Optimized combination of Cervus nippon (Sika deer), Angelica (Dangui), and Rehmannia (Suk-jihwang) mitigates LPS-induced inflammation: exploring signaling pathways through plasma metabolomics

This study aimed to determine the optimal combination of three anti-inflammatory materials [i.e., Cervus nippon Temminck (CT), Angelica gigas Nakai (AN), and Rehmannia glutinosa (RG)] for the strongest anti-inflammatory potential. Eighteen combinations of the three materials were tested in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells via assessing nitric oxide (NO). The best combination from in vitro studies was administered to LPS-treated C57BL/6J mice for five days. Subsequently, plasma metabolites were profiled by bioinformatics analyses and validations. As results, 2, 20, and 50 µg/mL of CT, AN, and RG (TM) were the most effective combination suppressing inflammation. In mice, TM mitigated hepatic inflammatory markers. Similarly, the metabolomics indicated that TM may suppress NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby alleviating hepatic inflammation. TM also decreased systemic and hepatic pro-inflammatory cytokines. Collectively, we found the optimal combination of TM for mitigating inflammation; thus further studies on safety, mechanisms, and clinical models are warranted for human applications.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01476-x.

HDAC6-MYCN-CXCL3 axis mediates allergic inflammation and is necessary for allergic inflammation-promoted cellular interactions

Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) has been shown to play an important role in allergic inflammation. This study hypothesized that novel downstream targets of HDAC6 would mediate allergic inflammation. Experiments employing HDAC6 knock out C57BL/6 mice showed that HDAC6 mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) and passive systemic anaphylaxis (PSA). Antigen stimulation increased expression of N-myc (MYCN) and CXCL3 in an HDAC6-dependent manner in the bone marrow-derived mast cells. MYCN and CXCL3 were necessary for both PCA and PSA. The role of early growth response 3 (EGR3) in the regulation of HDAC6 expression has been reported. ChIP assays showed EGR3 as a direct regulator of MYCN. miR-34a-5p was predicted to be a negative regulator of MYCN. Luciferase activity assays showed miR-34a-5p as a direct regulator of MYCN. miR-34a-5p mimic negatively regulated PCA and PSA. MYCN decreased miR-34a-5p expression in antigen-stimulated rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL2H3). MYCN was shown to bind to the promoter sequence of CXCL3. In an IgE-independent manner, recombinant CXCL3 protein increased expression of HDAC6, MYCN, and β-hexosaminidase activity in RBL2H3 cells. Mouse recombinant CXCL3 protein enhanced the angiogenic potential of the culture medium of RBL2H3. CXCL3 was necessary for the enhanced angiogenic potential of the culture medium of antigen-stimulated RBL2H3. The culture medium of RBL2H3 was able to induce M2 macrophage polarization in a CXCL3-dependent manner. Recombinant CXCL3 protein also increased the expression of markers of M2 macrophage. Thus, the identification of the novel role of HDAC6-MYCN-CXCL3 axis can help better understand the pathogenesis of anaphylaxis.

Nodakenin Induces ROS-Dependent Apoptotic Cell Death and ER Stress in Radioresistant Breast Cancer

Angelica gigas exerts powerful anti-tumor and anti-cancer effects in various cancer cell types. However, there have been few studies regarding the anti-cancer effect of nodakenin, a bioactive compound of Angelica gigas, in vivo and in vitro on breast cancers. I found that nodakenin, in a concentration-dependent manner, inhibits breast cancer cell viability and decreases the tumor volume in mice. Additionally, nodakenin induces caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in breast cancer cells; however, the combination of Z-VAD-FMK and nodakenin suppresses the caspase-3-dependent apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, nodakenin mediates apoptotic cell death via the PERK-mediated signaling pathway and calcium (Ca²⁺) release, and nodakenin combined with thapsigargin induces synergistic cell death by inhibiting sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca²⁺-ATPase. However, knockdown of PERK or CHOP inhibits Ca²⁺ generation and caspase-dependent apoptosis in nodakenin-treated breast cancer cells. Nodakenin induces ROS and Ca²⁺ generation, ER stress, and apoptotic cell death; however, the knockdown of Nox4 inhibits ROS generation and ER stress- and caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death. In addition, nodakenin combined with radiation overcomes radioresistance in radioresistant breast cancer cells by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotypes, including the decrease in E-cadherin and the increase in N-cadherin and vimentin. Therefore, these findings indicate that nodakenin may be a novel therapeutic strategy for breast cancers.

