Dihydrogeodin from Fennellia flavipes Modulates Platelet Aggregation via Downregulation of Calcium Signaling, αIIbβ3 Integrins, MAPK, and PI3K/Akt Pathways
Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, frequently arising from platelet hyperactivation and subsequent thrombus formation. Although conventional antiplatelet therapies are available, challenges, such as drug resistance and bleeding complications, require the development of novel agents. In this study, dihydrogeodin (DHG) was isolated from <i>Fennellia flavipes</i> and evaluated using platelets derived from Sprague-Dawley rats. Platelet aggregation induced by collagen, adenosine diphosphate, or thrombin was assessed by light transmission aggregometry; DHG significantly reduced aggregation in a dose-dependent manner. Further assays demonstrated that DHG suppressed intracellular calcium mobilization, adenosine triphosphate release, and integrin αIIbβ<sub>3</sub>-dependent fibrinogen binding, thereby impairing clot retraction. Western blot analysis revealed that DHG reduced the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERK, JNK, p38) and PI3K/Akt, indicating inhibition across multiple platelet-signaling pathways. Additionally, SwissADME-assisted pharmacokinetics predicted favorable properties without violations of the Lipinski (Pfizer) filter, Muegge (Bayer) filter, Ghose filter, Veber filter, and Egan filter, and network pharmacology revealed inhibition of calcium and MAPK pathways. These results highlight the potential of DHG as a novel antiplatelet agent with broad-spectrum activity and promising drug-like characteristics. Further studies are warranted to assess its therapeutic window, safety profile, and potential for synergistic use with existing antiplatelet drugs.
Authors
- Man Hee Rhee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3088-1318)
- Hyung‐Kyu Chae (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6876-9460)
- Sung‐Dae Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9891-8888)
- Dae-Cheol Choi
- Dongmi Kwak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0876-3179)
- Abdul Wahab Akram (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0244-1945)
- Bong-Sik Yun
Institutions
- Kyungpook National University (KR)
- Jeonbuk National University (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Marine Drugs
- Published
- 2025-05-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/md23050212
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Antiplatelet Therapy and Cardiovascular Diseases
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.16
Funders
- National Research Foundation
- Kyungpook National University
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea