Anti-inflammatory Activity of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids from the Leaves of Madhuca pasquieri (Dubard)

A novel pyrrolizidine alkaloids, madhumidine A (1), and two known alkaloids, lindelofidine benzoic acid ester (2) and minalobine B (3) were isolated from the leaves of Madhuca pasquieri (Dubard) H. J. LAM. The chemical structures of these alkaloids were established mainly by NMR techniques and mass spectrometry. Their anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated against lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in macrophage RAW264.7 cell. In addition, the cytotoxic activity of all isolated compounds was tested against a panel of cancer cell lines.

Investigation of selective inhibitory effects of glycyrol on human CYP 1A1 and 2C9

1. Glycyrol is a coumarin derivative isolated from the roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis called Gamcho in Korea and commonly used as a sweetener in oriental medicine. Glycyrol shows several biological activities, including anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-angiogenic, and anti-allergenic properties. Although there have been studies on the biological effects of glycyrol, the inhibitory effects of glycyrol on cytochrome P450 (CYP) activities have not been investigated. 2. We investigated the inhibitory effects of glycyrol on the activities of CYP isoforms using a cocktail of probe substrates in pooled human liver microsome (HLM) and human recombinant cDNA-expressed CYPs. Glycyrol strongly inhibited CYP1A-mediated phenacetin O-deethylation and CYP2C9-mediated diclofenac 4'-hydroxylation in HLMs, which were the result of competitive inhibition as revealed by a Dixon plot. In addition, glycyrol showed selective inhibition of CYP1A1- and CYP1A2-catalyzed phenacetin O-deethylase activity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of (IC50) 1.3 and 16.1 μM in human recombinant cDNA-expressed CYP1A1 and CYP1A2, respectively. 3. Glycyrol decreased CYP2C9-catalyzed diclofenac 4'-hydroxylation activity with IC50 values of 0.67 μM in human recombinant cDNA-expressed CYP2C9. This is the first investigation of competitive inhibitory effects on CYP1A1 and CYP2C9 in HLMs.

Anti-allergic Inflammatory Triterpenoids Isolated from the Spikes of Prunella vulgaris

Twelve known triterpenoids (1-12) and two steroids (13 and 14) have been isolated from the spike of the plant Prunella vulgaris. Among them, 2α,3α,23-trihydroxyursa-12,20(30)-dien-28-oic acid (10) was isolated for the first time from this plant. All isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effect on the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and release of histamine in human mast cells. β-Amyrin (5), 10, and euscaphic acid (12) showed suppression of histamine release with percentage inhibitions of 46.7, 57.9, and 54.2%, respectively. In addition, 5 and 10 showed strong inhibition of TNF-α and IL-6 in the test for pro-inflammatory cytokines. Our results suggest that compounds 5 and 10 largely contribute to the anti-allergic inflammatory effect of P. vulgaris.

Anti-allergic Inflammatory Triterpenoids Isolated from the Spikes of Prunella Vulgaris

Twelve known triterpenoids (1–12) and two steroids (13 and 14) have been isolated from the spike of the plant Prunella vulgaris. Among them, 2α,3α,23-trihydroxyursa-12,20(30)-dien-28-oic acid (10) was isolated for the first time from this plant. All isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effect on the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and release of histamine in human mast cells. β-Amyrin (5), 10, and euscaphic acid (12) showed suppression of histamine release with percentage inhibitions of 46.7, 57.9, and 54.2%, respectively. In addition, 5 and 10 showed strong inhibition of TNF-α and IL-6 in the test for pro-inflammatory cytokines. Our results suggest that compounds 5 and 10 largely contribute to the anti-allergic inflammatory effect of P. vulgaris.

Malva verticillata seed extracts upregulate the Wnt pathway in human dermal papilla cells

OBJECTIVE

Mesenchymal-epithelial interactions are important in controlling hair growth and the hair cycle. The β-catenin pathway of dermal papilla cells (DPCs) plays a pivotal role in morphogenesis and normal regeneration of hair follicles. Deletion of β-catenin in the dermal papilla reduces proliferation of the hair follicle progenitor cells that generate the hair shaft and induces an early onset of the catagen phase. In this study, a modulator of the Wnt/β-catenin activity was studied in oriental herb extracts on cultured human DPCs.

