Effect of Ligustrazine on Lipopolysaccharide-induced Inflammatory Response of Vascular Endothelial Cells and its Possible Mechanism

Abstract

Background Endothelial cell (EC) inflammation plays a crucial role in the development of several cardiovascular disorders (CD), including atherosclerosis and sepsis. Ligustrazine (Lig), a bioactive constituent derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort, has exhibited in vivo anti-inflammatory properties. Despite the observed positive outcomes, the exact mechanisms underlying these beneficial effects remain unidentified. Aim The goal of this research is to investigate the influence and potential mechanism of Lig on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Introduction These experiments investigate the effectiveness of Lig in preventing LPS-induced damage in HUVECs, with the goal of elucidating the underlying processes at work. Materials and Methods To evaluate HUVECs’ viability, a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was conducted. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to measure changes in ICAM-1, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) levels. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to determine the levels of ICAM-1, IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1, and toll-like receptors (TLR4) mRNA. Additionally, we performed WB analysis to assess the levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65, TLR4, IκBα, and p-IκBα. Results The findings demonstrated significantly suppressed cell viability due to LPS treatment, while Lig treatment increased cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. Lig also effectively reduced the mRNA levels of ICAM-1, TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1. Furthermore, Lig pretreatment led to downregulation of TLR4, p-IκBα, and NF-κB p65 in HUVECs. Discussion The findings indicate that Lig reduces LPS-induced inflammation in HUVECs, and that the TLR4/NF-κB pathway is critical in increasing cell survival and minimizing inflammatory damage. This provides possible anti-inflammatory techniques for treating CD. Conclusion In conclusion, our work demonstrates Lig’s anti-inflammatory actions on LPS-stimulated HUVECs. The data suggest that Lig lowers inflammation via regulating the TLR4/NF-B pathway, boosting cell survival, and decreasing inflammatory responses.