Gene Expression Profiles and Antioxidant Effects of Houttuynia cordata Thunb Extract in Human Keratinocyte HaCaT Cells

인간 피부각질세포 HaCaT에서 어성초 추출물의 유전체 발현 분석 및 항산화 효과

Abstract

Based on the antioxidative effects in organic solvent fractions obtained from the main methanolic extract of Houttuynia cordata Thunb, the cytoprotective effects by oxidative-stress were here analyzed. Regarding the antioxidant activity of organic solvent fractions, the electron-donating ability of DPPH increased in a dose-dependent manner, and $ED_{50}$ exhibited the highest concentration at $175{\mu}g/ml$ in the Hc-EtOAc fraction. The cell viability of Hc-EtOAc fractions on $H_2O_2$-induced HaCaT cell death ($IC_{50}$) increased in a concentration-dependent manner and a visible cell survival rate of 74% was observed at a concentration of $100{\mu}g/ml$. Meanwhile, the gene expression patterns in HaCaT cells treated with $100{\mu}g/ml$ of the Hc-EtOAc fraction for 6 and 24 hr were identified with microarray analysis. The genes involved in signal transduction, cell division, antioxidant activity, and epithelial cell proliferation were found to be 2-fold up-regulated genes in HaCaT cells following the Hc-EtOAc fraction treatment. Especially, proinflammatory cytokines (IL1B, TNF, and IL6) were identified as involved in antioxidant activity based on the expression patterns of the HaCaT cells, and pathway analysis indicated that TLR4 might be considered an upstream regulator of these genes. In order to verify the activity of IL1B, TNF, and IL6, qRT-PCR showed that the expression increased more than 2 times in HaCaT cells treated with at least $100{\mu}g/ml$ of the Hc-EtOAc fraction. The activity of the upstream regulator TLR4 protein was also increased by the Hc-EtOAc fraction. As a result, the antioxidative activity of the Hc-EtOAc fraction is predicted to pass from TLR4 through cytokines such as IL1B, TNF, and IL6.

본 연구는 어성초(Houttuynia cordata Thunb)의 메탄올 추출에 의한 유기 용매별 분획물에서 항산화 효과를 근거로 산화적 스트레스에 의한 HaCaT 세포보호 효과를 확인하였다. 용매별 분획물의 항산화 활성은 시료의 농도가 증가할수록 DPPH에 대한 전자공여능도 증가하였으며, $ED_{50}$은 ethyl acetate (EtOAc) 분획물에서 $175{\mu}g/ml$로 가장 높게 나타났다. $H_2O_2$에 의해 유도된 HaCaT 세포의 세포사멸($IC_{50}$)에 대하여 Hc-EtOAc 분획물은 농도 의존적으로 유의적인 세포 생존율과, $100{\mu}g/ml$ 농도에서 74%의 세포보호 효과를 나타내었다. 한편 $100{\mu}g/ml$의 Hc-EtOAc 분획물을 6 및 24시간 동안 HaCaT 세포에 처리하여 유전자 발현 양상을 분석하였다. 2 배 이상 발현이 증가된 유전자들은 신호전달, 세포분열, 항산화 활성, 상피세포 증식 등에 작용하는 것으로 나타났다. 특히 항산화 활성에 관여할 것으로 추정되는 유전자는 전염증성 사이토카인인 IL1B, TNF, 그리고 IL6 등 이었으며, 이들 유전자의 상위 조절자로써 TLR4가 확인되었다. IL1B, TNF, 그리고 IL6 유전자의 활성을 검증하기 위하여 qRT-PCR을 수행한 결과, $100{\mu}g/ml$ 이상의 Hc-EtOAc 분획물 처리군에서 2 배 이상 발현이 증가한 것으로 나타났다. 상위 조절자 TLR4 단백질의 활성 역시 Hc-EtOAc 분획물에 의해 증가되었다. 이상의 결과, Hc-EtOAc 분획물에 의한 항산화 활성은 TLR4로부터 IL1B, TNF, IL6과 같은 사이토카인을 경유하는 것으로 예측된다.

Fig. 1. DPPH free radical scavenging activity in various solvents fraction from H. cordata extract.

Fig. 2. Effects of H. cordata extract or H₂O₂ on cell viability in HaCaT cells.

Fig. 3. Cytoprotective effects of Hc-EtOAc fraction against H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in HaCaT cells.

Fig. 4. Gene expression profiles of Hc-EtOAc fraction by microarray analysis.

Fig. 5. Effect of Hc-EtOAc fraction by microarray analysis.

Fig. 6. Effect of Hc-EtOAc fraction on gene expressions of the proinflammatory cytokines IL1B (A), IL6 (B), and TNF (C) in HaCaT cells.

Fig. 7. Expression of up-regulator TLR4. The expression level of up-regulator TLR4 was increased in Hc-EtOAc fraction-treated HaCaT cells.

Table 1. Primer sequences for qPCR

Table 3. The list of >2-fold changed genes (6 or 24 hr) and involved in antioxidant activity by Hc-EtOAc fraction in HaCaT cells

Table 4. The 5 upstream regulators by Hc-EtOAc fraction in HaCaT cells predicted by the upstream regulator analysis in IPA

Table 2. Absorbance changes for organic solvent fractions of Hc or BHT showing DPPH free-radical scavenging activity