Glycyrrhizin suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting high-mobility group box1 via the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway in lung epithelial cells
Background Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in fibrosis, chronic inflammation, tumor metastasis, etc. Glycyrrhizin, an active component extracted from licorice plant, has been reported to treat a variety of inflammatory reactions through inhibiting high-mobility group...
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PeerJ Inc.
2020-02-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/8514.pdf |
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| author | Yanni Gui Jian Sun Wenjie You Yuanhui Wei Han Tian Shujuan Jiang |
| author_facet | Yanni Gui Jian Sun Wenjie You Yuanhui Wei Han Tian Shujuan Jiang |
| author_sort | Yanni Gui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in fibrosis, chronic inflammation, tumor metastasis, etc. Glycyrrhizin, an active component extracted from licorice plant, has been reported to treat a variety of inflammatory reactions through inhibiting high-mobility group box1 (HMGB1), which has been suggested to be a significant mediator in EMT process. However, whether glycyrrhizin affects the EMT process or not remains unclear. Methods Human alveolar epithelial cell line A549 and normal human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B were treated with extrinsic TGF-β1 to induce EMT. Elisa was used to detect HMGB1 concentrations in cell supernatant. RNA interference and lentivirus infection experiments were performed to investigate the involvement of HMGB1 in EMT process. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect the viability of A549 and BEAS-2B cells treated with glycyrrhizin. Finally, the effects of glycyrrhizin on EMT changes, as well as the underlying mechanisms, were evaluated via Western blot, immunofluorescence and transwell assays. Results Our results showed that HMGB1 expression was increased by TGF-β1, and knockdown of HMGB1 expression reversed TGF-β1-induced EMT in A549 and BEAS-2B cells. Ectopic HMGB1 expression or TGF-β1 treatment caused a significant increase in HMGB1 release. Notably, we found that glycyrrhizin treatment effectively suppressed TGF-β1-induced EMT process by inhibiting HMGB1. Also, glycyrrhizin significantly inhibited the migration of both A549 and BEAS-2B cells promoted by TGF-β1. Mechanistically, HMGB1 overexpression could activate Smad2/3 signaling in A549 and BEAS-2B cells. Glycyrrhizin significantly blocked the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 stimulated either by TGF-β1 or by ectopic HMGB1 in A549 and BEAS-2B cells. Conclusions HMGB1 is a vital mediator of EMT changes induced by TGF-β1 in lung epithelial cells. Importantly, glycyrrhizin can effectively block Smad2/3 signaling pathway through inhibiting HMGB1, thereby suppressing the EMT progress. |
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| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:30:19Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-bb482e40fdbb4bbb92d92ade4a7303ed2023-12-03T11:06:42ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592020-02-018e851410.7717/peerj.8514Glycyrrhizin suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting high-mobility group box1 via the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway in lung epithelial cellsYanni Gui0Jian Sun1Wenjie You2Yuanhui Wei3Han Tian4Shujuan Jiang5Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, ChinaDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, ChinaDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, ChinaDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, ChinaDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, ChinaDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, ChinaBackground Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in fibrosis, chronic inflammation, tumor metastasis, etc. Glycyrrhizin, an active component extracted from licorice plant, has been reported to treat a variety of inflammatory reactions through inhibiting high-mobility group box1 (HMGB1), which has been suggested to be a significant mediator in EMT process. However, whether glycyrrhizin affects the EMT process or not remains unclear. Methods Human alveolar epithelial cell line A549 and normal human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B were treated with extrinsic TGF-β1 to induce EMT. Elisa was used to detect HMGB1 concentrations in cell supernatant. RNA interference and lentivirus infection experiments were performed to investigate the involvement of HMGB1 in EMT process. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect the viability of A549 and BEAS-2B cells treated with glycyrrhizin. Finally, the effects of glycyrrhizin on EMT changes, as well as the underlying mechanisms, were evaluated via Western blot, immunofluorescence and transwell assays. Results Our results showed that HMGB1 expression was increased by TGF-β1, and knockdown of HMGB1 expression reversed TGF-β1-induced EMT in A549 and BEAS-2B cells. Ectopic HMGB1 expression or TGF-β1 treatment caused a significant increase in HMGB1 release. Notably, we found that glycyrrhizin treatment effectively suppressed TGF-β1-induced EMT process by inhibiting HMGB1. Also, glycyrrhizin significantly inhibited the migration of both A549 and BEAS-2B cells promoted by TGF-β1. Mechanistically, HMGB1 overexpression could activate Smad2/3 signaling in A549 and BEAS-2B cells. Glycyrrhizin significantly blocked the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 stimulated either by TGF-β1 or by ectopic HMGB1 in A549 and BEAS-2B cells. Conclusions HMGB1 is a vital mediator of EMT changes induced by TGF-β1 in lung epithelial cells. Importantly, glycyrrhizin can effectively block Smad2/3 signaling pathway through inhibiting HMGB1, thereby suppressing the EMT progress.https://peerj.com/articles/8514.pdfGlycyrrhizinHigh-mobility group box1Epithelial-mesenchymal transitionTGF-β1Chronic airway diseasesLung epithelial cells |
| spellingShingle | Yanni Gui Jian Sun Wenjie You Yuanhui Wei Han Tian Shujuan Jiang Glycyrrhizin suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting high-mobility group box1 via the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway in lung epithelial cells PeerJ Glycyrrhizin High-mobility group box1 Epithelial-mesenchymal transition TGF-β1 Chronic airway diseases Lung epithelial cells |
| title | Glycyrrhizin suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting high-mobility group box1 via the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway in lung epithelial cells |
| title_full | Glycyrrhizin suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting high-mobility group box1 via the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway in lung epithelial cells |
| title_fullStr | Glycyrrhizin suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting high-mobility group box1 via the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway in lung epithelial cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Glycyrrhizin suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting high-mobility group box1 via the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway in lung epithelial cells |
| title_short | Glycyrrhizin suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting high-mobility group box1 via the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway in lung epithelial cells |
| title_sort | glycyrrhizin suppresses epithelial mesenchymal transition by inhibiting high mobility group box1 via the tgf β1 smad2 3 pathway in lung epithelial cells |
| topic | Glycyrrhizin High-mobility group box1 Epithelial-mesenchymal transition TGF-β1 Chronic airway diseases Lung epithelial cells |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/8514.pdf |
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