Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.
Affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.
Pharmacology. 2020;105(7-8):424-433. doi: 10.1159/000504516. Epub 2020 May 26.
Increased proliferation and migration of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) are key events in the development of asthma. YiQi GuBen is a traditional Chinese medicinal formula shown to effectively reduce the recurrence rate of asthma and induce anti-asthma effects through multiple pathways; however, its potential role in regulating ASMC proliferation and preventing bronchial asthma remains unexplored.
This study investigated the effects of YiQi GuBen formula on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced ASMC proliferation and migration by methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide, wound healing, transwell, and cell cycle assays. The influence of YiQi GuBen formula on nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling-relevant proteins was measured by Western blotting, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay, and ELISA.
We found that pretreatment with YiQi GuBen formula had a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on PDGF-BB-stimulated ASMC proliferation. It also suppressed PDGF-BB-induced ASMC migration and arrested PDGF-BB-induced cell cycle progression. Furthermore, YiQi GuBen formula suppressed PDGF-BB-induced expression of phosphorylated p65 and the release of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 in ASMCs.
In summary, our study shows that YiQi GuBen formula is able to significantly inhibit PDGF-BB-induced ASMC proliferation and migration by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway.
气道平滑肌细胞（ASMCs）的增殖和迁移增加是哮喘发展的关键事件。益气固本是一种中药方剂，已被证明通过多种途径有效降低哮喘复发率并诱导抗哮喘作用；然而，其在调节 ASMC 增殖和预防支气管哮喘中的潜在作用仍未得到探索。
本研究通过噻唑蓝比色法、划痕愈合、Transwell 检测和细胞周期检测，研究了益气固本配方对血小板衍生生长因子（PDGF）-BB 诱导的 ASMC 增殖和迁移的影响。通过 Western blot、实时定量 PCR（RT-qPCR）检测和 ELISA 测定了益气固本配方对核因子-κB（NF-κB）信号相关蛋白的影响。
我们发现，益气固本配方预处理对 PDGF-BB 刺激的 ASMC 增殖具有剂量依赖性抑制作用。它还抑制了 PDGF-BB 诱导的 ASMC 迁移，并阻止了 PDGF-BB 诱导的细胞周期进程。此外，益气固本配方抑制了 PDGF-BB 诱导的磷酸化 p65 表达和 TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6 和 IL-8 等炎症因子在 ASMCs 中的释放。
综上所述，我们的研究表明，益气固本配方通过抑制 NF-κB 信号通路，显著抑制 PDGF-BB 诱导的 ASMC 增殖和迁移。
