Puerarin protects vascular smooth muscle cells from oxidized low‑density lipoprotein‑induced reductions in viability via inhibition of the p38 MAPK and JNK signaling pathways

Abstract

Puerarin belongs to the family of flavonoids extracted from Pueraria lobata (Wild.) Ohwi, which exhibits antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic, antitumor, anti-hypertensive and anti-atherosclerotic activities. In the present study, the effects of puerarin on oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-stimulated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were explored to understand the mechanisms underlying the anti-atherosclerotic effects of puerarin. VSMCs were treated with various concentrations of puerarin (0, 20, 40 and 80 µM) prior to stimulation with ox-LDL (50 µg/ml). VSMC viability was evaluated by performing MTT and Cell Counting Kit-8 assays. Moreover, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured by performing ELISAs. The mRNA expression levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Western blotting was conducted to assess the levels of p38-MAPK and JNK phosphorylation. The results indicated that puerarin inhibited ox-LDL-induced VSMC viability. Moreover, puerarin significantly decreased the mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, significantly reduced the production of MDA and significantly increased SOD activity in ox-LDL-stimulated VSMCs. Puerarin also inhibited ox-LDL-induced phosphorylation of p38 and JNK in VSMCs. The results suggested that puerarin reduced ox-LDL-induced VSMC viability via inhibition of the p38 MAPK and JNK signaling pathways. The present study provided theoretical evidence that puerarin may serve as a therapeutic agent to reduce the development of atherosclerosis.

Effects of puerarin on chronic inflammation: Focus on the heart, brain, and arteries

“… 72 Puerarin enhanced the viability of VSMCs treated with ox‐LDL, which was associated with an inhibition of the p‐p38, JNK, and NF‐kB stress inflammatory signaling pathway. 73 Puerarin inhibited the proliferation of VSMCs induced by ox‐LDL via the blockade of ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinase mitogenic signaling and the reduction of cell cycle driving protein PCNA expression. 37 , 74 It is known that an increase in the proliferation of VSMCs drives the arterial intimal medial thickening and the progression of atherosclerosis.…”

Dexmedetomidine Alleviates Inflammatory Response and Oxidative Stress Injury of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell via α2AR/PI3K/AKT Pathway in Intracranial Aneurysm

“…GSK-3β, ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotes, possesses multiple functions in various cellular behaviors, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis [29]. Activated MAPK promotes the proliferation of VSMCs, and MKP-1 is a critical contributor of the inactivated MAPK pathway [30,31]. NRF2 activation promotes the production of the antioxidant response element (ARE), inducing the reduction in the oxidative stress [32].…”

Studies of the Anti-Diabetic Mechanism of Pueraria lobata Based on Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology

“…Surprisingly, puerarin, the main active and characteristic marker components for Pueraria lobata in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (The State Pharmacopoeia Commission of China, 2020), exhibited low OB and DL. Nevertheless, puerarin had lipid-and glucoselowering effects in the treatment of obesity and DM [26][27][28], together with anti-inflammation effects, and the improvement of cardiovascular problems [29][30][31]. In summary, it was reasonable to believe that the 19 differentiated compounds could be listed as potential effective pharmacological activities for Pueraria lobata (Table 1).…”