Oriental herbal medicine with the two bioactive constituents, β-eudesmol (BE) and atractylodin (AT), has been used as a remedy for gastrointestinal disorders. There was no scientific evidence reporting their antidiarrheal effect and underpinning mechanisms. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the anti-secretory activity of these two compounds in vitro. The inhibitory effect of BE and AT on cAMP-induced Cl secretion was evaluated by Ussing chamber in human intestinal epithelial (T84) cells. Short-circuit current (I) and apical Cl current (I-) were measured after adding indirect and direct cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel activator. MTT assay was used to determine cellular cytotoxicity. Protein-ligand interaction was investigated by in silico molecular docking analysis. BE, but not AT concentration-dependently (IC of ~1.05 µM) reduced cAMP-mediated, CFTR-172 inhibitable Cl secretion as determined by transepithelial I across a monolayer of T84 cells. Potency of CFTR-mediated I- inhibition by BE did not change with the use of different CFTR activators suggesting a direct blockage of the channel active site(s). Pretreatment with BE completely prevented cAMP-induced I-. Furthermore, BE at concentrations up to 200 µM (24 h) had no effect on T84 cell viability. In silico studies indicated that BE could best dock onto dephosphorylated structure of CFTR at ATP-binding pockets in nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) 2 region. These findings provide the first evidence for the anti-secretory effect of BE involving inhibition of CFTR function. BE represents a promising candidate for the therapeutic or prophylactic intervention of diarrhea resulted from intestinal hypersecretion of Cl.
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