Emodin regulates neutrophil phenotypes to prevent hypercoagulation and lung carcinogenesis

Hypercoagulation and neutrophilia are described in several cancers, however, whether they are involved in lung carcinogenesis is currently unknown. Emodin is the main bioactive component from Rheum palmatum and has many medicinal values, such as anti-inflammation and anticancer. This study is to investigate the contributions of neutrophils to the effects of emodin on hypercoagulation and carcinogenesis.

The effects of emodin on neutrophil phenotypes were assessed by cell proliferation, morphological changes, phagocytosis and autophagy in vitro. The anti-coagulation and cancer-preventing actions of emodin were evaluated in the urethane-induced lung carcinogenic model. The expressions of Cit-H3 and PAD4 in lung sections were assessed by immunohistochemistry, CD66b⁺ neutrophils were distinguished by immunofluorescence, and cytokines and ROS were examined with ELISA. The neutrophils-regulating and hypercoagulation-improving efficacies of emodin were confirmed in a Lewis lung cancer allograft model. The related targets and pathways of emodin were predicted by network pharmacology.

In vitro, emodin at the dose of 20 µM had no effect on cell viability in HL-60N1 but increased ROS and decreased autophagy and thus induced apoptosis in HL-60N2 with the morphological changes. In the urethane-induced lung carcinogenic model, before lung carcinogenesis, urethane induced obvious hypercoagulation which was positively correlated with lung N2 neutrophils. There were the aggravated hypercoagulation and lung N2 neutrophils after lung carcinoma lesions. Emodin treatment resulted in the ameliorated hypercoagulation and lung carcinogenesis accompanied by the decreased N2 neutrophils (CD66b⁺) in the alveolar cavity. ELISA showed that there were more IFN-γ, IL-12 and ROS and less IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β1 in the alveolar cavity in the emodin group than those in the control group. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that emodin treatment decreased Cit-H3 and PAD4 in lung sections. In the Lewis lung cancer allograft model, emodin inhibits tumor growth accompanied by the attenuated coagulation and intratumor N2 neutrophils. Network pharmacology indicated the multi-target roles of emodin in N2 neutrophil activation.

This study suggests a novel function of emodin, whereby it selectively suppresses N2 neutrophils to prevent hypercoagulation and lung carcinogenesis.