The Journal of Practical Medicine ›› 2023, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (19): 2461-2468.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2023.19.009

• Basic Research • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Mechanism of Sophocarpine on improving inflammation and mucous hypersecretion of human bronchial epithelial cells based on TLR4⁃NF⁃κB signaling pathway

Shengnan JIANG1,Wenbing ZHI1,Hong ZHANG1,Xiaoting WANG1,Tingting SUN1,Zongren XU1,Jing CHEN2,Ye LI1,Yang. LIU1()   

  1. *.Shanxi Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Shanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital),Xi'an 710003,China
  • Received:2023-04-25 Online:2023-10-10 Published:2023-11-22
  • Contact: Yang. LIU E-mail:liuyang311111@163.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of sophocarpine (SC) in vitro and the potential mechanism of its anti-asthma effect based on the TLR4-NF-κB signaling pathway. Methods NCI-H292 cells were stimulated by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation model in vitro, and SC was given in different concentrations. The safe concentrations of LPS and SC on NCI-H292 cells were screened by MTT method, and the control group, LPS group (10 μg/mL LPS) and SC group (10 μg/mL LPS+ different concentrations of SC) were set up. The expression of mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) in cells and the secretion of Interleukin-6(IL-6) and Interleukin-8(IL-8) in the supernatant were detected by ELISA. The mRNA expression of MUC5AC, IL-6, IL-8, myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88) and nuclear factor-kappa B p65(NF-κB p65) in cells was detected by RT-PCR. The protein expression of TLR4, tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), p-p38 and p-p65 in cells and NF-κB p65 in nucleus was detected by Western blotting. Results MTT results showed that LPS and SC had no effect on cell viability in the concentration range of 0 ~ 10 μg/mL and 0 ~ 40 μg/mL. The results of ELISA showed that the content of MUC5AC in LPS group was significantly higher than that in control group (P < 0.01), and the levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in the supernatant of cells were also extremely significant increase (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the content of MUC5AC in SC group extremely significant reduction (P < 0.01), and the content of IL-6 and IL-8 in cell supernatant also significantly reduced (P < 0.01). RT-PCR results showed that the expressions of MUC5AC, IL-6, IL-8, MyD88 and NF-κB p65 mRNA in LPS group were extremely significant higher than those in control group (P < 0.01), however, the expression of MUC5AC, IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA in SC group decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and the expression of MyD88 and NF-κB p65 mRNA extremely significant reduction (P < 0.01). Western blotting results showed that SC could extremely significant reduction the expression of TRAF6, TLR4, p-p38 and p-p65 in NCI-H292 cells induced by LPS and the expression of NF-κB p65 protein in nucleus (P < 0.01). Conclusion SC may play an anti-asthmatic role by inhibiting TLR4-NF-κB signaling pathway, improving airway inflammation and mucous hypersecretion.

Key words: sophocarpine, NCI-H292 cells, TLR4-NF-κB signal pathway, inflammation, mucus hypersecretion

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