Maslinic Acid Suppresses High Glucose-induced Inflammation by Epigenetically Inhibiting TXNIP Expression

Objective Hyperglycemia-induced inflammation and subsequent endothelial injuries ultimately lead to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases associated with high mortality,such as atherosclerosis.Maslinic acid(MA)is a phytochemical with anti-inflammatory activity.However,it remains unknown whether it can inhibit diabetes-associated cardiovascular inflammation.The present study aimed to determine the effect of MA on high glucose-induced endothelial inflammation and apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)and to explore the underlying mechanism.Methods HUVECs were treated with high glucose to induce inflammation and apoptosis.Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry.CCK-8 assay was used to examine cell viability.Production levels of cytokines were detected by quantitative realtime PCR(qPCR)and ELISA.Protein expression levels and signaling pathways activation were detected by Western blotting.RNA immunoprecipitation and qPCR were used to determine the N6-methyladenosine(m6A)levels of target mRNAs.Results MA promoted the recruitment of RNA demethylase ALKBH5 to TXNIP mRNA,and subsequently enhanced its m6A demethylation.By this means,MA decreased the stability of TXNIP mRNA and downregulated its expression level.Subsequently,reactive oxygen species(ROS)and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines,including TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β,were inhibited.And high glucose-induced apoptosis in HUVECs was inhibited by MA.Conclusion MA ameliorates high glucose-induced endothelial inflammation and injury,serving as a new potential therapeutic application for protecting against diabetes-associated atherosclerosis and other inflammatory diseases.

Apoptotic and cytostatic actions of maslinic acid in colorectal cancer cells through possible IKK-β inhibition

Objective:To explore the anti-cancer activity of maslinic acid against colorectal cancer(CRC)cell lines and its possible mechanism.Methods:The inhibitory effect of maslinic acid was screened against five CRC cell lines(HT-29,HCT 116,SW480,SW48,and LS 174 T)via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay.Apoptosis and cell cycle analyses were carried out using annexinⅤ-FITC/propidium iodide staining and propidium iodide staining,respectively and subjected to fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis.Protein expression studies of inhibitor ofκB kinase-β(IKK-β),checkpoint kinase 1(Chk1)and cyclin D1 were conducted using the JESS system.Results:Maslinic acid exhibited growth inhibitory effect in a doseand time-dependent manner in HT-29 and HCT 116 cell lines.A more prominent apoptosis induced by maslinic acid was observed in HCT 116 cell line.However,in HT-29 cell line,maslinic acid induced cell cycle arrest by inhibiting the G1-S transition,which was accompanied by the downregulation of cyclin D1.The expression of unphosphorylated IKK-βprotein was increased in both(HT-29 and HCT 116)cell lines after maslinic acid treatment.Conclusions:Maslinic acid inhibits the growth of HT-29 and HCT 116 cells in a different manner,induces cell cycle arrest in HT-29 cells and causes apoptosis in HCT 116 cells partially via NF-κB pathway inhibition.

Maslinic acid supplementation prevents di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate-induced apoptosis via PRDX6 in peritubular myoid cells of Chinese forest musk deer

Chinese forest musk deer(FMD),an endangered species,have exhibited low reproductive rates even in captivity due to stress conditions.Investigation revealed the presence of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate(DEHP),an environmental endocrine disruptor,in the serum and skin of captive FMDs.Feeding FMDs with maslinic acid(MA)has been observed to alleviate the stress response and improve reproductive rates,although the precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear.Therefore,this study aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the alleviation of DEHP-induced oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in primary peritubular myoid cells(PMCs)through MA intake.Primary PMCs were isolated and exposed to DEHP in vitro.The results demonstrated that DEHP significantly suppressed antioxidant levels and promoted cell apoptosis in primary PMCs.Moreover,interfering with the expression of PRDX6 was found to induce excessive reactive oxygen species(ROS)production and cell apoptosis in primary PMCs.Supplementation with MA significantly upregulated the expression of PRDX6,thereby attenuating DEHP-induced oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in primary PMCs.These findings provide a theoretical foundation for mitigating stress levels and enhancing reproductive capacity of in captive FMDs.

Maslinic acid modulates glycogen metabolism by enhancing the insulin signaling pathway and inhibiting glycogen phosphorylase

AIM: To investigate the molecular signaling mechanism by which the plant-derived, pentacyclic triterpene maslinic acid(MA) exerts anti-diabetic effects. METHOD: HepG2 cells were stimulated with various concentrations of MA. The effects of MA on glycogen phosphorylase a(GPa) activity and the cellular glycogen content were measured. Western blot analyses were performed with anti-insulin receptor β(IRβ), protein kinase B(also known as Akt), and glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK3β) antibodies. Activation status of the insulin pathway was investigated using phospho-IRβ, as well as phospho-Akt, and phospho-GSK3β antibodies. The specific PI3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin was added to the cells to analyze the Akt expression. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to measure the effect of MA on IRβ auto-phosphorylation. Furthermore, the effect of MA on glycogen metabolism was investigated in C57BL/6J mice fed with a high-fat diet(HFD). RESULTS: The results showed that MA exerts anti-diabetic effects by increasing glycogen content and inhibiting glycogen phosphorylase activity in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, MA was shown to induce the phosphorylation level of IRβ-subunit, Akt, and GSK3β. The MA-induced activation of Akt appeared to be specific, since it could be blocked by wortmannin. Finally, MA treatment of mice fed with a high-fat diet reduced the model-associated adiposity and insulin resistance, and increased the accumulated hepatic glycogen content. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that maslinic acid modulates glycogen metabolism by enhancing the insulin signaling pathway and inhibiting glycogen phosphorylase.