METHODS

The effect of Malva verticillata (M. verticillata) seeds on human DPCs was investigated by a Wnt/β-catenin reporter activity assay system (β-catenin-TCF/LEF reporter gene) and cell proliferation analysis. The synthesis of the factors related to hair growth and cycling was measured at both the mRNA and the protein level by semi-quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively.

RESULTS

An extract from M. verticillata seeds increased Wnt reporter activity in a concentration-dependent manner and also led to increased β-catenin levels in cultured human DPCs. Myristoleic acid, identified as an effective compound of M. verticillata seeds, stimulated the proliferation of DPCs in a dose-dependent manner and increased transcription levels of the downstream targets: IGF-1, KGF, VEGF and HGF. Myristoleic acid also enhanced the phosphorylation of MAPKs (Akt and p38).

CONCLUSION

Overall, the data suggest that this extract of M. verticillata seeds could be a good candidate for treating hair loss by modulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in DPCs.

Kinetics and molecular docking studies of cholinesterase inhibitors derived from water layer of Lycopodiella cernua (L.) Pic. Serm. (II)

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors increase the availability of acetylcholine in central cholinergic synapses and are the most promising drugs currently available for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our screening study indicated that the water fraction of the methanolic extract of Lycopodiella cernua (L.) Pic. Serm. significantly inhibited AChE in vitro. Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the isolation of a new lignan glycoside, lycocernuaside A (12), and fourteen known compounds (1-11 and 13-15). Compound 7 exhibited the most potent AChE inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 0.23 μM. Compound 15 had the most potent inhibitory activity against BChE and BACE1 with IC50 values of 0.62 and 2.16 μM, respectively. Compounds 4 and 7 showed mixed- and competitive-type AChE inhibition. Compound 7 noncompetitively inhibited BChE whereas 15 showed competitive and 8, 13, and 14 showed mixed-type inhibition. The docking results for complexes with AChE or BChE revealed that inhibitors 4, 7, and 15 stably positioned themselves in several pocket/catalytic domains of the AChE and BChE residues.

Enhanced Cellular Uptake of Silica-Coated Magnetite Nanoparticles Compared with PEG-Coated Ones in Stem Cells

Monodispersed magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared through the thermal decomposition method. The obtained NPs were surface modified with silica (SiO2) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), to enhance their stability in aqueous environment and their cellular uptake efficiency for biomedical applications. The NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The cytotoxicity of these NPs on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) was measured by MTT assay (cell viability test) at various concentrations (2, 5, 12.5, 25, and 50 µg/mL). The cells remained more than 90% viable at concentrations as high as 50 µg/mL. To compare the cellular uptake efficiency, these NPs were treated in BM-MSCs and the Fe concentration within the cells was measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) analysis. The uptake process displayed a time- and dose-dependency. The uptake amount of SiO2-coated Fe3O4 (Fe3O4@SiO2) NPs was about 10 times higher than that of the PEG-coated ones (Fe3O4@PEG).

The Pharmacological Effects of Benachio-F(®) on Rat Gastrointestinal Functions

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a prevalent idiopathic upper gastrointestinal (GI) disorder characterized by diverse symptomatology including epigastric pain or discomfort, postprandial fullness, and early satiety. Although its pathophysiological mechanisms have not yet been fully established, the available studies suggest that the etiology of FD is invariably multifactorial. Benachio-F(®) (BF) is a proprietary liquid formulation of 7 herbal extracts that has been proposed to address this multifactorial etiology using multi-drug phytotherapy. The pharmacological effects of BF, in comparison with those of two other herbal products (Whalmyungsu(®); WM and Iberogast(®); IB) were evaluated in rats. In a laparotomy-induced rat model of delayed GI transit, BF significantly accelerated the delayed gastric emptying caused by morphine, apomorphine, and cisplatin, and also significantly increased mean gastric transit, as compared to the control animals. BF markedly increased gastric accommodation in rats and produced higher gastric volume values than did the control treatment. The effects of BF were generally comparable or superior to those of WM and IB in these models. Furthermore, BF significantly stimulated biliary flow, as compared to the control treatment. These results indicated that BF might have great potential as an effective phytotherapeutic agent capable of reducing GI symptoms and increasing quality of life in FD patients.

