The effects of β-glucan isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus on methotrexate treatment in rats with adjuvant arthritis

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with curcumin analog 3,5-bis(arylidene)-4-piperidone

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease. Curcumin can inhibit NF-κB and reduce the expression of inflammation-related genes. Aim: To evaluate the potential development of 6d in the clinical treatment of inflammatory diseases such as RA. Methods: Using a skeleton fusion strategy to synthesize curcumin analogues for 6d. This work evaluates anti-inflammatory activity by conducting anti-arthritis experiments (adjuvant-induced RA models) on rats. Western blot and ELISA were used to detect the expression of inflammatory-related proteins and cytokines. Molecular docking analysis confirmed the binding effect of 6d with active sites. Conclusion: 6d inhibits NF-κB has a protective effect on arthritis caused by RA.

Protective effect of β-glucan on Poly(I:C)-induced acute lung injury/inflammation: Therapeutic implications of viral infections in the respiratory system

AIMS

Acute lung inflammation, particularly acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is caused by a variety of pathogens including bacteria and viruses. β-Glucans have been reported to possess both anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. The current study evaluated the therapeutic effect of β-glucans on polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly(I:C)) induced lung inflammation in both hamster and mice models.

MAIN METHODS

Poly(I:C)-induced ALI/inflammation models were developed in hamsters (2.5 mg/kg) and mice (2 mg/kg) by delivering the Poly(I:C) intratracheally, and followed with and without β-glucan administration. After treatment, lung mechanics were assessed and lung tissues were isolated and analyzed for mRNA/protein expression, and histopathological examinations.

KEY FINDINGS

Poly(I:C) administration, caused a significant elevation of inflammatory marker's expression in lung tissues and showed abnormal lung mechanics in mice and hamsters. Interestingly, treatment with β-glucan significantly (p < 0.001) reversed the Poly(I:C)-induced inflammatory events and inflammatory markers expression in both mRNA (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, CCL2 and CCL7) and protein levels (TNF-α, CD68, myeloperoxidase, neutrophil elastase, MUC-5Ac and iNOS). Lung functional assays revealed that β-glucan treatment significantly improved lung mechanics. Histopathological analysis showed that β-glucan treatment significantly attenuated the Poly(I:C) induced inflammatory cell infiltration, injury and goblet cell population in lung tissues. Consistent with these findings, β-glucan treatment markedly reduced the number of neutrophils and macrophages in lung tissues. Our findings further demonstrated that β-glucan could reduce inflammation by suppressing the MAPK pathway.

SIGNIFICANCE

These results suggested that β-glucan may attenuate the pathogenic effects of Poly(I:C)-induced ALI/ARDS via modulating the MAPK pathway, indicating β-glucan as a possible therapeutic agent for the treatment of viral-pulmonary inflammation/injury.

Rhodiola rosea L. Extract, a Known Adaptogen, Evaluated in Experimental Arthritis

Rhodiola rosea L. extract (RSE) is mostly known for its adaptogen properties, but not for its antiarthritic activities, therefore monotherapy and combination with low-dose methotrexate (MTX) was studied. The collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model was used to measure the functional score, and the change in hind paw volume (HPV). Both parameters had significant antiarthritic effects. Based on these preliminary results, an adjuvant arthritis (AA) model was further applied to assess another parameters. The experiment included these animal groups: healthy controls, untreated AA, AA administered with RSE (150 mg/kg b.w. daily, p.o.), AA administered by MTX (0.3 mg/kg b.w. twice a week, p.o.), and AA treated with the combination of RSE+MTX. The combination of RSE+MTX significantly reduced the HPV and increased the body weight. The combination significantly decreased HPV when compared to MTX monotherapy. The plasmatic levels of inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-17A, MMP-9 and CRP) were significantly decreased by MTX+RSE treatment. The RSE monotherapy didn't influence any of the inflammatory parameters studied. In CIA, the RSE monotherapy significantly decreased the arthritic parameters studied. In summary, the combination of RSE and sub-therapeutic MTX was significantly effective in AA by improving inflammatory and arthritic parameters.

