Oh Yong Jin, Seo Chang-Seob, Jin Seong Eun, Shin Hyeun-Kyoo, Ha Hyekyung
KM Science Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34054, Korea.
College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu, 42601, Korea.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 3;15(1):23723. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-04960-y.
Antae-eum (ATE), a traditional herbal formula consisting of ten medicinal herbs, has been primarily used for fetal health and the alleviation of abdominal pain during pregnancy. However, comprehensive experimental studies on its pharmacological effects and mechanisms of action are lacking. Local inflammatory responses in the uterus play a crucial role in embryo implantation and early placental development, while excessive inflammation can lead to implantation failure, recurrent miscarriage, and preeclampsia. In the present study, we hypothesized that ATE may help promote pregnancy stability by modulating the inflammatory responses during pregnancy, and investigated the effect of ATE on the inflammatory response. First, the marker compounds in ATE were identified using a high-performance liquid chromatography system. Then, we assessed inflammatory cytokine production, expression changes related to inflammatory signaling, as well as the expression and flux of autophagic markers in RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In ATE, the nineteen marker compounds including baicalin, hesperidin, paeoniflorin, and wogonoside were detected, and the most abundant was baicalin. The anti-inflammatory effect of ATE is achieved by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine production and further downregulating the TLR4-mediated MAPK and NF-κB signalings. ATE suppressed autophagic flux by disrupting the accumulation of FOXO3a. In summary, our results indicate that ATE exerts anti-inflammatory effects by the blockade of autophagic flux. These findings suggest that ATE has potential as a therapeutic agent for various inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory-related reproductive disorders.
安胎饮(ATE)是一种由十种草药组成的传统中药配方,主要用于安胎和缓解孕期腹痛。然而,目前缺乏关于其药理作用和作用机制的全面实验研究。子宫局部炎症反应在胚胎着床和早期胎盘发育中起关键作用,而过度炎症会导致着床失败、复发性流产和先兆子痫。在本研究中,我们假设ATE可能通过调节孕期炎症反应来促进妊娠稳定性,并研究了ATE对炎症反应的影响。首先,使用高效液相色谱系统鉴定了ATE中的标志性化合物。然后,我们评估了脂多糖(LPS)刺激的RAW 264.7巨噬细胞中炎症细胞因子的产生、与炎症信号相关的表达变化,以及自噬标志物的表达和通量。在ATE中,检测到了包括黄芩苷、橙皮苷、芍药苷和汉黄芩苷在内的19种标志性化合物,其中含量最高的是黄芩苷。ATE的抗炎作用是通过减少促炎细胞因子的产生,并进一步下调TLR4介导的MAPK和NF-κB信号通路来实现的。ATE通过破坏FOXO3a的积累来抑制自噬通量。总之,我们的结果表明ATE通过阻断自噬通量发挥抗炎作用。这些发现表明,ATE有潜力作为治疗包括炎症相关生殖障碍在内的各种炎症性疾病的药物。