Jing Yao

Wogonoside protects against dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis in mice by inhibiting NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome activation

Previous studies have demonstrated that wogonoside, the glucuronide metabolite of wogonin, has anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anticancer effects. However, the anti-inflammatory mechanism of wogonoside has not been fully elucidated. Recently, NLRP3 inflammasome has been reported to be correlated with inflammatory bowel disease for its ability to induce IL-1β release. Nevertheless, there are few drug candidates targeting NLRP3 inflammasome for this disease. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of wogonoside in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine colitis and further revealed the underlying mechanisms by targeting NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome. Wogonoside treatment dose-dependently attenuated DSS-induced body weight loss and colon length shortening. Moreover, wogonoside prevented DSS-induced colonic pathological damage, remarkably inhibited inflammatory cells infiltration and significantly decreased myeloperoxidase (MPO) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activities. The production of pro-inflammatory mediators in serum and colon was also significantly reduced by wogonoside. The underlying mechanisms for the protective effect of wogonoside in DSS-induced colitis may be attributed to its inhibition on NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in colons. Furthermore, wogonoside markedly decreased production of IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 and suppressed mRNA expression of pro-IL-1β and NLRP3 in phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-differentiated monocytic THP-1 cells via inhibiting the activation of NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that wogonoside may exert its anti-inflammatory effect via dual inhibition of NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome, suggesting that wogonoside might be a potential effective drug for inflammatory bowel diseases.

Wogonin reverses hypoxia resistance of human colon cancer HCT116 cells via downregulation of HIF-1α and glycolysis, by inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Hypoxia induced drug resistance is a major obstacle in the development of effective cancer therapy. In the present study, the reversal abilities of wogonin on the hypoxia resistance and the underlying mechanisms were discovered. MTT assay revealed that hypoxia increased maximal 1.71‐, 2.08‐, and 2.15‐fold of IC50 toward paclitaxel, ADM, and DDP in human colon cancer cell lines HCT116, respectively. Furthermore, wogonin showed strong reversal potency in HCT116 cells in hypoxia and the RF reached 2.05. hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) can activate the expression of target genes involved in glycolysis. Wogonin decreased the expression of glycolysis‐related proteins (HKII, PDHK1, LDHA), glucose uptake, and lactate generation in a dose‐dependent manner. Further, Western blot experiments exhibited that wogonin could down regulate HIF‐1α expression and glycolysis through inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, which might be the mechanism of reversal resistance of wogonin. Also, wogonin could inhibit the growth of transplantable tumors and the expression of HIF‐1α, glycolysis‐related proteins and PI3K/Akt in vivo. In summary, wogonin could be a good candidate for the development of new multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal agent and its reversal mechanism probably is due to the suppression of HIF‐1α expression via inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Wogonin inhibits tumor angiogenesis via degradation of HIF-1α protein

Wogonin, a plant-derived flavone, has been shown recently to have antitumor effects. However, the mechanisms that wogonin inhibits tumor angiogenesis are not well known. In this study, we investigated the effects of wogonin on expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in tumor cells. We found that wogonin decreased the expression of HIF-1α by affecting its stability and reduced the secretion of VEGF, which suppressed angiogenesis in cancer. Wogonin promoted the degradation of HIF-1α by increasing its prolyl hydroxylation, which depended on prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) and the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor (VHL). Intriguingly, wogonin impeded the binding between heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and HIF-1α. In addition, wogonin down-regulated the Hsp90 client proteins EGFR, Cdk4 and survivin, but did not affect the level of Hsp90. Wogonin also increased ubiquitination of HIF-1α and promoted its degradation in proteasome. We also found that wogonin could inhibit nuclear translocation of HIF-1α. Electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA) showed that wogonin decreased the binding activity of exogenous consensus DNA oligonucleotide with HIF-1α in nuclear extracts from MCF-7 cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay also revealed that HIF-1α directly binded to endogenous hypoxia-responsive element (HRE) and this binding was significantly decreased in MCF-7 cells treated with wogonin. Preliminary results indicated in vivo activity of wogonin against xenograft-induced angiogenesis in nude mice. Taken together, the results suggested that wogonin was a potent inhibitor of HIF-1α and provided a new insight into the mechanisms of wogonin against cancers.

Wogonin prevents lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury and inflammation in mice via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-mediated attenuation of the nuclear factor-kappaB pathway.

