<p><em>Lycium barbarum</em> Polysaccharide Inhibited Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 in COPD Patients</p>
Lijun Chen, Xu Wang, Yaping Li, Liting Ma, Huifang Zhang, Xiaobo Huang, Genggeng Yu, Xiuqin Ma, Chao Chen, Yanhong Liu, Jie Wu, Lijun Wang, Yuan Xu
Abstract
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic airway inflammatory disease characterized by irreversible airflow obstruction. Pathogenic mechanisms underlying COPD remain largely unknown. Objective: The current study was designed to explore serum concentration of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in stable COPD patients and the potential effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) on HIF-1α protein expression. Methods: Serum HIF-1α was quantified by ELISA in 102 stable COPD patients before and after 2-week orally taken LBP (100 mL/time, twice daily, 5– 15 mg/mL). Correlation of serum LBP and lung function (FEV1%) or blood gas (PO 2 and PCO 2 ) was also analyzed. As a control, 105 healthy subjects were also enrolled into this study. Results: Serum concentration of HIF-1α was significantly higher in the stable COPD patients (37.34 ± 7.20 pg/mL) than that in the healthy subjects (29.55 ± 9.66 pg/mL, P < 0.001). Oral administration of LBP (5 mg/mL, 100 mL, twice daily for 2 weeks) not only relieved COPD symptoms but also significantly reduced serum HIF-1α concentration (36.94 ± 9.23 vs 30.49 ± 6.42 pg/mL, P < 0.05). In addition, level of serum HIF-1α concentration was significantly correlated with PCO 2 (r = 0.283, P < 0.001), but negatively and significantly correlated with PO 2 (r = − 0.490, P =0.005) or FEV1%(r = − 0.420, P =0.018). Conclusion: These findings suggested that activation of HIF-1 signaling pathway may be involved in the pathophysiology of COPD and that stabilization of serum HIF-1α concentration by LBP might benefit the stable COPD patients. Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, hypoxia-induced factor 1, HIF-1, Lycium barbarum polysaccharides, LBP