Pleurotus Genus as a Potential Ingredient for Meat Products

Edible mushrooms are considered an important source of nutritional and bioactive compounds. In this review, the findings of macronutrients, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobials against foodborne pathogens of some Pleurotus spp., as well as their potential use as an ingredient in the meat industry are discussed. The results show that Pleurotus spp. are an important source of proteins and amino acids, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Additionally, the presence of some bioactive components, such as polysaccharides (α-glucans, β-glucans, and so on), proteins/enzymes and peptides (eryngin, pleurostrin, and others) phenolic acids (p-coumaric, chlorogenic, cinnamic, ferulic, gallic, protocatechuic, and others) and flavonoids (chrysin, naringenin, myricetin, quercetin, rutin, or the like) has been demonstrated. Several works evidenced the use of Pleurotus spp. in some meat and meat products (patties, sausages, paste, and suchlike) as a novel ingredient in order to improve their chemical composition and functional health promoting properties, as well as to increase their physicochemical and sensory attributes. In conclusion, the use of Pleurotus is a promissory strategy for the development of natural additives rich in nutritional and bioactive components for meat and meat product formulation.

Bioactive components of mushrooms: Processing effects and health benefits

Mushrooms have been recognized for their culinary attributes for long and were relished in the most influential civilizations in history. Currently, they are the focus of renewed research because of their therapeutic abilities. Nutritional benefits from mushrooms are in the form of a significant source of essential proteins, dietary non-digestible carbohydrates, unsaturated fats, minerals, as well as various vitamins, which have enhanced its consumption, and also resulted in the development of various processed mushroom products. Mushrooms are also a crucial ingredient in traditional medicine for their healing potential and curative properties. The literature on the nutritional, nutraceutical, and therapeutic potential of mushrooms, and their use as functional foods for the maintenance of health was reviewed, and the available literature indicates the enormous potential of the bioactive compounds present in mushrooms. Future research should be focused on the development of processes to retain the mushroom bioactive components, and valorization of waste generated during processing. Further, the mechanisms of action of mushroom bioactive components should be studied in detail to delineate their diverse roles and functions in the prevention and treatment of several diseases.

Nutraceutical Potential and Processing Aspects of Oyster Mushrooms (PleurotusSpecies)

Background:

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus species) have gained considerable attention of food technologist and nutritionist for their nutraceutical properties. Oyster mushrooms are considered as functional foods due to their richness in functional food ingredients. In recent times, consumption of these mushrooms has increased considerably due to their numerous health benefits. These are potential sources of bioactive components, which are sufficient enough for prevention and treatment of various lifestyle diseases. There are about 200 different species in the genus Pleurotus and these are commonly referred to as “oyster mushrooms”.

Objective:

The study aimed to grasp a collective information on nutraceutical and processing aspects of highly perishable but nutritious oyster mushroom

Results:

Pleurotus ostreatus is the most commonly consumed species all over the world due to its superior flavor, taste and nutraceutical properties. It acts as a source of natural antioxidants which might be beneficial for human health in preventing or reducing oxidative damage. Nutritionally, these species are rich sources of proteins, dietary fibres, β-glucan, vitamin B-complex, vitamin C and minerals. They contain higher proportions of certain amino acids such as methionine, cystine and aspartic acid than other edible mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms have been reported to possess hypocholesterolemic, anti-bacterial, anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, anti-arthritic, anti-carcinogenic, hepatoprotective, anti-viral activities and act as natural resources of immunotherapy activities. The use of these mushrooms can overcome the deficiency of protein in the developing countries where there is unavailability or unacceptability of good quality proteins from animal sources because of religious restrictions.

Conclusion:

Because of the occurrence of abundant nutritional ingredients and other bioactive components in P. ostreatus, they have a great scope as a potential source for the development of functional or specialty foods for value addition of deficient foods so as to alleviate the nutritional deficiency diseases from society.

Medicinal mushroom: boon for therapeutic applications

Medicinal mushrooms are higher fungi with additional nutraceutical attributes having low fat content and a trans-isomer of unsaturated fatty acids along with high fibre content, triterpenes, phenolic compounds, sterols, eritadenine and chitosan. They are considered as the unmatched source of healthy foods and drugs. They have outstanding attractive taste, aroma and nutritional value, so are considered as functional food, which means they are beneficial to the body not only in terms of nutrition but also for improved health. Medicinal mushrooms and their extract have a large number of bioactive components called secondary metabolites. The presence of polysaccharide β-glucans or polysaccharide-protein complexes content in mushroom extract have great therapeutic applications in human health as they possess many properties such as anti-diabetic, anti-cancerous, anti-obesity, immunomodulatory, hypocholesteremia, hepatoprotective nature along with anti-aging. The present review focuses on the comprehensive account of the medicinal properties of various medicinal mushrooms. This will further help the researchers to understand the metabolites and find other metabolites as well from the mushrooms which can be used for the potential development of the drugs to treat various life-threatening diseases.