Physical Stimuli-Induced Chondrogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using Magnetic Nanoparticles

Chondrogenic commitments of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) require 3D cellular organization. Furthermore, recent progresses in bioreactor technology have contributed to the development of various biophysical stimulation platforms for efficient cartilage tissue formation. Here, an approach is reported to drive 3D cellular organization and enhance chondrogenic commitment of bone-marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (BM-hMSCs) via magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-mediated physical stimuli. MNPs isolated from Magnetospirillum sp. AMB-1 are endocytosed by the BM-hMSCs in a highly efficient manner. MNPs-incorporated BM-hMSCs are pelleted and then subjected to static magnetic field and/or magnet-derived shear stress. Magnetic-based stimuli enhance level of sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) and collagen synthesis, and facilitate the chondrogenic differentiation of BM-hMSCs. In addition, both static magnetic field and magnet-derived shear stress applied for the chondrogenic differentiation of BM-hMSCs do not show increament of hypertrophic differentiation. This MNP-mediated physical stimulation platform demonstrates a promising strategy for efficient cartilage tissue engineering.

Neural stem cell transplantation at critical period improves learning and memory through restoring synaptic impairment in Alzheimer's disease mouse model

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by neuronal loss in several regions of the brain. Recent studies have suggested that stem cell transplantation could serve as a potential therapeutic strategy to halt or ameliorate the inexorable disease progression. However, the optimal stage of the disease for stem cell transplantation to have a therapeutic effect has yet to be determined. Here, we demonstrated that transplantation of neural stem cells into 12-month-old Tg2576 brains markedly improved both cognitive impairments and neuropathological features by reducing β-amyloid processing and upregulating clearance of β-amyloid, secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines, endogenous neurogenesis, as well as synapse formation. In contrast, the stem cell transplantation did not recover cognitive dysfunction and β-amyloid neuropathology in Tg2576 mice aged 15 months when the memory loss is manifest. Overall, this study underscores that stem cell therapy at optimal time frame is crucial to obtain maximal therapeutic effects that can restore functional deficits or stop the progression of AD.

Selective inhibitory effects of machilin A isolated from Machilus thunbergii on human cytochrome P450 1A and 2B6

BACKGROUND

The bark of Machilus thunbergii (Lauraceae) has been used as a folk medicine to treat abdominal pain and distension, and leg edema in Korea. Machilin A (MA), a lignan isolated from Machilus thunbergii, exhibits several biological activities including anti-oxidant and stimulatory effects on cell differentiation and proliferation.

PURPOSE

Potential drug-interactions with MA via inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity in human liver microsomes (HLMs), have not been investigated.

STUDY DESIGN

The inhibitory effects of MA on the activities of CYPs were investigated using cocktail probe substrates in pooled HLMs and on human recombinant cDNA-expressed CYP isoforms.

METHODS

The nine CYP-specific substrates were incubated in HLM or recombinant cDNA-expressed CYP 1A1, 1A2 and 2B6 with MA. After incubation, the samples were injected onto a C18 column for liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. To investigate the binding poses between MA and CYP, we carried out structure-based docking simulations by using software and scripts written in-house (ALIS-DOCK; Automatic pLatform for Iterative Structure-based DOCKing).

