1. Academic Validation
  2. Kanglexin, a new anthraquinone compound, attenuates lipid accumulation by activating the AMPK/SREBP-2/PCSK9/LDLR signalling pathway

Kanglexin, a new anthraquinone compound, attenuates lipid accumulation by activating the AMPK/SREBP-2/PCSK9/LDLR signalling pathway

  • Biomed Pharmacother. 2021 Jan:133:110802. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110802.
Xin Li 1 Xueling Hu 2 Tengfei Pan 3 Lei Dong 4 Lili Ding 5 Zhenzhong Wang 6 Rui Song 7 Xiuzhu Wang 8 Ning Wang 9 Yan Zhang 10 Jinhui Wang 11 Baofeng Yang 12
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine - Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Medicine Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. Electronic address: lixin@hrbmu.edu.cn.
  • 2 Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine - Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Medicine Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. Electronic address: 596423749@qq.com.
  • 3 Northern Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China. Electronic address: tf1002@qq.com.
  • 4 Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine - Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Medicine Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. Electronic address: 785749485@qq.com.
  • 5 Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine - Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Medicine Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. Electronic address: 1902164632@qq.com.
  • 6 Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical CO. LTD, Jiangsu, Lianyungang 222001, China; State Key Laboratory of New-tech for Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutical Process, Jiangsu, Lianyungang 222001, China. Electronic address: wzh-nj@163.com.
  • 7 Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine - Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Medicine Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. Electronic address: 438863779@qq.com.
  • 8 Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine - Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Medicine Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. Electronic address: 1450126244@qq.com.
  • 9 Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine - Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Medicine Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China; Northern Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China. Electronic address: wangning@ems.hrbmu.edu.cn.
  • 10 Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine - Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Medicine Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. Electronic address: zhangyan@ems.hrbmu.edu.cn.
  • 11 Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Medicine Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China. Electronic address: 15999290001@163.com.
  • 12 Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine - Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Medicine Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China; Northern Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China. Electronic address: yangbf@ems.hrbmu.edu.cn.
Abstract

Hyperlipidaemia is one of the major risk factors for atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes. In the present study, we synthesized a new anthraquinone compound, 1,8-dihydroxy-3-succinic acid monoethyl ester-6-methylanthraquinone, and named it Kanglexin (KLX). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether KLX has a lipid-lowering effect and to explore the potential molecular mechanism. In this study, Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high fat diet (HFD) for 5 weeks to establish a hyperlipidaemia model; then, the rats were orally administered KLX (20, 40, and 80 mg kg-1·d-1) or atorvastatin calcium (AT, 10 mg kg-1·d-1) once a day for 2 weeks. KLX had prominent effects on reducing blood lipids, hepatic lipid accumulation, body weight and the ratio of liver weight/body weight. Furthermore, KLXdramatically reduced the total Cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels and lipid accumulation in a HepG2 cell model of dyslipidaemia induced by 1 mmol/L oleic acid (OA). KLX may decrease lipid levels by phosphorylating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the downstream sterol regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP-2)/proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9)/low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) signalling pathway in the HFD rats and OA-treated HepG2 cells. The effects of KLX on the AMPK/SREBP-2/PCSK9/LDLR signalling pathway were abolished when AMPK was inhibited by compound C (a specific AMPK Inhibitor) in HepG2 cells. In summary, KLX has an efficient lipid-lowering effect mediated by activation of the AMPK/SREBP-2/PCSK9/LDLR signalling pathway. Our findings may provide new insight into and evidence for the discovery of a new lipid-lowering drug for the prevention and treatment of hyperlipidaemia, fatty liver, and Cardiovascular Disease in the clinic.

Keywords

AMPK/SREBP-2/PCSK9/LDLR signalling pathway; Anthraquinone compound; Fatty liver; Hyperlipidaemia; Kanglexin.

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