Pleurotus nebrodensis polysaccharide(PN50G) evokes A549 cell apoptosis by the ROS/AMPK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to suppress tumor growth

Since the strong antineoplastic potential against A549 cells of Pleurotus nebrodensis polysaccharide (PN50G) in vitro has been proven previously, the definitive mechanism of PN50G-induced apoptosis in A549 cells in vivo was further investigated. All the results indicated that PN50G significantly suppressed tumor growth in A549 tumor-bearing mice. Tumor cells treated with PN50G were arrested in the G0/G1 phase, and marked changes in the expression of cell cycle-related proteins, including cyclin D1, cyclin A and cyclin B1, were observed. Moreover, western blotting analysis indicated that PN50G triggered the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, for an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, release of cytochrome c, cleavage of caspase-3 and PRPP in A549 tumor cells were observed. And the decrease in the expression of the translation related protein P70S6K was observed, because PN50G activated AMPK phosphorylation, but inhibited PI3K/AKT phosphorylation and suppressed the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) induced by PN50G. In vivo imaging was performed on tumor-bearing mice, and the results indicated that PN50G significantly increased the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, it indicated that PN50G promoted the protein expression of Beclin 1 and LC-3 in a dose-dependent manner. All the results suggested that PN50G-mediated apoptosis and autophagy of A549 tumor cells in vivo mainly involved in the mitochondrial pathway and the AMPK/PI3K/mTOR pathway.

Inhibitory effect of estrogen receptor beta on P2X3 receptors during inflammation in rats

Estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) has been shown to play a therapeutic role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the mechanism underlying how ERβ exerts therapeutic effects and its relationship with P2X3 receptors (P2X3R) in rats with inflammation is not known. In our study, animal behavior tests, visceromotor reflex recording, and Western blotting were used to determine whether the therapeutic effect of ERβ in rats with inflammation was related with P2X3R. In complete Freund adjuvant (CFA)-induced chronic inflammation in rats, paw withdrawal threshold was significantly decreased which were then reversed by systemic injection of ERβ agonists, DPN or ERB-041. In 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in rats, weight loss, higher DAI scores, increased visceromotor responses, and inflammatory responses were reversed by application of DPN or ERB-041. The higher expressions of P2X3R in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of CFA-treated rats and those in rectocolon and DRG of TNBS-treated rats were all decreased by injection of DPN or ERB-041. DPN application also inhibited P2X3R-evoked inward currents in DRG neurons from TNBS rats. Mechanical hyperalgesia and increased P2X3 expression in ovariectomized (OVX) CFA-treated rats were reversed by estrogen replacements. Furthermore, the expressions of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in DRG and spinal cord dorsal horn (SCDH) and c-fos in SCDH were significantly decreased after estrogen replacement compared with those of OVX rats. The ERK antagonist U0126 significantly reversed mechanical hyperalgesia in the OVX rats. These results suggest that estrogen may play an important therapeutic role in inflammation through down-regulation of P2X3R in peripheral tissues and the nervous system, probably via ERβ, suggesting a novel therapeutic strategy for clinical treatment of inflammation.

β-Glucan attenuates inflammatory responses in oxidized LDL-induced THP-1 cells via the p38 MAPK pathway

AIM

To investigate the immunomodulatory effects of β-(1,3/1,6)-d-glucan on atherosclerosis as well as on the molecular mechanisms of its transition.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Human monocytic leukemia (THP-1) cells were differentiated into the macrophage phenotype by incubation with oxLDL in the absence or presence of β-glucan. β-glucan attenuated CD86 and CD80 expression and simultaneously reduced secretion of the inflammatory cytokines IL-2, IL-8, IL-12, TNF-α and IFN-γ. Western blot analysis showed that oxLDL treatment induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 in PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells. However, β-glucan inhibited p38 MAPK activation. In experiments with monocytes derived from healthy donors, β-glucan inhibited IL-8, IL-12 and TNF-α production. The anti-inflammatory effects of β-glucan were also observed in atherosclerotic plaque cells.