Acute lung injury (ALI) from a variety of clinical disorders, characterized by diffuse inflammation, is a cause of acute respiratory failure that develops in patients of all ages. Previous studies reported that wogonin, a flavonoid‐like chemical compound which was found in Scutellaria baicalensis, has anti‐inflammatory effects in several inflammation models, but not in ALI. Here, the in vivo protective effect of wogonin in the amelioration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ‐induced lung injury and inflammation was assessed. In addition, the in vitro effects and mechanisms of wogonin were studied in the mouse macrophage cell lines Ana‐1 and RAW264.7. In vivo results indicated that wogonin attenuated LPS‐induced histological alterations. Peripheral blood leucocytes decreased in the LPS‐induced group, which was ameliorated by wogonin. In addition, wogonin inhibited the production of several inflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and IL‐6, in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues after LPS challenge, while the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) inhibitor GW9662 reversed these effects. In vitro results indicated that wogonin significantly decreased the secretion of IL‐6, IL‐1β and tumour necrosis factor‐α in Ana‐1 and RAW264.7 cells, which was suppressed by transfection of PPARγ small interfering RNA and GW9662 treatment. Moreover, wogonin activated PPARγ, induced PPARγ‐mediated attenuation of the nuclear translocation and the DNA‐binding activity of nuclear factor‐κB in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, all of these results showed that wogonin may serve as a promising agent for the attenuation of ALI‐associated inflammation and pathology by regulating the PPARγ‐involved nuclear factor‐κB pathway.

Oroxylin A reverses P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance of MCF7/ADR cells by G2/M arrest

Oroxylin A is a naturally occurring monoflavonoid isolated from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for its anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. The purpose of this study is to investigate the reversal effect and the fundamental mechanisms of oroxylin A in MCF7/ADR cells. Data indicated that oroxylin A showed strong reversal potency in MCF7/ADR cells and the reversal fold (RF) reached 4.68. After treatment with oroxylin A, MCF7/ADR cells displayed reduced functional activity and expression of MDR1 at both the protein and mRNA levels. Meanwhile, oroxylin A induced cells G2/M arrest in a concentration-dependent manner by increasing the expression of p-Chk2 (Thr68). Moreover, western blot and EMSA assays were used to reveal the inhibition of NF-κB in nucleus and the suppression of NF-κB binding activity by oroxylin A. NSC 109555 ditosylate-Chk2 inhibitor partly dismissed G2/M arrest induced by oroxylin A, reversed the increased trend of p-Chk2 and p-P53 (Ser20), inhibited the decreasing effect of oroxylin A on the expression of P-gp and decreased the reversal fold of 90 μM oroxylin A from 4.68 fold to 1.73 fold. In conclusion, we suggested that oroxylin A reversed MDR by G2/M arrest and the underlying mechanism attributed to the suppression of P-gp expression via Chk2/P53/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Wogonin suppresses human alveolar adenocarcinoma cell A549 migration in inflammatory microenvironment by modulating the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Increasing evidence from various clinical and experimental studies has demonstrated that the inflammatory microenvironment facilitates tumor metastasis. Clinically, it will be a promising choice to suppress tumor metastasis by targeting inflammatory microenvironment. Our previous studies have demonstrated that wogonin (a bioflavonoid isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine of Huang‐Qin) possesses the anti‐metastatic and anti‐inflammatory activity, but we have little idea about its efficacy on inflammatory‐induced tumor metastasis and the mechanism underlying it. In this study, we focused on epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), the first step of tumor metastasis, to evaluate the effects of wogonin on tumor metastasis in inflammatory microenvironment. We found that wogonin inhibited THP‐1 conditioned‐medium‐ (CM‐) and IL‐6‐induced EMT by inactivating STAT3 signal. And in wogonin‐treated A549 cells which pretreated with THP‐1 CM or IL‐6, the expression level of E‐cadherin, an EMT negative biomarker, increased while that of N‐cadherin, Vimentin, and EMT‐related transcription factors including Snail and Twist decreased. Moreover, wogonin inhibited IL‐6‐induced phosphorylation of STAT3, prevented p‐STAT3 dimer translocation into the nucleus, and suppressed the DNA‐binding activity of p‐STAT3. Interestingly, similar results were obtained in the tumor xenografts mice, including downregulation of p‐STAT3, N‐cadherin, and Vimentin while up‐regulation of E‐cadherin. Wogonin also inhibit the metastasis of A549 cells in vivo. Taken all data together, we concluded that wogonin suppresses tumor cells migration in inflammatory microenvironment by inactivating STAT3 signal.

CXCL12/CXCR4 axis confers adriamycin resistance to human chronic myelogenous leukemia and oroxylin A improves the sensitivity of K562/ADM cells.

