Frontiers in Pharmacology (Jan 2022)

The Japanese Herbal Medicine Hangeshashinto Induces Oral Keratinocyte Migration by Mediating the Expression of CXCL12 Through the Activation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase

  • Kanako Miyano,
  • Kanako Miyano,
  • Seiya Hasegawa,
  • Noriho Asai,
  • Noriho Asai,
  • Miaki Uzu,
  • Wakako Yatsuoka,
  • Takao Ueno,
  • Miki Nonaka,
  • Hideaki Fujii,
  • Yasuhito Uezono,
  • Yasuhito Uezono

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.695039
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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Several clinical studies have reported that Japanese herbal medicine Hangeshashinto (HST) has beneficial effects on chemotherapy-induced oral ulcerative mucositis (OUM). Our previous research demonstrated that HST improves chemotherapy-induced OUM through human oral keratinocyte (HOK) migration, which was suppressed by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) inhibitors. However, the association between these molecules and HOK migration was unclear. Here, we examined the effects of HST on the expression of CXCR4/CXCR7 and C-X-C motif chemokine ligands 11 and 12 (CXCL11/CXCL12) in HOKs. Our results indicated that HST upregulated CXCL12, but not CXCR4, CXCR7, nor CXCL11 in HOKs. HST-induced expression of CXCL12 was significantly suppressed by an inhibitor of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), but not of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). In addition, HST induced phosphorylation of ERK in HOKs. These findings suggest that HST enhances HOK migration by upregulating CXCL12 via ERK.

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