ABSTRACT
Atractylodin (ATL) has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory effects. Osteogenic changes induced by inflammation in valve interstitial cells (VICs) play a key role in the development of calcified aortic valve disease (CAVD). This study aimed to investigate the anti-calcification effects of ATL on aortic valves. Human VICs (hVICs) were exposed to osteogenic induction medium (OM) containing ATL to investigate cell viability, osteogenic gene and protein expression, and anti-calcification effects. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) metabolomics analysis was used to detect changes in the metabolites of hVICs stimulated with OM before and after ATL administration. The compound-reaction-enzyme-gene network was used to identify drug targets. Gene interference was used to verify the targets. ApoE-/- mice fed a high-fat (HF) diet were used to evaluate the inhibition of aortic valve calcification by ATL. Treatment with 20 µM ATL in OM prevented calcified nodule accumulation and decreases in the gene and protein expression levels of ALP, RUNX2, and IL-1ß. Differential metabolite analysis showed that D-mannose was highly associated with the anti-calcification effect of ATL. The addition of D-mannose prevented calcified nodule accumulation and inhibited succinate-mediated HIF-1α activation and IL-1ß production. The target of ATL was identified as GLA. Silencing of the GLA gene (si-GLA) reversed the anti-osteogenic differentiation of ATL. In vivo, ATL ameliorated aortic valve calcification by preventing decreases in GLA expression and the up-regulation of IL-1ß expression synchronously. In conclusion, ATL is a potential drug for the treatment of CAVD by targeting GLA to regulate D-mannose metabolism, thereby inhibiting succinate-mediated HIF-1α activation and IL-1ß production.