H-2 increases oxidative stress resistance through DAF-16/FOXO pathways in Caenorhabditis elegans: A new approach to vitiligo treatment

Abstract

Oxidative stress disrupts the homeostasis of the redox state in cells and induces apoptosis. Prolonged oxidative stress can impair the normal function of cells, tissues, and organs and lead to the development of several diseases. H-2 was synthesized by derivatising N-Alkylamides (NAAs) from Anacyclus pyrethrum (L.) DC, which is commonly used in the treatment of vitiligo in Uyghurs. The antioxidant activity and potential molecular mechanisms of H-2 were investigated using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and mouse melanoma cell B16-F10 models. The in vivo anti-vitiligo activity of H-2 was studied using C57BL/6 mice. The results showed that H-2 could increase the survival time of nematodes under oxidative stress, promote the nuclear localization of DAF-16, and enhance the expression of Superoxide Dismutase 3 (SOD-3) in nematodes thereby activating the antioxidant enzyme system. H-2 could affect the survival rate of age-1 and akt-1 mutants under oxidative stress. H-2 could reverse the oxidative stress damage by reducing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content in the Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) -induced oxidative stress damage model of mouse melanoma cells B16-F10. In addition, it was also able to increase the number of melanocytes in the hair follicles of vitiligo model mice and improve the phenomenon of skin damage in mice. In conclusion, our findings suggest that H-2 can alleviate oxidative stress damage in C. elegans and B16-F10, which may be associated with oxidative stress, suppression of antioxidant defences, and transcription factors DAF-16/FOXO, providing beneficial evidence for the application of H-2 in the vitiligo treatment.