Structural characterization and anti-inflammatory effects of Angelica pubescens polysaccharide APRP50-2-1 in rheumatoid arthritis.

in International journal of biological macromolecules by Wenyu Luo, Binhua Huang, Minzhen Lei, Zhijian Wu, Qian Yu, Dawei Zhang, Chunyan Yan

TLDR

  • This study investigated the anti-rheumatoid arthritis (RA) effects of Angelica pubescens polysaccharides and identified APR50 and APRP50-2-1 as promising candidates for treating RA.
  • Key Insights: The study found that A. pubescens polysaccharides reduced paw swelling in rat CIA model, APR50 and APRP50-2-1 inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of MH7A cells, and modulated BCL-2 and BAX protein expression.

Abstract

Throughout the history of traditional Chinese medicine, Angelica pubescens has been extensively employed to treat inflammatory arthritis. However, little is known about the anti-rheumatoid arthritis (RA) effects of A. pubescens polysaccharides. In this study, four crude polysaccharides (APR50, APR70, APR90, and APRB) were isolated from A. pubescens radix, and the rat model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) was established to evaluate the anti-RA effects of A. pubescens polysaccharides. A. pubescens polysaccharides could effectively reduce the degree of paw swelling in CIA rats, among which the effect of APR50 was comparable to that of methotrexate. A homogenous polysaccharide APRP50-2-1 was purified from APR50. Structural characterization indicated that APRP50-2-1 was primarily composed of glucose, mannose, galactose, and arabinose. The main skeleton of APRP50-2-1 consisted of →4)-α-d-Glcp-(1→, →6)-α-d-Glcp-(1→, and →6,4)-α-d-Galp-(1→ residues. The branched chains of →4)-α-d-Glcp-(1→ and →3)-β-d-Manp-(1→ were substituted at O-4 of →4,6)-α-d-Galp-(1→. APRP50-2-1 inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of MH7A cells by down-regulating the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) and up-regulating the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein BCL2-associated X (BAX). In conclusion, A. pubescens polysaccharides had significant anti-RA effects in rat CIA model, among which APR50 and APRP50-2-1 possessed the promising prospects of ameliorating RA.

Overview

  • The study aimed to investigate the anti-rheumatoid arthritis (RA) effects of Angelica pubescens (A. pubescens) polysaccharides.
  • The researchers isolated four crude polysaccharides (APR50, APR70, APR90, and APRB) from A. pubescens radix and established a rat model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) to evaluate their anti-RA effects.
  • The primary objective was to identify the most effective A. pubescens polysaccharide for treating RA and to elucidate its underlying mechanism of action.

Comparative Analysis & Findings

  • A. pubescens polysaccharides were found to be effective in reducing paw swelling in CIA rats, with APR50 exhibiting a comparable effect to methotrexate.
  • A homogenous polysaccharide APRP50-2-1 was purified from APR50 and was primarily composed of glucose, mannose, galactose, and arabinose.
  • APRP50-2-1 inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of MH7A cells by modulating the expression of BCL-2 and BAX proteins.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The study highlights the potential of A. pubescens polysaccharides as a novel therapy for RA, with APR50 and APRP50-2-1 being promising candidates.
  • Future research should focus on characterizing the detailed mechanism of action of A. pubescens polysaccharides and exploring their potential as a treatment for human RA.
  • The study's findings also underscore the importance of further investigating the effects of A. pubescens polysaccharides on other biomarkers of RA, such as cytokines and chemokines.
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