RESULTS

MA strongly inhibited CYP1A2-mediated phenacetin O-deethylation and CYP2B6-mediated bupropion hydroxylation with IC50 values of 3.0 and 3.9 µM, respectively, while it did not significantly inhibit other CYPs. A Dixon plot indicated that MA competitively inhibits CYP1A2 and CYP2B6 with Ki values of 0.71 and 4.1 µM, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this was the first investigation of the inhibitory effects of MA on CYP1A2 and CYP2B6 in HLMs, and it has identified that MA acts via competitive inhibition.

Anti-inflammatory Flavonoids Isolated from Passiflora foetida

In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of the soluble ethyl acetate fraction and chemical components of the stem bark of Passiflora foetida (Passifloraceae). Ten flavonoids (1–10) were isolated by various chromatographic techniques, and their structures were determined based on spectroscopic analyses by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Luteolin (2) and chrysoeriol (3) showed the most potent inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophage cell line, RAW264.7, with half maximal inhibitor concentration (IC50) values of 1.2 and 3.1 μM, respectively. These compounds suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression at the transcription level. Our research indicates that the stem bark of P. foetida has significant anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting that its flavonoids may have anti-inflammatory benefits.

Anti-allergic Inflammatory Activities of Compounds of Amomi Fructus

Activity-guided isolation of compounds from the fruits of Amomum xanthioides resulted in the purification of fourteen phenolic compounds, 4-hydroxy-benzaldehyde (1), 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (2), 3,5-dimethoxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde (3), syringic aldehyde (4), benzoic acid (5), 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid (6), vanillic acid (7), 3-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzoic acid (8), o-vanillic acid (9), phenylacetic acid (10), tyrosol (11), pyrocatechol (12), 1,2,4,5-tetramethoxybenzene (13), and 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethoxybiphenyl-4,4′-diol (14). To evaluate the anti-allergic inflammatory activities of these compounds, we examined the inhibitory effects of the isolates (1-14) on histamine release and on the expressions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)–6 genes by using human mast cells. Of the tested compounds, 9, 11, and 13 suppressed histamine release from mast cells, and all isolates attenuated the expressions of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6 genes in human mast cells.

Anti-allergic inflammatory activities of compounds of amomi fructus

Activity-guided isolation of compounds from the fruits of Amomum xanthioides resulted in the purification of fourteen phenolic compounds, 4-hydroxy-benzaldehyde (1), 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (2), 3,5-dimethoxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde (3), syringic aldehyde (4), benzoic acid (5), 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid (6), vanillic acid (7), 3-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzoic acid (8), o-vanillic acid (9), phenylacetic acid (10), tyrosol (11), pyrocatechol (12), 1,2,4,5-tetramethoxybenzene (13), and 3,3',5,5'-tetramethoxybiphenyl-4,4'-diol (14). To evaluate the anti-allergic inflammatory activities of these compounds, we examined the inhibitory effects of the isolates (1-14) on histamine release and on the expressions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-ca and interleukin (IL)-6 genes by using human mast cells. Of the tested compounds, 9, 11, and 13 suppressed histamine release from mast cells, and all isolates attenuated the expressions of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6 genes in human mast cells.

Collagen-based brain microvasculature model in vitro using three-dimensional printed template

We present an engineered three-dimensional (3D) in vitro brain microvasculature system embedded within the bulk of a collagen matrix. To create a hydrogel template for the functional brain microvascular structure, we fabricated an array of microchannels made of collagen I using microneedles and a 3D printed frame. By culturing mouse brain endothelial cells (bEnd.3) on the luminal surface of cylindrical collagen microchannels, we reconstructed an array of brain microvasculature in vitro with circular cross-sections. We characterized the barrier function of our brain microvasculature by measuring transendothelial permeability of 40 kDa fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (Stoke's radius of ∼4.5 nm), based on an analytical model. The transendothelial permeability decreased significantly over 3 weeks of culture. We also present the disruption of the barrier function with a hyperosmotic mannitol as well as a subsequent recovery over 4 days. Our brain microvasculature model in vitro, consisting of system-in-hydrogel combined with the widely emerging 3D printing technique, can serve as a useful tool not only for fundamental studies associated with blood-brain barrier in physiological and pathological settings but also for pharmaceutical applications.