Background/aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become an increasingly important health challenge, with a substantial rise linked to changing lifestyles and global obesity. Ursolic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been explored for its potential therapeutic effects. Given its multifunctional bioactive properties, this research further revealed the pharmacological mechanisms of ursolic acid on MASLD.
Methods: Drug target chips and bioinformatics analysis were combined in this study to explore the potential therapeutic effects of ursolic acid on MASLD. Molecular docking simulations, surface plasmon resonance analyses, pull-down experiments, and co-immunoprecipitation assays were used to verify the direct interactions. Gene knockdown mice were generated, and high-fat diets were used to validate drug efficacy. Furthermore, initial CD4+ T cells were isolated and stimulated to demonstrate our findings.
Results: In this study, the multifunctional extracellular matrix phosphorylated glycoprotein secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) was investigated, highlighting its capability to induce Th17 cell differentiation, amplifying inflammatory cascades, and subsequently promoting the evolution of MASLD. In addition, this study revealed that in addition to the canonical TGF-β/IL-6 cytokine pathway, SPP1 can directly interact with ITGB1 and CD44, orchestrating Th17 cell differentiation via their joint downstream ERK signaling pathway. Remarkably, ursolic acid intervention notably suppressed the protein activity of SPP1, suggesting a promising avenue for ameliorating the immunoinflammatory trajectory in MASLD progression.
Conclusion: Ursolic acid could improve immune inflammation in MASLD by modulating SPP1-mediated Th17 cell differentiation via the ERK signaling pathway, which is orchestrated jointly by ITGB1 and CD44, emerging as a linchpin in this molecular cascade.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3350/cmh.2024.0047 | DOI Listing |
Bioorg Chem
December 2024
Pharmacology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India. Electronic address:
Ursolic acid (3-hydroxy-urs-12-ene-28-oic acid, UA) is a pentacyclic triterpene present in numerous plants, fruits and herbs and exhibits various pharmacological effects. However, UA has limited clinical applicability since it is classified as BCS class IV molecule, characterized by low solubility, low oral bioavailability and low permeability. In the present study, UA was isolated from the biomass marc of Lavandula angustifolia and was structurally modified by an induction of indole ring at the C-3 position and amide group at the C-17 position with the aim to enhance its pharmacological potential.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Oral Biosci
December 2024
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, kita-ku, Okayama, Japan. Electronic address:
Objectives: The bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major causative agent of periodontitis. In this study, the anti-P. gingivalis compound in bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt Immunopharmacol
December 2024
Dental Disease Prevention and Treatment Center of Minhang District, Shanghai 201103, China. Electronic address:
Background: Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease, poses challenges in treatment due to its complex etiology. Tripterygium glycosides (TGs), renowned for their immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory capabilities, present a prospective therapeutic option for the management of periodontitis. This study delves into the therapeutic efficacy of TGs in periodontitis and reveals the fundamental mechanisms involved.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChin J Nat Med
December 2024
National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of High Technology Research, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; School of Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China. Electronic address:
Active herbal ingredients are gaining recognition for their potent anti-tumor efficacy, attributable to various mechanisms including tumor cell inhibition, immune system activation, and tumor angiogenesis inhibition. Recent studies have revealed that numerous anti-tumor herbal ingredients, such as ginsenosides, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and Angelica sinensis polysaccharides, can be utilized to develop smart drug carriers like liposomes, micelles, and nanoparticles. These carriers can deliver active herbal ingredients and co-deliver anti-tumor drugs to enhance drug accumulation at tumor sites, thereby improving anti-tumor efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer Prev Res (Phila)
December 2024
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States.
This study aimed to assess how ursolic acid (UA) can protect human skin keratinocytes from damage caused by ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. Utilizing an omics-based approach, we characterized the features of photodamage and investigated the potential of UA to reverse HaCaT cell subpopulation injury caused by UVB radiation. The most significant changes in metabolite levels after UA treatment were in pathways associated with phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis, arginine and proline metabolism.
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