Yoshio Ryoma, Iwashita Jun
Faculty of Bioresource Sciences, Akita Prefectural University, Akita 010-0195, Japan.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Aug 21;26(16):8076. doi: 10.3390/ijms26168076.
The human airway surface is covered by a mucus layer composed primarily of the mucins MUC5AC and MUC5B. Excessive mucin production and secretion by airway epithelial cells in patients with asthma result in airway obstruction and worsened asthma symptoms. This study investigated the effects of liquiritin, a widely used flavonoid, on intracellular and secreted MUC5AC and MUC5B levels in the NCI-H292 human airway epithelial cell line. Liquiritin treatment suppressed both mucin types in a dose-dependent manner, accompanied by decreased activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38. The effect of liquiritin was further examined in cells stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) to induce excessive mucin production and secretion. Liquiritin dose-dependently reduced PMA-induced increases in intracellular and secreted MUC5AC and MUC5B levels as well as PMA-induced ERK and p38 activity. Overall, these results suggest that liquiritin reduces intracellular and secreted MUC5AC and MUC5B levels by suppressing the ERK and/or p38 signaling pathway.
人类气道表面覆盖着一层主要由粘蛋白MUC5AC和MUC5B组成的粘液层。哮喘患者气道上皮细胞粘蛋白产生和分泌过多会导致气道阻塞并使哮喘症状恶化。本研究调查了广泛使用的类黄酮甘草素对NCI-H292人气道上皮细胞系中细胞内和分泌的MUC5AC和MUC5B水平的影响。甘草素处理以剂量依赖性方式抑制了两种粘蛋白类型，同时细胞外信号调节激酶（ERK）和p38的活性降低。在用佛波醇12-肉豆蔻酸酯13-乙酸酯（PMA）刺激以诱导过多粘蛋白产生和分泌的细胞中进一步研究了甘草素的作用。甘草素剂量依赖性地降低了PMA诱导的细胞内和分泌的MUC5AC和MUC5B水平的增加以及PMA诱导的ERK和p38活性。总体而言，这些结果表明甘草素通过抑制ERK和/或p38信号通路降低细胞内和分泌的MUC5AC和MUC5B水平。
