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Lin G, Li W, Hong W, Zhu D, Hu H, Fu J, Gao Y, Chen S, Chai D, Zeng JZ. Spinosin inhibits activated hepatic stellate cell to attenuate liver fibrosis by targeting Nur77/ASK1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 966:176270. [PMID: 38096970 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
AIM Liver fibrosis remains a great challenge in the world. Spinosin (SPI), a natural flavonoid-C-glycoside, possesses various pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory and anti-myocardial fibrosis effects. In this study, we investigate whether SPI can be a potential lead for the treatment of liver fibrosis and explore whether the orphan nuclear receptor Nur77, a negative regulator of liver fibrosis development, plays a critical role in SPI's action. METHODS A dual luciferase reporter system of α-SMA was established to evaluate the effect of SPI on hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation in LX2 and HSC-T6 cells. A mouse model of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis was used to test the efficacy of SPI against liver fibrosis. The expression levels of Nur77, inflammatory cytokines and collagen were determined by Western blotting and qPCR. Potential kinase pathways involved were also analyzed. The affinity of Nur77 with SPI was documented by fluorescence titration. RESULTS SPI can strongly suppress TGF-β1-mediated activation of both LX2 and HSC-T6 cells in a dose-dependent manner. SPI increases the expression of Nur77 and reduces TGF-β1-mediated phosphorylation levels of ASK1 and p38 MAPK, which can be reversed by knocking out of Nur77. SPI strongly inhibits collagen deposition (COLA1) and reduces inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-1β), which is followed by improved liver function in the CCl4-induced mouse model. SPI can directly bind to R515 and R563 in the Nur77-LBD pocket with a Kd of 2.14 μM. CONCLUSION Spinosin is the major pharmacological active component of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa which has been frequently prescribed in traditional Chinese medicine. We demonstrate here for the first time that spinosin is a new therapeutic lead for treatment of liver fibrosis by targeting Nur77 and blocking the ASK1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Weibin Li
- Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China; Department of Ultrasonic Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Xizang Minzu University, Xianyang, China
| | - Wenbin Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Desheng Zhu
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, 321000, China
| | - Hongyu Hu
- Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, Lanxi, 321004, China
| | - Jiqiang Fu
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Yanfang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Shuaijie Chen
- Cardiovascular Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, China
| | - Dajun Chai
- Cardiovascular Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, China
| | - Jin-Zhang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
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Tao B, Li Y, Duan Y, Shi Z, Li J, Guo Y, Huang X, Zhang Y, Sun W, Qi C, Zhang Y. Discovery of adamantane-type polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols that can prevent concanavalin A-induced autoimmune hepatitis in mice. Bioorg Chem 2024; 144:107145. [PMID: 38278050 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Hyperadamans A-G (1-7), seven new adamantane type polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs), were isolated from Hypericum wilsonii N. Robson. Structurally, 1-4 were the first adamantanes bearing an unusual 2,7-dioxabicyclo-[2.2.1]-heptane fragment, and compound 5 was the first adamantane with a rare 1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]nonane section. Importantly, 1-7 exhibited significant immunosuppressive activity on Con A-induced T-lymphocyte proliferation in vitro, with IC50 values ranging from 3.97 ± 0.10 to 18.12 ± 1.07 μM. Pretreatment with 1 in Con A-challenged autoimmune hepatitis mice could dramatically ameliorate the levels of hepatic injury indexes (ALT and AST) and reduce the product of proinflammatory cytokines (COX-2, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-18, IL-23A and TNF-α). Furthermore, the protective effect of 1 on the Con A-induced liver injury was corroborated by the histological analysis and the immunohistochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Tao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Yongqi Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Yulin Duan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, PR China; Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan No.1 Hospital, 215 Zhongshan Road, Wuhan 430022, Hubei, PR China
| | - Zhengyi Shi
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Jie Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Yi Guo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Xinye Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Yeting Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, PR China
| | - Weiguang Sun
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, PR China.
| | - Changxing Qi
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, PR China; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430030, PR China.
| | - Yonghui Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, PR China.
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Lin G, Zhong Y, Hu S, He F, Zhang Z, Li W, Hu H, Zeng JZ. Identification of (E)-1-((1H-indol-3-yl)methylene)-4-substitute-thiosemicarbazones as potential anti-hepatic fibrosis agents. Bioorg Chem 2024; 143:107022. [PMID: 38142558 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.107022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis remains a global health challenge due to its rapidly rising prevalence and limited treatment options. The orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 has been implicated in regulation of autophagy and liver fibrosis. Targeting Nur77-mediated autophagic flux may thus be a new promising strategy against hepatic fibrosis. In this study, we synthesized four types of Nur77-based thiourea derivatives to determine their anti-hepatic fibrosis activity. Among the synthesized thiourea derivatives, 9e was the most potent inhibitor of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) proliferation and activation. This compound could directly bind to Nur77 and inhibit TGF-β1-induced α-SMA and COLA1 expression in a Nur77-dependent manner. In vivo, 9e significantly reduced CCl4-mediated hepatic inflammation response and extracellular matrix (ECM) production, revealing that 9e is capable of blocking the progression of hepatic fibrosis. Mechanistically, 9e induced Nur77 expression and enhanced autophagic flux by inhibiting the mTORC1 signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. Thus, the Nur77-targeted lead 9e may serve as a promising candidate for treatment of chronic liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Yijing Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Shengwei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Fengming He
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Zhaolin Zhang
- Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, Lanxi 321004, China
| | - Weibi Li
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiang 'an East Road, Xiang' an District, Xiamen, China
| | - Hongyu Hu
- Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, Lanxi 321004, China.
| | - Jin-Zhang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
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