Baicalin confers hepatoprotective effect against alcohol-associated liver disease by upregulating microRNA-205.

ABSTRACT

Recently, baicalin refers to flavonoid compound extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi has been indicated to hold promising therapeutic effects in alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). However, knowledge of the molecular mechanisms for its hepatoprotective effect is still very limited. Evidence exists suggesting potential association between miR-205 and baicalin's function. Bioinformatic analysis and dual luciferase reporter assay were conducted to determine the binding affinity between miR-205 and importinα5. Our findings revealed that baicalin could alleviate ALD by raising the expression of miR-205. Additionally, miR-205 repressed NF-κB signaling pathway activation by binding to importinα5 to relieve ALD. Baicalin inhibited importinα5-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway to protect the liver against alcohol-induced injury, inflammation, oxidative stress and hepatocyte apoptosis. Taken conjointly, baicalin confers hepatoprotective effect against ALD through miR-205-mediated importinα5 inhibition via the NF-κB signaling pathway, highlighting a promising therapeutic target for ALD treatment with the help of traditional Chinese medicine.