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Effects of Corydalis saxicola Bunting total alkaloids on lipopolysaccharide‑induced inflammatory responses in human oral epithelial cells

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Oral mucositis is a common inflammatory condition affecting the oral mucosa, for which effective therapeutic options remain limited.Corydalis saxicola Bunting total alkaloids (CSBTA) have been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity in several experimental models; however, their effects on inflammatory responses in oral epithelial cells have not been fully elucidated.The present study evaluated the effects of CSBTA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in human oral epithelial cells (HOECs) and explored potential molecular mechanisms.Network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking were employed as supplementary approaches to predict potential targets associated with CSBTA and oral mucositis.An in vitro inflammatory model was established by stimulating HOECs with LPS.The mRNA expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and activator protein 1 (AP-1) were determined using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR.The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in cell culture supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the protein expression levels of c-Jun and phosphorylated c-Jun were assessed by western blotting.Network pharmacology analysis suggested that JUN may be associated with the effects of CSBTA and molecular docking indicated favorable binding between JUN and several major alkaloid components of CSBTA.In vitro experiments demonstrated that CSBTA markedly reduced LPS-induced upregulation of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in HOECs.In addition, CSBTA decreased the mRNA and protein expression levels of AP-1-related markers, with effects comparable to those observed following treatment with the AP-1 inhibitor SR11302.In conclusion, CSBTA attenuated LPS-induced inflammatory responses in human oral epithelial cells.These effects may be associated with modulation of AP-1-related signaling, suggesting that CSBTA may warrant further investigation for oral mucosal inflammatory conditions.

Source: Biomedical Reports

DOI: 10.3892/br.2026.2219