Effect of Tongsai granules on airway epithelial barrier in a rat model of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and role of EGFR/ERK signaling pathway
10.3969/j.issn.1000-4718.2023.12.011
- VernacularTitle:通塞颗粒对AECOPD大鼠气道上皮屏障及EGFR/ERK通路的影响
- Author:
Yanxin WEI
1
;
Yu WEI
;
Xinguang LIU
;
Yange TIAN
;
Xuefang LIU
;
Di ZHAO
;
Peng ZHAO
Author Information
1. 河南中医药大学呼吸疾病中医药防治省部共建协同创新中心,河南省中医药防治呼吸病重点实验室,河南 郑州 450046
- Keywords:
acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
airway epithelial barrier;
Tongsai granules;
EGFR/ERK signaling pathway
- From:
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology
2023;39(12):2204-2213
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
AIM:To investigate the effect of Tongsai granules(TSG)on epithelial barrier dysfunction in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)and the underlying mechanism.METHODS:Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,TSG group,and moxifloxacin(MXF)+salbutamol(STL)group.Rat COPD model was established over 8 weeks.On day 3 of week 9,the rats with COPD were intratracheally administered Klebsiella pneumoniae to establish the AECOPD model.On days 1 to 2 and 4 to 7 in week 9,saline was administered via oral gavage to the rats in control and model groups,and the rats in TSG and MXF+ STL groups were treated daily with TSG and MXF+STL by gavage,respectively.Peak expiratory flow(PEF),histopatho-logical changes,and the expression levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β),IL-6,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),matrix me-talloproteinase 2(MMP2),MMP9,zonula occludens-1(ZO-1),E-cadherin(E-Cad)and occludin(OCC)were deter-mined.Moreover,human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells were exposed to cigarette smoke extract(CSE)and treated with different TSG fractions,and the protein levels of ZO-1,E-Cad,OCC,epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),phosphorylated EGFR(p-EGFR),extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK)and phosphorylated ERK(p-ERK)were determined.RESULTS:Treatment with TSG significantly reduced bronchial wall thickness,mean linear intercept,and the levels of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,MMP2 and MMP9(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),significantly increased mean alveolar number and PEF(P＜0.01),and up-regulated the ZO-1,E-Cad and OCC protein levels(P＜0.01)in the lungs of AECOPD rats.Treatment with TSG2,the second TSG fraction,increased the protein levels of ZO-1,E-Cad and OCC in a dose-dependent manner in CSE-exposed BEAS-2B cells(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Network pharmacology analysis of 328 targets of the com-pounds in TSG2 and 3 864 genes related to AECOPD suggested that TSG2 relieved AECOPD likely through the regulation of ERBB2,ERK,EGFR,IL and WNT signaling pathways.Treatment with TSG2 also inhibited CSE-induced increases in p-EGFR and p-ERK levels in BEAS-2B cells(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).CONCLUSION:Treatment with TSG could maintain airway epithelial barrier function in AECOPD rats,likely through the inhibition of EGFR/ERK signaling pathway.
