Volume 37, Issue 7 pp. 3025-3041
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Homoplantaginin attenuates high glucose-induced vascular endothelial cell apoptosis through promoting autophagy via the AMPK/TFEB pathway

Lili Fan

Lili Fan

School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China

Search for more papers by this author
Xueying Zhang

Xueying Zhang

School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China

Search for more papers by this author
Yihai Huang

Yihai Huang

School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China

Search for more papers by this author
Baobao Zhang

Baobao Zhang

School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China

Search for more papers by this author
Wenjing Li

Wenjing Li

School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China

Search for more papers by this author
Qingru Shi

Qingru Shi

School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China

Search for more papers by this author
Yining Lin

Corresponding Author

Yining Lin

School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China

Correspondence

Feihua Wu and Yining Lin, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, China.

Email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Search for more papers by this author
Feihua Wu

Corresponding Author

Feihua Wu

School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China

Correspondence

Feihua Wu and Yining Lin, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, China.

Email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 06 March 2023
Citations: 2

Lili Fan and Xueying Zhang contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

Vascular endothelial cell (VEC) injury is a key factor in the development of diabetic vascular complications. Homoplantaginin (Hom), one of the main flavonoids from Salvia plebeia R. Br. has been reported to protect VEC. However, its effects and mechanisms against diabetic vascular endothelium remain unclear. Here, the effect of Hom on VEC was assessed using high glucose (HG)-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells and db/db mice. In vitro, Hom significantly inhibited apoptosis and promoted autophagosome formation and lysosomal function such as lysosomal membrane permeability and the expression of LAMP1 and cathepsin B. The antiapoptosis effect of Hom was reversed by autophagy inhibitor chloroquine phosphate or bafilomycin A1. Furthermore, Hom promoted gene expression and nuclear translocation of transcription factor EB (TFEB). TFEB gene knockdown attenuated the effect of Hom on upregulating lysosomal function and autophagy. Moreover, Hom activated adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) and inhibited the phosphorylation of mTOR, p70S6K, and TFEB. These effects were attenuated by AMPK inhibitor Compound C. Molecular docking showed a good interaction between Hom and AMPK protein. Animal studies indicated that Hom effectively upregulated the protein expression of p-AMPK and TFEB, enhanced autophagy, reduced apoptosis, and alleviated vascular injury. These findings revealed that Hom ameliorated HG-mediated VEC apoptosis by enhancing autophagy via the AMPK/mTORC1/TFEB pathway.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

Data available on request from the authors.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.