Rhizoma Dioscoreae Nipponicae attenuates airway remodeling and angiogenesis-related changes in asthma with altered
Xiaoqing Zhou1,2, Zhen Wang1, Suqun Zheng1
1The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), 54 Youdian Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310006, China.
Background:
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease characterized by airway remodeling and hyperresponsiveness. Angiogenesis is a key contributor to airway remodeling and disease progression. Rhizoma Dioscoreae Nipponicae (RDN), a traditional Chinese medicine, has shown anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic potential, but its effects on asthma-associated airway remodeling remain unclear.
Methods:
The chemical profile of the RDN extract was characterized using UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS. An ovalbumen-induced mouse model of asthma and C166 mouse endothelial cells were used to examine the effects of RDN treatment. Histopathological changes were assessed using H&E and Masson's trichrome staining. mRNA and protein expression levels of key components in the mTOR/4EBP1/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway were analyzed by qPCR and Western blot.
Results:
UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS analysis tentatively annotated 2509 constituents and demonstrated good batch-to-batch chemical consistency of the RDN extract. Compared with the model group, RDN treatment significantly reduced the airway inflammation score by approximately 39.5% (P < 0.01), an effect comparable to that of prednisone. It also decreased the collagen area ratio by approximately 62.7% (P < 0.05). RDN also significantly decreased the protein levels of mTOR, 4EBP1, HIF-1α, and VEGF in both lung tissue and C166 cells (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
RDN alleviated airway inflammation and remodeling at the histopathological level, and these effects were associated with downregulation of markers within the mTOR/4EBP1/HIF-1α/VEGF pathway. These findings suggest that RDN may be a promising therapeutic agent for ameliorating airway remodeling in asthma. Future studies incorporating analyses of phosphorylation states are warranted to further clarify the underlying mechanisms.
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