Abstract:
The P2Y14 receptor (P2Y
14R) contributes to inflammatory responses in sepsis, but pharmacological opportunities for targeting this receptor remain limited. We screened a natural product library using a structure-based approach and tested four selected compounds for P2Y
14R antagonism. Caftaric acid was the most active candidate (IC
50 = 5.631 μmol·L
−1). Cellular thermal shift assays indicated target engagement, and surface plasmon resonance measured direct binding (KD = 10.11 μmol·L
−1). Mutation of Lys176 to alanine abolished the functional antagonism by caftaric acid. In mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- or cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis, caftaric acid pretreatment improved survival and reduced systemic inflammation and organ injury. Myeloid-specific
P2ry14 deletion produced a similar protective phenotype, with no significant additional benefit from caftaric acid. In LPS/IFN-γ-stimulated macrophages, caftaric acid reduced inflammatory mediators and STAT1-associated signaling, improved mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased the mt-Keima-defined mitophagy-high population. Silencing
P2ry14 or
Stat1 likewise reduced inflammation and increased mitophagy-high cells, whereas subsequent caftaric acid treatment produced no significant further change. Together, these data support P2Y
14R antagonism by caftaric acid and implicate P2Y
14R–STAT1 signaling and macrophage mitophagy in its protective effects under pretreatment conditions.