Zheng Xueying, Guo Liang, Lai Siyi, L I Fengyue, Liang Mingli, Liu Wanting, Meng Chun, Liu Guanghui
{"title":"大黄素通过血管内皮生长因子受体2信号通路抑制碱烧伤诱导的角膜炎症和新生血管。","authors":"Zheng Xueying, Guo Liang, Lai Siyi, L I Fengyue, Liang Mingli, Liu Wanting, Meng Chun, Liu Guanghui","doi":"10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20240203.005","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate the effects of emodin on alkali burn-induced corneal inflammation and neovascularization.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The ability of emodin to target vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) was predicted by molecular docking. The effects of emodin on the invasion, migration, and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were determined by cell counting kit-8, Transwell, and tube formation assays. Analysis of apoptosis was performed by flow cytometry. CD31 levels were examined by immunofluorescence. The abundance and phosphorylation state of VEGFR2, protein kinase B (Akt), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and P38 were examined by immunoblot analysis. Corneal alkali burn was performed on 40 mice. Animals were divided randomly into two groups, and the alkali-burned eyes were then treated with drops of either 10 μM emodin or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) four times a day. Slit-lamp microscopy was used to evaluate inflammation and corneal neovascularization (CNV) in all eyes on Days 0, 7, 10, and 14. The mice were killed humanely 14 d after the alkali burn, and their corneas were removed and preserved at -80 ℃ until histological study or protein extraction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Molecular docking confirmed that emodin was able to target VEGFR2. The findings revealed that emodin decreased the invasion, migration, angiogenesis, and proliferation of HUVEC in a dose-dependent manner. In mice, emodin suppressed corneal inflammatory cell infiltration and inhibited the development of corneal neovascularization induced by alkali burn. Compared to those of the PBS-treated group, lower VEGFR2 expression and CD31 levels were found in the emodin-treated group. Emodin dramatically decreased the expression of VEGFR2, p-VEGFR2, p-Akt, p-STAT3, and p-P38 in VEGF-treated HUVEC.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study provides a new avenue for evaluating the molecular mechanisms underlying corneal inflammation and neovascularization. Emodin might be a promising new therapeutic option for corneal alkali burns.</p>","PeriodicalId":94119,"journal":{"name":"Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan","volume":"44 2","pages":"268-276"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10927407/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Emodin suppresses alkali burn-induced corneal inflammation and neovascularization by the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 signaling pathway.\",\"authors\":\"Zheng Xueying, Guo Liang, Lai Siyi, L I Fengyue, Liang Mingli, Liu Wanting, Meng Chun, Liu Guanghui\",\"doi\":\"10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20240203.005\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate the effects of emodin on alkali burn-induced corneal inflammation and neovascularization.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The ability of emodin to target vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) was predicted by molecular docking. The effects of emodin on the invasion, migration, and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were determined by cell counting kit-8, Transwell, and tube formation assays. Analysis of apoptosis was performed by flow cytometry. CD31 levels were examined by immunofluorescence. The abundance and phosphorylation state of VEGFR2, protein kinase B (Akt), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and P38 were examined by immunoblot analysis. Corneal alkali burn was performed on 40 mice. Animals were divided randomly into two groups, and the alkali-burned eyes were then treated with drops of either 10 μM emodin or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) four times a day. Slit-lamp microscopy was used to evaluate inflammation and corneal neovascularization (CNV) in all eyes on Days 0, 7, 10, and 14. The mice were killed humanely 14 d after the alkali burn, and their corneas were removed and preserved at -80 ℃ until histological study or protein extraction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Molecular docking confirmed that emodin was able to target VEGFR2. The findings revealed that emodin decreased the invasion, migration, angiogenesis, and proliferation of HUVEC in a dose-dependent manner. In mice, emodin suppressed corneal inflammatory cell infiltration and inhibited the development of corneal neovascularization induced by alkali burn. Compared to those of the PBS-treated group, lower VEGFR2 expression and CD31 levels were found in the emodin-treated group. Emodin dramatically decreased the expression of VEGFR2, p-VEGFR2, p-Akt, p-STAT3, and p-P38 in VEGF-treated HUVEC.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study provides a new avenue for evaluating the molecular mechanisms underlying corneal inflammation and neovascularization. Emodin might be a promising new therapeutic option for corneal alkali burns.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":94119,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan\",\"volume\":\"44 2\",\"pages\":\"268-276\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":0.0000,\"publicationDate\":\"2024-04-01\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10927407/pdf/\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"1085\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20240203.005\",\"RegionNum\":0,\"RegionCategory\":null,\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"\",\"JCRName\":\"\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20240203.005","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
Emodin suppresses alkali burn-induced corneal inflammation and neovascularization by the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 signaling pathway.
Objective: To investigate the effects of emodin on alkali burn-induced corneal inflammation and neovascularization.
Methods: The ability of emodin to target vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) was predicted by molecular docking. The effects of emodin on the invasion, migration, and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were determined by cell counting kit-8, Transwell, and tube formation assays. Analysis of apoptosis was performed by flow cytometry. CD31 levels were examined by immunofluorescence. The abundance and phosphorylation state of VEGFR2, protein kinase B (Akt), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and P38 were examined by immunoblot analysis. Corneal alkali burn was performed on 40 mice. Animals were divided randomly into two groups, and the alkali-burned eyes were then treated with drops of either 10 μM emodin or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) four times a day. Slit-lamp microscopy was used to evaluate inflammation and corneal neovascularization (CNV) in all eyes on Days 0, 7, 10, and 14. The mice were killed humanely 14 d after the alkali burn, and their corneas were removed and preserved at -80 ℃ until histological study or protein extraction.
Results: Molecular docking confirmed that emodin was able to target VEGFR2. The findings revealed that emodin decreased the invasion, migration, angiogenesis, and proliferation of HUVEC in a dose-dependent manner. In mice, emodin suppressed corneal inflammatory cell infiltration and inhibited the development of corneal neovascularization induced by alkali burn. Compared to those of the PBS-treated group, lower VEGFR2 expression and CD31 levels were found in the emodin-treated group. Emodin dramatically decreased the expression of VEGFR2, p-VEGFR2, p-Akt, p-STAT3, and p-P38 in VEGF-treated HUVEC.
Conclusion: This study provides a new avenue for evaluating the molecular mechanisms underlying corneal inflammation and neovascularization. Emodin might be a promising new therapeutic option for corneal alkali burns.