Conditioned Medium of Human Amniotic Epithelial Cells Alleviates Experimental Allergic Conjunctivitis Mainly by IL-1ra and IL-10

Allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is the most prevalent form of mucosal allergy, and the conditioned medium (CM) from mesenchymal stem cells has been reported to attenuate some allergic diseases. However, the therapeutic effects of CM from different tissue stem cells (TSC-CM) on allergic diseases have not been tested. Here, we studied the effects of topical administration of different human TSC-CM on experimental AC (EAC) mice. Only human amniotic epithelial cell-CM (AECM) significantly attenuated allergic eye symptoms and reduced the infiltration of immune cells and the levels of local inflammatory factors in the conjunctiva compared to EAC mice. In addition, AECM treatment decreased immunoglobulin E (IgE) release, histamine production, and the hyperpermeability of conjunctival vessels. Protein chip assays revealed that the levels of anti-inflammatory factors, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) and IL-10, were higher in AECM compared to other TSC-CM. Furthermore, the anti-allergic effects of AECM on EAC mice were abrogated when neutralized with IL-1ra or IL-10 antibody, and the similar phenomenon was for the activation and function of B cells and mast cells. Together, the present study demonstrated that AECM alleviates EAC symptoms by multiple anti-allergic mechanisms mainly via IL-1ra and IL-10. Such topical AECM therapy may represent a novel and feasible strategy for treating AC.

Angelica gigas extract ameliorates allergic rhinitis in an ovalbumin-induced mouse model by inhibiting Th2 cell activation

BACKGROUND

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a well-documented type 2 helper T (Th2) cell-mediated allergic disease that is accompanied by symptoms such as nasal rubbing, sneezing, itching, and rhinorrhea. Angelica gigas (AG) is traditional oriental medicine, and its dried root is widely used for the treatment of anemia, as a sedative, and as a blood tonic.

PURPOSE

The effects of AG on allergic diseases including AR are currently unclear; therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of AG extract (AG-Ex) in ameliorating AR.

STUDY DESIGN/METHODS

The cytotoxicity of AG-Ex was analyzed by EZ-Cytox or MTS assay in splenocytes, differentiated Th2 cells, and human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpC). The changes of Th2 cells activation were determined by the secretion levels of cytokines and chemokines using cytometric bead array in splenocytes and differentiated Th2 cells. The expression levels of eotaxin-3 and periostin were analyzed using an ELISA. AR was induced by ovalbumin in BALB/c mice and the ameliorating effects of AG-Ex were assessed by their clinical symptoms.

RESULTS

The secretion of Th2 cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 was inhibited by the AG-Ex treatment in the splenocytes and differentiated Th2 cells. The treatment also suppressed allergic responses including the secretion of eotaxin-3 and periostin in human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpC). Moreover, the administration of AG-Ex to the OVA-induced AR mice improved their clinical symptoms, including behavioral tests, immune cell counts, histopathological analysis, and changes in serum parameters.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that AG-Ex ameliorates AR by inhibiting Th2 cell activation and could thus be utilized as a treatment for Th2-mediated allergic diseases in the future.

