State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China; Institute of Innovative Medicine Ingredients of Southwest Specialty Medicinal Materials, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2024 Jan 30;319(Pt 3):117337. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.117337. Epub 2023 Oct 20.
Chuanxiong, the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., is an ancient herbal medicine that has gained extensive popularity in alleviating migraines with satisfying therapeutic effects in China. As the major bioactive component of Chuanxiong, the essential oil also exerts a marked impact on the treatment of migraine. It is widely recognized that neuroinflammation contributes to migraine. However, it remains unknown whether Chuanxiong essential oil has anti-neuroinflammatory activity.
To explore the anti-neuroinflammatory properties of Chuanxiong essential oil and its molecular mechanisms by network pharmacology analysis and in vitro experiments.
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify the chemical components of Chuanxiong essential oil. Public databases were used to predict possible targets, build the protein-protein interaction network (PPI), and perform Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Moreover, cytological experiments, nitric oxide assay, enzyme-link immunosorbent assay, western blotting, and immunofluorescence assay were adopted to prove the critical signaling pathway in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 cells.
Thirty-six compounds were identified from Chuanxiong essential oil by GC-MS, and their corresponding putative targets were predicted. The network pharmacology study identified 232 candidate targets of Chuanxiong essential oil in anti-neuroinflammation. Furthermore, Chuanxiong essential oil was found to potentially affect the C-type lectin receptor, FoxO, and NF-κB signaling pathways according to the KEGG analysis. Experimentally, we verified that Chuanxiong essential oil could significantly reduce the overproduction of inflammatory mediators and pro-inflammatory factors via the NF-κB signaling pathway.
Chuanxiong essential oil alleviates neuroinflammation through the NF-κB signaling pathway, which provides a theoretical foundation for a better understanding of the clinical application of Chuanxiong essential oil in migraine treatment.
川芎，是伞形科藁本属植物川芎的干燥根茎，是一种古老的草药，在中国缓解偏头痛方面具有广泛的知名度，且疗效显著。作为川芎的主要生物活性成分，其挥发油在偏头痛的治疗中也具有显著作用。人们普遍认为神经炎症与偏头痛有关。然而，川芎挥发油是否具有抗神经炎症活性尚不清楚。
通过网络药理学分析和体外实验，探讨川芎挥发油的抗神经炎症特性及其分子机制。
采用气相色谱-质谱联用技术（GC-MS）鉴定川芎挥发油的化学成分。利用公共数据库预测可能的靶点，构建蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用网络（PPI），并进行基因本体（GO）和京都基因与基因组百科全书（KEGG）富集分析。此外，采用细胞学实验、一氧化氮测定、酶联免疫吸附试验、蛋白质印迹和免疫荧光试验，证明川芎挥发油在脂多糖（LPS）诱导的 BV2 细胞中的关键信号通路。
GC-MS 鉴定出川芎挥发油中的 36 种化合物，并预测了其相应的潜在靶点。网络药理学研究鉴定出川芎挥发油抗神经炎症的 232 个候选靶点。此外，根据 KEGG 分析，川芎挥发油可能通过 C 型凝集素受体、FoxO 和 NF-κB 信号通路发挥作用。实验结果表明，川芎挥发油可通过 NF-κB 信号通路显著降低炎症介质和促炎因子的过度产生。
川芎挥发油通过 NF-κB 信号通路缓解神经炎症，为更好地理解川芎挥发油在偏头痛治疗中的临床应用提供了理论依据。
