The inhibitory effect of dehydroepiandrosterone and its derivatives against influenza A virus in vitro and in vivo

Steroid-triazole conjugates: A brief overview of synthesis and their application as anticancer agents

Steroids are biomolecules that play pivotal roles in various physiological and drug discovery processes. Abundant research has been fuelled towards steroid-heterocycles conjugates over the last few decades as potential therapeutic agents against various diseases especially as anticancer agents. In this context various steroid-triazole conjugates have been synthesized and studied for their anticancer potential against various cancer cell lines. A thorough search of the literatures revealed that a concise review pertaining the present topic is not compiled. Therefore, in thus review we summarize the synthesis, anticancer activity against various cancer cell lines and structure activity relationship (SAR) of various steroid-triazole conjugates. This review can lay down the path towards the development of various steroid-heterocycles conjugates with lesser side effects and profound efficacy.

A Comprehensive Review on Steroidal Bioconjugates as Promising Leads in Drug Discovery

Ever increasing unmet medical requirements of the human race and the continuous fight for survival against variety of diseases give birth to novel molecules through research. As diseases evolve, different strategies are employed to counter the new challenges and to discover safer, more effective, and target-specific therapeutic agents. Among several novel approaches, bioconjugation, in which two chemical moieties are joined together to achieve noticeable results, has emerged as a simple and convenient technique for a medicinal chemist to obtain potent molecules. The steroid system has been extensively used as a privileged scaffold gifted with significantly diversified medicinal properties in the drug discovery and development process. Steroidal molecules are preferred for their rigidness and good ability to penetrate biological membranes. Slight alteration in the basic ring structure results in the formation of steroidal derivatives with a wide range of therapeutic activities. Steroids are not only active as such, conjugating them with various biologically active moieties results in increased lipophilicity, stability, and target specificity with decreased adverse effects. Thus, the steroid nucleus prominently behaves as a biological carrier for small molecules. The steroid bioconjugates offer several advantages such as synergistic activity with fewer side effects due to reduced dose and selective therapy. The steroidal bioconjugates have been widely explored for their usefulness against various disorders and have shown significant utility as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antimicrobial, insecticidal/pesticidal, antioxidant, and antiviral agents along with several other miscellaneous activities. This work provides a comprehensive review on the therapeutic progression of steroidal bioconjugates as medicinally active molecules. The review covers potential biological applications of steroidal bioconjugates and would benefit the wider scientific community in their drug discovery endeavors.

Baogong decoction treats endometritis in mice by regulating uterine microbiota structure and metabolites

Endometritis is persistent inflammation caused by bacteria, which can lead to infertility. Although traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat endometritis, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Here, Baogong Decoction (BGD), a TCM compound, was used to treat mouse endometritis induced by Escherichia coli (E. coli), and then 16S rRNA sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics were used to investigate the change of uterine microbiota and metabolomes in serum and uterine after BGD treatment. Finally, the therapeutic effect of potential metabolites for treating mouse endometritis screened by combined omics analyses was verified using pathological model. The results showed that BGD treatment could effectively treat endometritis associated with the increasing relative abundance of Firmicutes, Bacteroides, Lactobacillus and Lactococcus, and the decreasing relative abundance of Cupriavidus and Proteobacteria. 133 and 130 metabolites were found to be potential biomarkers in serum and uterine tissue respectively. In serum and tissues, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and catechol were significantly increased in the BGD treatment versus the inflammation group. Results of combined omics analyses demonstrated that DHEA was positively correlated with changes in microbiota. Results of pathological model demonstrated that DHEA could cure endometritis effectively associated with the decreasing infiltration of inflammatory cells and expression of inflammatory factors in the uterus. In summary, our results demonstrated that BGD could cure endometritis in mice by modulating the structure of the uterine microbiota and its metabolites, in which DHEA may be one of the main components of the therapeutic effect of BGD.

Systemic and Intrafollicular Androgen Concentrations in Cycling Mares

The evidence that androgens regulate the folliculogenesis supports the hypothesis that intrafollicular testosterone (T), androstenedione (A₄) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) could be modified along follicular growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes and related relationships between systemic and intrafollicular T, A₄ and DHEA in post-deviation and impending ovulation follicles. Sixty ovaries were taken after the slaughter of 30 clinically healthy mares. In according to the sizes, the follicles were classified in 3 different categories, as small (20-30 mm), medium (31-40 mm) and large (≥ 41 mm), and the follicular fluid (FF) samplings were extracted from each single follicle. Intrafollicular concentrations of T, A_4, and DHEA were significantly higher than systemic ones. Intrafollicular and systemic T and A₄ concentrations were strongly and positively correlated, and DHEA negatively. A₄ was the predominant androgen in FF. T and A₄ were positively and DHEA negatively correlated with the follicular diameter. T and A₄ significantly increased in large and medium than small follicle sizes. DHEA was significantly higher in small than medium and large follicle size. The increase of intrafollicular androgens suggests the presence of androgenic environment based in the biotransformation of DHEA in A₄ and later in T in the follicles, and the progressive oestradiol-17β (E₂) production with the advance of follicular growth. The evidence of significant correlations between systemic and intrafollicular androgens considerably helps to understanding more deeply the role of these steroids in the physiology of follicular development in the mare, adding a new segment of scientific literature.