Multi-Target Effects of Novel Synthetic Coumarin Derivatives Protecting Aβ-GFP SH-SY5Y Cells against Aβ Toxicity

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease presenting with progressive memory and cognitive impairments. One of the pathogenic mechanisms of AD is attributed to the aggregation of misfolded amyloid β (Aβ), which induces neurotoxicity by reducing the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its high-affinity receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B (TRKB) and increasing oxidative stress, caspase-1, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities. Here, we have found the potential of two novel synthetic coumarin derivatives, ZN014 and ZN015, for the inhibition of Aβ and neuroprotection in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell models for AD. In SH-SY5Y cells expressing the GFP-tagged Aβ-folding reporter, both ZN compounds reduced Aβ aggregation, oxidative stress, activities of caspase-1 and AChE, as well as increased neurite outgrowth. By activating TRKB-mediated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT) signaling, these two ZN compounds also upregulated the cAMP-response-element binding protein (CREB) and its downstream BDNF and anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2). Knockdown of TRKB attenuated the neuroprotective effects of ZN014 and ZN015. A parallel artificial membrane permeability assay showed that ZN014 and ZN015 could be characterized as blood-brain barrier permeable. Our results suggest ZN014 and ZN015 as novel therapeutic candidates for AD and demonstrate that ZN014 and ZN015 reduce Aβ neurotoxicity via pleiotropic mechanisms.

Nodakenin represses obesity and its complications via the inhibition of the VLDLR signalling pathway in vivo and in vitro

Objectives

Nodakenin (NK) is a coumarin glucoside that is found in the roots of Angelicae gigas. A limited number of studies have been conducted on the pharmacological activities of NK. Although NK is an important natural resource having anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant effects, no investigation has been conducted to examine the effects of NK on obesity and obesity‐induced inflammation.

Materials and Methods

The present study investigated the therapeutic effects of NK treatment on obesity and its complications, and its mechanism of action using differentiated 3T3‐L1 adipocytes and high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced obese mice. Oil red O staining, western blot assay, qRT‐PCR assay, siRNA transfection, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, H&E staining, immunohistochemistry, molecular docking and immunofluorescence staining were utilized.

Results

Treatment with NK demonstrated anti‐adipogenesis effects via the regulation of adipogenic transcription factors and genes associated with triglyceride synthesis in differentiated 3T3‐L1 adipocytes. Compared with the control group, the group administered NK showed a suppression in weight gain, dyslipidaemia and the development of fatty liver in HFD‐induced obese mice. In addition, NK administration inhibited adipogenic differentiation and obesity‐induced inflammation and oxidative stress via the suppression of the VLDLR and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways. This is the first study that has documented the interaction between NK and VLDLR structure.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate the potential of NK as a natural product‐based therapeutic candidate for the treatment of obesity and its complications by targeting adipogenesis and adipose tissue inflammation‐associated markers.

EGR3-HDAC6-IL-27 Axis Mediates Allergic Inflammation and Is Necessary for Tumorigenic Potential of Cancer Cells Enhanced by Allergic Inflammation-Promoted Cellular Interactions

The objective of this study was to investigate mechanisms of allergic inflammation both in vitro and in vivo in details. For this, RNA sequencing was performed. Early growth response 3 gene (Egr3) was one of the most highly upregulated genes in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL2H3) cells stimulated by antigen. The role of Egr3 in allergic inflammation has not been studied extensively. Egr3 was necessary for passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) and passive systemic anaphylaxis (PSA). Egr3 promoter sequences contained potential binding site for NF-κB p65. NF-κB p65 directly regulated Egr3 expression and mediated allergic inflammation in vitro. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) is known to be involved in allergic airway inflammation. HDAC6 promoter sequences contained potential binding site for EGR3. EGR3 showed binding to promoter sequences of HDAC6. EGR3 was necessary for increased expression of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) in antigen-stimulated RBL2H3 cells. HDAC6 mediated allergic inflammation in vitro and PSA. TargetScan analysis predicted that miR-182-5p was a negative regulator of EGR3. Luciferase activity assay confirmed that miR-182-5p was a direct regulator of EGR3. MiR-182-5p mimic inhibited allergic inflammation both in vitro and in vivo. Cytokine array showed that HDAC6 was necessary for increased interleukin-27 (IL-27) expression in BALB/C mouse model of PSA. Antigen stimulation did not affect expression of EBI3, another subunit of IL-27 in RBL2H3 cells or BALB/C mouse model of PCA or PSA. IL-27 receptor alpha was shown to be able to bind to HDAC6. IL-27 p28 mediated allergic inflammation in vitro, PCA, and PSA. Mouse recombinant IL-27 protein promoted features of allergic inflammation in an antigen-independent manner. HDAC6 was necessary for tumorigenic and metastatic potential enhanced by PSA. PSA enhanced the metastatic potential of mouse melanoma B16F1 cells in an IL-27-dependent manner. Experiments employing culture medium and mouse recombinant IL-27 protein showed that IL-27 mediated and promoted cellular interactions involving B16F1 cells, lung macrophages, and mast cells during allergic inflammation. IL-27 was present in exosomes of antigen-stimulated RBL2H3 cells. Exosomes from antigen-stimulated RBL2H3 cells enhanced invasion of B16F1 melanoma cells in an IL-27-dependemt manner. These results present evidence that EGR3-HDAC6-IL-27 axis can regulate allergic inflammation by mediating cellular interactions.

