Inhibition of Histone Lactylation by Dichloromethane Extract From Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch on Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells

Histone lactylation, a recently identified post-translational modification, is closely linked to the pathogenesis and progression of malignant tumors, making it a promising therapeutic target for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Increasing clinical and experimental evidence indicates that elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels serve as both a diagnostic biomarker and an indicator of poor prognosis in AML, reflecting enhanced glycolytic activity and chemotherapy resistance. Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch (PS), a traditional medicinal herb, exhibits broad pharmacological activities, including heat-clearing, detoxifying, antibacterial, antiviral, and antitumor effects. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its antileukemic activity, particularly in AML, remain insufficiently defined. To elucidate how DEPS exerts therapeutic effects in AML through the HIF-1α-histone lactylation axis, we systematically established the association between DEPS-mediated inhibition of histone lactylation and cellular hypoxia. Lactylation pan-antibody incubation confirmed preliminarily that DEPS significantly inhibits histone lactylation modification. Lactate restoration experiments further demonstrated that DEPS markedly suppresses lactate-induced activation of HIF-1α signaling, reducing downstream metabolic proteins and VEGFA expression. Under hypoxic conditions, AML cells displayed increased proliferation and histone lactylation, both of which were attenuated by DEPS treatment. Sodium L-lactate enhanced the expression of HIF-1α and its downstream effectors (HK2, PDK1, PKM2, GLUT1, LDHA, and VEGFA), whereas subsequent DEPS exposure significantly reversed these changes. Ultimately, DEPS inhibits H3/H4 lysine lactylation, induces G2/M cell-cycle arrest, and promotes apoptosis in THP-1 and HL-60 cells, including doxorubicin-resistant HL-60 cells. Collectively, our findings reveal previously uncharacterized antileukemic mechanisms of DEPS involving suppression of the HIF-1α signaling pathway and histone lactylation. These results highlight the importance of epigenetic regulation in AML and support the therapeutic potential of DEPS in AML treatment and reversal of chemoresistance.