Lactucin & Lactucopicrin ameliorates FFA-induced steatosis in HepG2 cells via modulating lipid metabolism

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases, and there are no effective drugs available so far. Lactucin and Lactucopicrin belong to sesquiterpene lactones and are extracted from Cichorium glandulosum Boiss. et Huet (CG) possesses multiple biopharmacological activities. However, the therapeutic effects of both Lactucin and Lactucopicrin on many diseases and their underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we analyzed the both natural compounds hypolipidemic effects on FFA-induced HepG2 cells and their potential mechanisms based on transcriptomics and experimental tests. Our results indicated that Lactucin (10 μM) and Lactucopicrin (20 μM) remarkably reduced TG accumulation. Transcriptomics analysis identified 1960, 1645, and 1791 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and obtained 611 and 635 specific genes in different comparisons, respectively. The enrichment analysis and experimental validations (RT-qPCR and Western Blot) showed that their hypolipidemic activities were most probably exerted via regulating numerous key DEGs involved in lipid metabolism. Taken together, both Lactucin and Lactucopicrin may represent potent hepatoprotective agents. Both of them exhibited therapeutic effects against liver diseases such as NAFLD by regulating multi-gene and proteins like HADHA, ADAM17, SQSTM1, and GBA and modulating multi-pathways like fatty acid oxidation metabolic signaling.