This study was aimed at investigating the reversal effect of oroxylin A, a naturally bioactive monoflavonoid separated and purified from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, in human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that CXCL12 could enhance the resistance of K562 cells to adriamycin (ADM) by increasing the expression of CXCR4, up-regulating the downstream PI3K/Akt pathway, and promoting translocation of NF-κB dimers into nucleus and subsequently decreasing the expression of apoptosis-related proteins in K562 cells. And we found that ADM resistance was partially reversed by CXCR4 siRNA transfection. Moreover, the sensitivity enhancement of oroxylin A was demonstrated by decreasing the expression of CXCR4 at both protein and mRNA levels, via PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway and triggering the apoptosis pathway in vitro. In addition, the in vivo study showed that oroxylin A increased apoptosis of leukemic cells with low systemic toxicity, and the mechanism was the same as in vitro study. In conclusion, all these results showed that oroxylin A improved the sensitivity of K562/ADM cells by increasing apoptosis in leukemic cells and decreasing the expression of CXCR4 and PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway, and probably served as a most promising agent for CML treatment.

Oroxylin a prevents inflammation‐related tumor through down‐regulation of inflammatory gene expression by inhibiting NF‐κB signaling

Increasing evidence suggests that inflammatory microenvironment plays a critical role at different stages of tumor development. However, the molecular mechanisms of the interaction between inflammation and proliferation of cancer cells remain poorly defined. Here we reported the inhibitory effects of oroxylin A on the inflammation‐stimulated proliferation of tumor cells and delineated the mechanism of its action. The results indicated that treatment with oroxylin A inhibited NF‐κB p65 nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of IκBα and IKKα/β in both human colon tumor HCT116 cells and human monocytes THP‐1 cells. In addition, in THP‐1 cells, oroxylin A significantly suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced secretion of prototypical proinflammatory cytokine IL‐6 but not IL‐1β, and it was confirmed at the transcription level. Moreover, oroxylin A inhibited the proliferation of HCT116 cells stimulated by LPS‐induced THP‐1 cells in co‐culture microenvironment. In summary, oroxylin A modulated NF‐κB signaling pathway involved in inflammation‐induced cancer initiation and progression and therefore could be a potential cancer chemoprevention agent for inflammation‐related cancer.

LW-214, a newly synthesized flavonoid, induces intrinsic apoptosis pathway by down-regulating Trx-1 in MCF-7 human breast cells

In this study, the anticancer effect of LW-214, a newly synthesized flavonoid, against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms were investigated. LW-214 triggered the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by increasing Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and caspase-9 activation, degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), cytochrome c (Cyt c) release and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) transposition. Further research revealed that both the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and the apoptosis signal regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) activation by LW-214 were induced by down-regulating the thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) expression. The ROS elevation and ASK1 activation induced a sustained phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), while SP600125, as known as JNK inhibitor, almost reversed LW-214-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. Overexpression of Trx-1 in MCF-7 cells attenuated LW-214-mediated apoptosis as well as the JNK activation and reversed the expression of mitochondrial apoptosis-related protein. Accordingly, the in vivo study showed that LW-214 exhibited a potential antitumor effect in BALB/c species mice inoculated MCF-7 tumor with low systemic toxicity, and the mechanism was the same as in vitro study. Taken together, these findings indicated that LW-214 may down-regulated Trx-1 function, causing intracellular ROS generation and releasing the ASK1, and lead to JNK activation, which consequently induced the mitochondrial apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.

Oroxylin A reverses CAM-DR of HepG2 cells by suppressing Integrinβ1 and its related pathway

Oroxylin A, a naturally occurring monoflavonoid extracted from Scutellariae radix, shows effective anticancer activities and low toxicities both in vivo and in vitro in previous studies. In this study, we investigated whether the CAM-DR model of HepG2 cells showed resistance to cytotoxic agents compared with normally cultured HepG2 cells. Furthermore, after the treatment of Paclitaxel, less inhibitory effects and decreased apoptosis rate were detected in the model. Data also revealed increased expression of Integrinβ1 might be responsible for the resistance ability. Moreover, Integrinβ1-siRNA-transfected CAM-DR HepG2 cells exhibited more inhibitory effects and higher levels of apoptosis than the non-transfected CAM-DR cells. The data corroborated that Integrinβ1 played a significant role in CAM-DR. After the treatment of weakly-toxic concentrations of Oroxylin A, the apoptosis induced by Paclitaxel in the CAM-DR model increased dramatically. Western blot assay revealed Oroxylin A markedly down-regulated the expression of Integrinβ1 and the activity of related pathway. As a conclusion, Oroxylin A can reverse the resistance of CAM-DR via inhibition of Integrinβ1 and its related pathway. Oroxylin A may be a potential candidate of a CAM-DR reversal agent.