The interplay between mast cells, pineal gland, and circadian rhythm: Links between histamine, melatonin, and inflammatory mediators

Our daily rhythmicity is controlled by a circadian clock with a specific set of genes located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus. Mast cells (MCs) are major effector cells that play a protective role against pathogens and inflammation. MC distribution and activation are associated with the circadian rhythm via two major pathways, IgE/FcεRI- and IL-33/ST2-mediated signaling. Furthermore, there is a robust oscillation between clock genes and MC-specific genes. Melatonin is a hormone derived from the amino acid tryptophan and is produced primarily in the pineal gland near the center of the brain, and histamine is a biologically active amine synthesized from the decarboxylation of the amino acid histidine by the L-histidine decarboxylase enzyme. Melatonin and histamine are previously reported to modulate circadian rhythms by pathways incorporating various modulators in which the nuclear factor-binding near the κ light-chain gene in B cells, NF-κB, is the common key factor. NF-κB interacts with the core clock genes and disrupts the production of pro-inflammatory cytokine mediators such as IL-6, IL-13, and TNF-α. Currently, there has been no study evaluating the interdependence between melatonin and histamine with respect to circadian oscillations in MCs. Accumulating evidence suggests that restoring circadian rhythms in MCs by targeting melatonin and histamine via NF-κB may be promising therapeutic strategy for MC-mediated inflammatory diseases. This review summarizes recent findings for circadian-mediated MC functional roles and activation paradigms, as well as the therapeutic potentials of targeting circadian-mediated melatonin and histamine signaling in MC-dependent inflammatory diseases.

Inhibitory effects of nodakenin on inflammation and cell death in lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury mice

BACKGROUND

Nodakenin, a coumarin glucoside isolated from the roots of Angelica biserrata, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer effects. However, despite these studies, the potential liver protective effects of nodakenin in inflammatory liver injury models have not been reported.

METHODS

A mouse model of inflammatory liver injury was induced by injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (15 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p)). Liver tissue AST, ALT, ROS, T-GSH and T-SOD were analyzed by ELISA. The concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in serum of LPS-induced inflammatory liver injury mice were analyzed. The mRNA expression levels of GPx1, catalase, SOD1, SOD2, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS and COX-2 were analyzed using real-time PCR. The expressions of MAPK, IRF3, NF-κB, Nrf2, HO-1, caspase-3 and caspase-7 were analyzed using western blotting. Liver tissue was stained with IHC to confirm NF-κB, Nrf-2, HO-1, caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl2. Tunnel analysis was performed to confirm the fragmented nuclear DNA characteristics of apoptosis.

