AI Article Synopsis

  • MASLD (Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease) is on the rise due to obesity and lifestyle changes, prompting research into the therapeutic effects of ursolic acid, a natural compound.
  • The study utilized various methods, including drug target chips and molecular docking, to explore ursolic acid's effects on MASLD and validated findings using animal models and isolated CD4+ T cells.
  • Results showed that ursolic acid inhibits the inflammatory role of the protein SPP1 in Th17 cell differentiation, modulating immune responses through the ERK signaling pathway, highlighting its potential as a treatment for MASLD.

Article Abstract

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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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11261229PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3350/cmh.2024.0047DOI Listing

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