Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (35): 7519-7528.doi: 10.12307/2025.961

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Mechanism of Mongolian medicine Echinops sphaerocephalus L. in proliferation and angiogenesis of vascular endothelial cells

Fang Yuan1, 2, Qian Zhiyong3, He Yuanhada3, Wang Haiyan3, Sha Lirong1, Li Xiaohe3, Liu Jing4, He Yachao4, Zhang Kai5, Temribagen6   

  1. 1Graduate School, 3Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medicine, 4Bayannur Clinical College of Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; 2Bayannur Hospital, Bayannur 015000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; 5Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Ulanqab, Ulanqab 012000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; 6Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Hohhot TCM Mongolian Hospital, Hohhot 010000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
  • Received:2024-10-09 Accepted:2024-12-12 Online:2025-12-18 Published:2025-04-30
  • Contact: Wang Haiyan, Master, Professor, Master’s supervisor, Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China Co-corresponding author: Li Xiaohe, MD, Professor, Doctoral supervisor, Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
  • About author:Fang Yuan, Master candidate, Attending physician, Graduate School, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Bayannur Hospital, Bayannur 015000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
  • Supported by:
    Inner Mongolia Health Science and Technology Project, No. 202201188 (to WHY); Inner Mongolia Higher Education Innovation Team Development Plan, Nos. NMGIRT2419 (to WHY) and NMGIRT2227 (to LXH); Scientific Research Project of Mongolian Medicine Collaborative Innovation Center of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2021, No. MYYXTYB202104 (to LXH); Key Research Project of Inner Mongolia Medical University in 2021, No. YKD2021ZD001 (to LXH); 2021 Ulanqab Science and Technology Basic Research Project, No. 2021JC321 (to ZK); Inner Mongolia Natural Science Foundation Project, No. 2022MS08051 (to Temribagen)

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Abstract: BACKGROUND: Mongolian medicine Echinops sphaerocephalus L. is a commonly used medicine for bone injury in Mongolian medicine. It is effective for tendon injury, fracture, bone nonunion, bone fever, tingling, sore and other diseases. Our previous studies have confirmed that Mongolian medicine Echinops sphaerocephalus L. can promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, but its effect on angiogenesis in the process of bone defect repair is unknown.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Echinops sphaerocephalus L. on in vitro angiogenesis in human umbilical vein vascular endothelial cells and to explore the angiogenesis-promoting active ingredients and their mechanisms of action of Echinops sphaerocephalus L. using network pharmacology technology.
METHODS: The ethanol extract of Echinops sphaerocephalus L. was prepared and preserved by freeze-drying. The proliferation, migration, chemotaxis and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were observed after treatment with different concentrations (1 000, 100, and 10 μg/mL) of Echinops sphaerocephalus L. The active components and possible signaling pathways that promoted angiogenesis were enriched and analyzed by network pharmacology.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The effect of Echinops sphaerocephalus L. on angiogenesis was regulated by its mass concentration: at low mass concentration (10 μg/mL), Echinops sphaerocephalus L. could promote the proliferation, migration, chemotaxis and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein vascular endothelial cells; on the contrary, Echinops sphaerocephalus L. inhibited the proliferation, migration, and chemotaxis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells at high mass concentration (1 000 μg/mL). However, the inhibitory effect of Echinops sphaerocephalus L. on angiogenesis was not significant at high mass concentration due to the limitation of experimental time. 10 μg/mL Echinops sphaerocephalus L. could up-regulate the mRNA expression of angiogenesis-associated factors, including kinase insert domain receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor A, and hypoxia-inducible factor α, and thereby influenced angiogenesis during bone repair. (2) Network pharmacological analyses indicated that Echinops sphaerocephalus L. may bind to eight core targets (TGFB1, TNF, IL-6, STAT3, CTNNB1, IL-1B, AKT1, and HIF-1A) through four core active components (apigenin, caffeic acid, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid) to exert an effect on angiogenesis, atherosclerosis, multiple viral infections, and tumor angiogenesis-related signaling pathways.

Key words: Echinops sphaerocephalus L., human umbilical vein endothelial cells, angiogenesis, cell proliferation, network pharmacology, engineered tissue construction

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