RESULTS

The administration of nodakenin (10 and 30 mg/kg) reduced serum aminotransferase levels compared to LPS-induced liver damage and significantly improved the oxidative state of liver tissue and pathological damage. Moreover, inhibited the phosphorylation of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)-activated kinase (TAK)-1 in LPS-induced inflammatory liver injury model, and significantly inhibited the transcriptional of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) and the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators. In addition nodakenin pre-treatment also attenuated hepatocyte death by regulating apoptosis-related mitochondrial proteins, such as cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (caspase 3), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X (Bax).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that nodakenin has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic activity and may be an adjunctive prevention agent for liver injury.

Chromones and coumarins from Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk. Growing in Buryatia and Mongolia and their cytotoxicity

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Saposhnikovia divaricata (family Apiaceae) a traditional medicinal plant distributed in many provinces of China, is well known for the pharmaceutical value and has been used for rheumatic arthritis, and anxiety in children. Antiviral, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities were also mentioned. The application of this plant are recorded in the Chinese Medicine (CM) classical text the Shen Nong's Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing). In this monograph S. divaricata (syn Radix Ledebouriella divaricata) is graded as a premium-grade herb, with their broad-spectrum of therapeutic applications for the treatment of cough, common cold, arthralgia, as well as in rheumatic disorders.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To isolate and identify chemical constituents (chromones and coumarins) from S. divaricata, collected in Buryatia and Mongolia and to study their in vitro anticancer activity against MEL-8, U-937, DU-145, MDA-MB-231 and ВТ-474 cell lines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An 40% aqueous ethanol extract of the roots of S. divaricata was prepared and further successively fractionated by extraction with petroleum ether, diethyl ether, tert-butyl methyl ether and ethyl acetate. The obtained extracts were subjected to a series of chromatographic separations on silica gel for isolation of individual compounds. Isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity with respect to model cancer cell lines using the conventional MTT assays.

RESULTS

Total of 15 individual compounds: coumarins scopoletin 2, bergapten 3, isoimperatorin 4, marmesin 5, (+)-decursinol 9, (-)-praeruptorin B 10, oxypeucedanin hydrate 11, chromones: hamaudol 6, cimifugin 7, 5-О-methylvisamminol 8, chromone glycosides: prim-O-glucosylcimifugin 12, sec-O-glucosylhamaudol 13, 4'-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-5-О-methylvisamminol 14, 4'-O-β-D-glucopyranosylvisamminol (15) and also polyyne compound panaxinol 1 were isolated and characterized. The structure of dihydropyranocoumarin 10 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analyses. HPLC-UV method was used for determination of the content of most abundant chromones 7, 12 and 14 in the roots of S. divaricata, collected in Mongolia. Compounds 3-11 and 13, 14 were evaluated for their cytotoxicity with respect to model cancer cell lines. All the compounds were non-toxic in the hemolysis test.

CONCLUSION

This report about the phytochemical profiles of S. divaricata growing in Mongolia and Buryatia led to the identification of 14 compounds including coumarins and chromones. The available coumarins and chromones may serve as new leads for the discovery of anticancer drugs.

Homotherapy for heteropathy active components and mechanisms of Qiang-Huo-Sheng-Shi decoction for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Qiang-Huo-Sheng-Shi decoction (QHSSD), a classic traditional Chinese herbal formula, which has been reported to be effective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). However, the concurrent targeting mechanism of how the aforementioned formula is valid in the two distinct diseases OA and RA, which represents the homotherapy-for-heteropathy principle in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), have not yet been clarified. In the present study, network pharmacology was adopted to analyze the potential molecular mechanism, and therapeutic effective components of QHSSD on both OA and RA. A total of 153 active ingredients in QHSSD were identified, 142 of which associated with 59 potential targets for the two diseases were identified. By constructing the protein-protein interaction network and the compound-target-disease network, 72 compounds and 10 proteins were obtained as the hub targets of QHSSD against OA and RA. The hub genes of ESR1, PTGS2, PPARG, IL1B, TNF, MMP2, IL6, CYP3A4, MAPK8, and ALB were mainly involved in osteoclast differentiation, the NF-κB and TNF signaling pathways. Moreover, molecular docking results showed that the screened active compounds had a high affinity for the hub genes. This study provides new insight into the molecular mechanisms behind how QHSSD presents homotherapy-for-heteropathy therapeutic efficacy in both OA and RA. For the first time, a two-disease model was linked with a TCM formula using network pharmacology to identify the key active components and understand the common mechanisms of its multi-pathway regulation. This study will inspire more innovative and important studies on the modern research of TCM formulas.

