid treatment.

Conclusion

Ferulic acid potently improved hepatic fibrosis via inhibition of the TGF-β1/Smad pathway in vitro and in vivo. These findings provided evidence for potential use of ferulic acid to treat or prevent liver fibrosis.

Chemical characterization and cytotoxic activity evaluation of Lebanese propolis

Chemical composition, anti-proliferative and proapoptotic activity as well as the effect of various fractions of Lebanese propolis on the cell cycle distribution were evaluated on Jurkat leukemic T-cells, glioblastoma U251 cells, and breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells using cytotoxic assays, flow cytometry as well as western blot analysis. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed that ferulic acid, chrysin, pinocembrin, galangin are major constituents of the ethanolic crude extract of the Lebanese propolis, while the hexane fraction mostly contains chrysin, pinocembrin, galangin but at similar levels. Furthermore chemical analysis was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify major compounds in the hexane fraction. Reduction of cell viability was observed in Jurkat cells exposed to the ethanolic crude extract and the hexane fraction, while viability of U251 and MDA-MB-231 cells was only affected upon exposure to the hexane fraction; the other fractions (aqueous phase, methylene chloride, and ethyl acetate) were without effect. Maximum toxic effect was obtained when Jurkat cells were cultivated with 90μg/ml of both the crude extract and hexane faction. Toxicity started early after 24h of incubation and remained till 72h. Interestingly, the decrease in cell viability was accompanied by a significant increase in p53 protein expression levels and PARP cleavage. Cell cycle distribution showed an increase in the SubG0 fraction in Jurkat, U251 and MDA-MB-231 cells after 24h incubation with the hexane fraction. This increase in SubG0 was further investigated in Jurkat cells by annexinV/PI and showed an increase in the percentage of cells in early and late apoptosis as well as necrosis. In conclusion, Lebanese propolis exhibited significant cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative activity promising enough that warrant further investigations on the molecular targets and mechanisms of action of Lebanese propolis.

Ferulic Acid on Glucose Dysregulation, Dyslipidemia, and Inflammation in Diet-Induced Obese Rats: An Integrated Study

Obesity is considered to be a low-grade chronic inflammatory process, which is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. An integral evaluation of the effects of ferulic acid on biomarkers of glucose dysregulation, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and antioxidant potential induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in rats was carried out. Three groups of male Wistar rats (six per group) consumed a basal diet (BD), which was supplemented with either lard at 310 g/kg (HFD) or lard and ferulic acid at 2 g/kg (HFD + FA), ad libitum for eight weeks. Body weight gain, hyperplasia, and hypertrophy in abdominal fat tissues were higher in the HFD group than in the HFD+FA group. The rats fed a HFD + FA significantly inhibited the increase in plasma lipids and glucose, compared with the HFD group. Biomarkers associated with inflammation were found at higher concentrations in the serum of rats fed a HFD than the HFD + FA group. Plasma antioxidant levels were lower in HFD rats compared to rats fed the HFD + FA. These results suggest that ferulic acid improves the obesogenic status induced by HFD, and we elucidated the integral effects of ferulic acid on a biological system.

New insights into the ameliorative effects of ferulic acid in pathophysiological conditions

Ferulic acid, a natural phytochemical has gained importance as a potential therapeutic agent by virtue of its easy commercial availability, low cost and minimal side-effects. It is a derivative of curcumin and possesses the necessary pharmacokinetic properties to be retained in the general circulation for several hours. The therapeutic effects of ferulic acid are mediated through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It exhibits different biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, neuroprotective actions, etc. The current review addresses its therapeutic effects under different pathophysiological conditions (eg. cancer, cardiomyopathy, skin disorders, brain disorders, viral infections, diabetes etc.).