Baicalin promotes extracellular matrix synthesis in chondrocytes via the activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Baicalin promotes extracellular matrix synthesis in chondrocytes via the activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α.
Exp Ther Med. 2020 Dec ;20(6):226. Epub 2020 Oct 15. PMID: 33193840
Pengzhen Wang
Chinese herbal extracts are being used increasingly to treat osteoarthritis (OA) in recent years. Baicalin (BA) is an active component ofextracts and protects chondrocytes against damage. The aim of the present study was to examine the mechanism of action of BA on chondrocytes from mouse articular cartilage. In total, 44µM BA and 10 µM hypoxia-inducible-factor-1α (HIF-1α) inhibitor BAY-87-2243 were screened by the [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium] method. Alcian blue and Safran O staining were used to investigate the synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) in chondrocytes treated with BA. The expression of HIF-1α and chondrogenic marker genes includingandwas detected by western blotting or reverse-transcription quantitative (RT-qPCR), the expression ofand catabolic genes includingandwere detected by RT-qPCR. To investigate the effect of BA on the ECM synthesis of chondrocytes, 44µM BA and 10 µM BAY were chosen for further experimentation. It was confirmed that BA at a concentration of 44 µM could significantly promote the secretion of ECM. The expressions of genes includingandwere elevated following BA pretreatment and decreased by subsequent BAY-87-2243 stimulation for 24 h. Compared with untreated chondrocytes, the expressions of genes includingin chondrocytes treated by BA were downregulated, however, BAY-87-2243 reversed the effect of BA on the genes includingin chondrocytes. The findings of the present study suggest that BA may promote ECM synthesis and marker gene expression in chondrocytes by activating HIF-1α. Therefore, BA may represent a novel clinical drug for OA.