Nodakenin alleviates renal ischaemia-reperfusion injury via inhibiting reactive oxygen species-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation

BACKGROUND

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a vital contributor to chronic kidney disease and limited therapeutic options are existed to preserve the renal injury. The research presented here investigated the protective effect of nodakenin against AKI and the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

The effect of nodakenin was investigated in ischaemia reperfusion-induced renal injury (IRI) of AKI mice and hypoxia-treated primary renal tubular cells. Briefly, renal functions including creatinine and urea nitrogen were determined and mechanisms associated inflammation were investigated by the advantage of immunohistochemistry, western blot, RT-PCR and flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Deterioration of renal functions including and creatinine, urea nitrogen and tubular necrosis were observed in IRI-AKI model. In contrast, nodakenin strikingly alleviated the deterioration of creatinine, urea nitrogen and tubular necrosis when compared with IRI model. Moreover, nodakenin could significantly inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α both in hypoxia-treated primary renal tubular cells and in AKI model. Mechanistic studies revealed that nodakenin dramatically suppressed the production of reactive oxygen species and subsequent NLPR3 inflammasome activation.

CONCLUSION

In summary, these findings provided a solid evidence base and a new drug option for the treatment of AKI.

Nodakenin alleviated obstructive nephropathy through blunting Snail1 induced fibrosis

Tubulointerstitial fibrosis plays an important role in end‐stage renal failure, and there are only limited therapeutic options available to preserve organ function. In the present study, we identified that nodakenin, a coumarin isolated from the roots of Angelicae gigas, functions effectively against unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)‐induced fibrosis via down‐regulating Snail1 expression. We established UUO‐induced renal fibrosis in mice and then administered with nodakenin orally ata a dose of 1 and 10 mg/kg. The in‐vivo results indicated that nodakenin protected obstructive nephropathy through its anti‐inflammatory and anti‐fibrotic properties. Nodakenin prevented the infiltration of inflammatory cells, alleviated the levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, reduced the polarization of macrophages and down‐regulating the aberrant deposition of extracellular matrix at the site of injury. Of note, nodakenin dramatically impeded Smad3, NF‐κB p65 phosphorylation and Snail1 expression. In line with in vivo studies, nodakenin suppressed the expression of Snail1, Smad3 phosphorylation and fibrogenesis in TGF‐β1‐treated renal epithelial cells in‐vitro. Furthermore, we found that the effect of nodaknin against fibrosis was reversed in Snail1 overexpressing cells, whereas nodakenin could not further reduce expression of fibrogenesis in Snail1 silenced cells, suggesting that nodaknein may function through a Snail1‐dependent manner. Collectively, this study reveal a critical role of nodakenin in the cure of renal fibrosis.

Cyanidin 3-Rutinoside, an Anthocyanin Pigment of Schisandra chinensis Baill, Inhibits Allergic Inflammation

The occurrence of allergy-mediated inflammatory diseases such as asthma and atopic dermatitis have increased, but comprehensive treatment remains difficult. Previous studies have shown that Schisandra chinensis Baill has antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antitumorigenic effects. Cyanidin 3-rutinoside (CR) is the major anthocyanin pigment of S. chinensis. However, the biological effects of CR have been rarely studied to date. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory effects of CR on phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)/A23187-induced allergic inflammation in vitro. CR inhibited the secretion of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α, and it also suppressed the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B. These results show that CR ameliorated PMA/A23187-induced allergic inflammation via the suppression of inflammatory cytokines in HMC-1 cells. Therefore, CR has potential as a therapeutic agent for allergic diseases.

