LI Mingqi,ZHAO Xiaolu,ZHANG Chenlu,et al.Effects of total flavonoids from Carthamus tinctorius L. on hepatic stellate cell activation based on miRNA-204/NUAK1/Hippo signaling axis[J].ZHONGGUO YAOFANG,2026,37(03):311-316.
LI Mingqi,ZHAO Xiaolu,ZHANG Chenlu,et al.Effects of total flavonoids from Carthamus tinctorius L. on hepatic stellate cell activation based on miRNA-204/NUAK1/Hippo signaling axis[J].ZHONGGUO YAOFANG,2026,37(03):311-316. DOI: 10.6039/j.issn.1001-0408.2026.03.07.
Effects of total flavonoids from Carthamus tinctorius L. on hepatic stellate cell activation based on miRNA-204/NUAK1/Hippo signaling axis
To investigate the effects of total flavonoids from
Carthamus tinctorius
L. (TFCTL) on hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation based on the microRNA (miRNA)-204/NUAK family SNF1-like kinase 1 (NUAK1)/Hippo signaling axis, thereby elucidating the potential mechanism underlying their antifibrotic effects.
METHODS
2
The HSC-T6 cells were divided into control group, model group, TFCTL low-concentration group (20 μg/mL), TFCTL medium-concentration group (40 μg/mL), and TFCTL high-concentration group (60 μg/mL). Except for control group, the remaining groups were treated with 5 ng/mL of transforming growth factor-β to induce the activation of hepatic stellate cells, followed by the addition of corresponding drug solutions/culture medium and incubation for 24 hours. Cell apoptosis was assessed, the expression levels of
α
-smooth muscle actin (
α
-SMA), type Ⅰ collagen (Collagen Ⅰ) and proteins associated with the Hippo/Yes-associated protein (YAP) pathway [YAP, large tumor suppressor kinase 1 (LATS1), and mammalian STE20-like kinase 1 (MST1)
]
were detected. Additionally, cell transfection was used to investigate the activity of the miRNA-204/NUAK1/Hippo signaling axis at both the genetic and protein levels.
RESULTS
2
After intervention with TFCTL, the apoptosis rate of HSC-T6 cells and the protein expressions of MST1 (except for the TFCTL high-concentration group) and LATS1 were significantly increased (
P
<0.05), while the protein expressions of
α
-SMA, CollagenⅠ, and YAP (except for the TFCTL medium-concentration group) were significantly decreased (
P
<0.05). Further results from cell transfection experiments revealed that after transfection with miRNA-204 mimics, the mRNA it’s protei
n expressions of
α
-SMA, CollagenⅠ, NUAK1, and YAP in HSC-T6 cells were significantly decreased (
P
<0.05), while the mRNA and protein expressions of LATS1 and the mRNA expression of MST1 were significantly increased (
P
<0.05). Conversely, the results were opposite following transfection with miRNA-204 inhibitors.
CONCLUSIONS
2
TFCTL can exert anti-hepatic fibrosis effects by up-regulating the expression of miRNA-204, thereby down-regulating the expressions of NUAK1, inactivating the Hippo/YAP pathway, which in turn suppresses the activation of HSC and promotes their apoptosis.
关键词
Keywords
references
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