Do Nam Yong, Shin Hyun-Jae, Lee Ji-Eun
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chosun University College of Medicine, 365 Plimundaero, Dong-gu, Gwangju 61452, Korea.
Department of Biochemical and Polymer Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea.
Nutr Res Pract. 2017 Apr;11(2):83-89. doi: 10.4162/nrp.2017.11.2.83. Epub 2017 Feb 15.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in not only cancer development and metastasis but also non-cancerous conditions. Hypoxia is one of the proposed critical factors contributing to formation of chronic rhinosinusitis or nasal polyposis. Wheatgrass () has antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we analyzed whether wheatgrass has an inhibitory effect on the EMT process in airway epithelial cells.
MATERIALS/METHODS: A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells were incubated in hypoxic conditions (CO 5%/O 1%) for 24 h in the presence of different concentrations of wheatgrass extract (50, 75, 100, and 150 µg/mL) and changes in expression of epithelial or mesenchymal markers were evaluated by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. Accordingly, associated EMT-related transcriptional factors, Snail and Smad, were also evaluated.
Hypoxia increased expression of N-cadherin and reduced expression of E-cadherin. Mechanistically, E-cadherin levels were recovered during hypoxia by silencing hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α or administering wheatgrass extract. Wheatgrass inhibited the hypoxia-mediated EMT by reducing the expression of phosphorylated Smad3 (pSmad3) and Snail. It suppressed the hypoxia-mediated EMT processes of airway epithelial cells via HIF-1α and the pSmad3 signaling pathway.
These results suggest that wheatgrass has potential as a therapeutic or supplementary agent for HIF-1-related diseases.
背景/目的：上皮-间质转化（EMT）不仅参与癌症的发展和转移，还与非癌性疾病有关。缺氧是导致慢性鼻窦炎或鼻息肉形成的关键因素之一。小麦草具有抗氧化、抗衰老和抗炎作用。在本研究中，我们分析了小麦草是否对气道上皮细胞的EMT过程具有抑制作用。
材料/方法：将A549人肺腺癌细胞在不同浓度（50、75、100和150μg/mL）的小麦草提取物存在下，于缺氧条件（CO 5%/O 1%）下孵育24小时，并通过免疫印迹和免疫荧光评估上皮或间质标志物表达的变化。相应地，还评估了相关的EMT相关转录因子Snail和Smad。
缺氧增加了N-钙黏蛋白的表达并降低了E-钙黏蛋白的表达。机制上，通过沉默缺氧诱导因子（HIF）-1α或给予小麦草提取物，在缺氧期间E-钙黏蛋白水平得以恢复。小麦草通过降低磷酸化Smad3（pSmad3）和Snail的表达来抑制缺氧介导的EMT。它通过HIF-1α和pSmad3信号通路抑制气道上皮细胞的缺氧介导的EMT过程。
这些结果表明小麦草有潜力作为与HIF-1相关疾病的治疗或补充剂。