Key gene co-expression modules and functional pathways involved in the pathogenesis of Graves' disease

Graves' disease (GD) is a common autoimmune thyroid disease characterized by positive thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody. To better understand its molecular pathogenesis, we adopted the weighted gene co-expression network analysis to reveal co-expression modules of key genes involved in the pathogenesis of GD, protein-protein interaction network analysis to identify the hub genes related to GD development and functional analyses to explore their possible functions. Our results showed that 1) a total of 2667 differentially expressed genes in our microarray study and 16 different gene co-expression modules were associated with GD, and 2) the most significant module was associated with the percentage of macrophages, T follicular helper cells and CD4⁺ memory T cells and mainly enriched in immune regulation and immune response. Overall, our study reveals several key gene co-expression modules and functional pathways involved in GD, which provides some novel insights into the pathogenesis of GD.

A network pharmacology approach to determine the synergetic mechanisms of herb couple for treating rheumatic arthritis

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic mechanism(s) of Clematis chinensis Osbeck/Notopterygium incisum K.C. Ting ex H.T (CN).

Methods

A network pharmacology approach integrating prediction of ingredients, target exploration, network construction, module partition and pathway analysis was used.

Results

This approach successfully helped to identify 12 active ingredients of CN, interacting with 13 key targets (Akt1, STAT3, TNFsf13, TP53, EPHB2, IL-10, IL-6, TNF, MAPK8, IL-8, RELA, ROS1 and STAT4). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis indicated that CN-regulated pathways were mainly classified into signal transduction and immune system.

Conclusion

The present work may help to illustrate the mechanism(s) of action of CN, and it may provide a better understanding of antirheumatic effects.

Caspase-1 Specific Light-Up Probe with Aggregation-Induced Emission Characteristics for Inhibitor Screening of Coumarin-Originated Natural Products

Caspase-1 is a key player in pyroptosis and inflammation. Caspase-1 inhibition is found to be beneficial to various diseases. Coumarin-originated natural products have an anti-inflammation function, but their direct inhibition effect to caspase-1 remains unexplored. To evaluate their interactions, the widely used commercial coumarin-based probe (Ac-YVAD-AMC) is not suitable, as the background signal from coumarin-originated natural products could interfere with the screening results. Therefore, fluorescent probes using a large Stokes shift could help solve this problem. In this work, we chose the fluorophore of tetraphenylethylene-thiophene (TPETH) with aggregation-induced emission characteristics and a large Stokes shift of about 200 nm to develop a molecular probe. Bioconjugation between TPETH and hydrophilic peptides (DDYVADC) through a thiol-ene reaction generated a light-up probe, C1-P3. The probe has little background signal in aqueous media and exerts a fluorescent turn-on effect in the presence of caspase-1. Moreover, when evaluating the inhibition potency of coumarin-originated natural products, the new probe could generate a true and objective result but not for the commercial probe (Ac-YVAD-AMC), which is evidenced by HPLC analysis. The quick light-up response and accurate screening results make C1-P3 very useful in fundamental study and inhibitior screening toward caspase-1.

Oral Wound Healing Effects of Acai Berry Water Extracts in Rat Oral Mucosa

The objective of this study was to determine the oral wound healing effects of acai berry water extracts (ABWE) in rat oral mucosa. To estimate the anti-oxidative effects of ABWE, the contents of phenolic compounds, and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) abilities were evaluated. Wound healing effects of ABWE were tested following 6-day exposure after induction of wound by applying 50% acetic acid to oral mucosa of Sprague-Dawley rats. Macroscopic and histopathological analyses were performed to determine wound healing effects of ABWE. Sodium fusidate (20 mg/g) was used as positive control. ABWE showed significantly high antioxidant effects in all assays, although its potency was weaker than the positive control. From day 3 after treatment, wound healing effects of ABWE were observed in oral mucosa. These wound healing effects were also consistent with histopathological evaluation results. Taken together, these results indicate that ABWE might have potential as an oral wound healing agent in the future.