CONCLUSIONS

β-glucan inhibited oxLDL-induced pro-inflammatory effects in macrophages via regulation of p38 MAPK phosphorylation. This novel finding may provide insight for new therapeutic strategies.

Effect of methotrexate on inflammatory cells redistribution in experimental adjuvant arthritis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological changes in the spleen, the thymus and the knee joints of rats with experimental adjuvant arthritis induced by Mycobacterium butyricum in the incomplete Freund's adjuvant and the effect of treatment with methotrexate (MTX). Particular attention was aimed on the redistribution of granulocytes in the tissues during the inflammatory process. Clinical parameters, e.g., joint edema, body weight and of gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity as an inflammatory marker, have also been determined. Induction of adjuvant arthritis caused a significant decrease in granulocyte number in the spleen and vice versa a significant increase in the knee joints, but without significant changes in the thymus. Treatment with methotrexate reversed this phenomenon by increasing the granulocyte number in the spleen and decreasing it in knee joints. MTX decreased the joint edema as well as the activity of GGT in the spleen, modified the size of the white pulp of the spleen and increased the cortex/medulla ratio in the thymus. The observed changes support the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of MTX supporting its use as the first-line medication in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Chondroitin sulfate effect on induced arthritis in rats

OBJECTIVE

Rodent models of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are useful tools to study these disease processes. Adjuvant arthritis (AAR) is a model of polyarthritis widely used for preclinical testing of antiarthritis substances. We report the effect of two different doses of highly purified chondroitin sulfate (CS) pharmaceutical grade in the AAR animal model after oral administration.

DESIGN

AAR was induced by a single intradermal injection of heat-inactivated Mycobacterium butyricum in incomplete Freund's adjuvant. The experiments included healthy animals, untreated arthritic animals, arthritic animals having been administered 300 or 900 mg/kg of CS daily, 14 days before AAR induction until the end of the experiment (day 28), arthritic animals having been administered 300 or 900 mg/kg of CS daily, from day 1 until the end of the experiment.

RESULTS

CS was capable of significantly reducing the severity of arthritis along with oxidative stress, a consequence of chronic inflammatory processes occurring in AAR. The CS pre-treatment regimen was effective throughout the whole subacute phase, while treatment from day 1 proved effective only in the chronic period. The effects were confirmed by improved total antioxidant status and γ-glutamyltransferase activity. CS administered under a pre-treatment regimen was also able to reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, C-reactive protein in plasma, phagocytic activity and the intracellular oxidative burst of neutrophils.

CONCLUSIONS

CS proved to be effective in slowing down AAR development and in reducing disease markers, thus supporting its beneficial activity as a drug in humans.

Utilization of adjuvant arthritis model for evaluation of new approaches in rheumatoid arthritis therapy focused on regulation of immune processes and oxidative stress

As a number of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs often have side effects at high doses and/or during long-term administration, increased efficacy without increased toxicity is expected for combination therapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The safety of long-term therapy of RA is very important as patients with RA are usually treated for two or more decades. This experimental overview is focused on some promising substances and their combinations with the standard antirheumatic drug – methotrexate (Mtx) for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The adjuvant arthritis model in Lewis rats was used for evaluation of antiinflammatory efficacy of the substances evaluated. Mtx was administered in the oral dose of 0.3 mg/kg b.w. twice a week. Natural and synthetic antioxidants were administered in the daily oral dose of 20 mg/kg b.w for coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀), 150 mg/kg b.w for carnosine (Carn), 15 mg/kg b.w. for stobadine dipalmitate (Stb) and its derivative SMe1.2HCl (SMe1), and 30 mg/kg b.w. for pinosylvin (Pin) or pterostilbene (Pte). Mtx in the oral dose of 0.4 mg/kg b.w. twice a week was combined with Pin in the oral daily dose of 50 mg/kg b.w. Clinical (hind paw volume – HPV), biochemical (activity of GGT in joint and level of TBARS in plasma), and immunological (IL-1 in plasma) parameters were assessed. Our results achieved with different antioxidants in monotherapies showed a reduction of oxidative stress in adjuvant arthritis independently of the chemical structure of the compounds. Pin was the most effective antioxidant tested in decreasing HPV. All combinations tested showed a higher efficacy in affecting biochemical or immunological parameters than Mtx administered in monotherapy. The findings showed the benefit of antioxidant compounds for their use in combination therapy with methotrexate.