Does dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate have a role in COVID-19 prognosis and treatment?

The pathophysiology of COVID comprises an exaggerated pro-inflammatory response. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has a crucial role in various inflammatory conditions and modulated immunological response. Limited evidence is available regarding the incidence and the effect of HPA dysfunction in COVID-19. Although the cortisol levels have only been estimated in a few studies, the dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) release from the adrenal gland has not been explored yet. In this mini review, the authors discuss the role of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEAS in the acute stress response and immunological modulation. Various effects of DHEAS have been demonstrated in different diseases. The specific inhibitory effect of DHEA on interleukin 6 (IL-6) could be of paramount importance in COVID-19. Further, DHEA supplementation has already been proposed in inflammatory conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis. DHEAS levels in COVID-19 may help to understand the HPA axis dysfunction as well as the possibility of repurposing DHEA as a drug for mitigating the pro-inflammatory COVID-19.

Synthesis and bioevaluation of novel steroidal isatin conjugates derived from epiandrosterone/androsterone

Steroids are classes of natural products widely distributed in nature, which have been demonstrated to exhibit broad biological functions, and have also attracted increasing interest from bioorganic and pharmaceutical researches. In order to develop novel chemical entities as potential cytotoxic agents, a series of steroidal isatin conjugations derived from epiandrosterone and androsterone were efficiently prepared and characterized, and all these obtained compounds were screened for their potential cytotoxic activities. The preliminary bioassay indicated that most of the newly synthesized compounds exhibited good cytotoxic activities against human gastric cancer (SGC-7901), melanoma (A875), and hepatocellular liver carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines compared with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which might be considered as promising scaffold for further development of potential anticancer agents.

Dehydroepiandrosterone resisted E. Coli O157:H7-induced inflammation via blocking the activation of p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathways in mice

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a critical metabolite in cholesterol metabolism, can regulate the inflammatory responses in humans or animals. However, the precise mechanisms of these beneficial actions remains poorly understood. Present study aims to clarify the anti-inflammatory function of DHEA and its possible mechanisms in the E. coli O157:H7-stimulated mice. The results indicated that DHEA reduced the mortality of mice and bacterial concentration in the peritoneal fluid in the E. coli-stimulated mice. DHEA increased the spleen index, the activity of lactate dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase; while it decreased the nitric oxide (NO) content and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity in mice. The mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) were decreased, whereas the interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) mRNA levels were increased in the E. coli-stimulated mice treated with DHEA. Moreover, DHEA treatment reversed the increasing of IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio in mice caused by E. coli infection. Importantly, DHEA blocked the nuclear translocation of p65 through down-regulation the IκB-α protein phosphorylation level in the mice stimulated with E. coli O157:H7. No statically changes were showed on the phospho (p)-ERK1/2 and p-JNK1/2 protein level, while DHEA significantly suppressed the p-p38 protein level in mice. The above results indicated that DHEA alleviated inflammatory responses by suppressing NO secretion and promoting Th2-associated anti-inflammatory cytokines production in mice; and this action might relate to the blocking of p38 MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways activation. All the above results provide substantial information for understanding the anti-inflammatory function of DHEA and further support it as a potential immunomodulatory in prevention inflammatory and bacterial infection diseases.

Dehydroepiandrosterone alleviates E. Coli O157:H7-induced inflammation by preventing the activation of p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathways in mice peritoneal macrophages

As an important metabolite in cholesterol metabolism, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) can modulate the immune function in animals and humans, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. The present study investigated the effect and mechanism of DHEA's anti-inflammatory action in primary mice peritoneal macrophages infected with E. coli O157:H7. The finding showed that DHEA improved the phagocytic ability in E. coli O157:H7-infected macrophages. DHEA inhibited the cytokines (including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6) secretion in E. coli O157:H7-infected macrophages. The inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 protein level were significantly decreased in E. coli O157:H7-infected macrophages treated with DHEA. In addition, DHEA markedly decreased the phospho (p)-p38 MAPK protein level in E. coli O157:H7-infected macrophages. Furthermore, DHEA prevented the nuclear translocation of NF-κB by decreasing of p-IκB-α protein level in E. coli O157:H7-infected macrophage; and these effects of DHEA were heightened when the cells were pre-treated with p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580. Our data indicated that DHEA alleviates the pro-inflammatory mediator production in E. coli O157:H7-infected mice peritoneal macrophages; and this beneficial action associated with it prevents the activation of p38 MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathway.

E-pharmacophore hypothesis strategy to discover potent inhibitor for influenza treatment

The surface protein of Influenza virus, Neuraminidase (NA), is believed to play a critical role in the release of new viral particle and thus spreads infection. It has been recognized as a valid drug target for anti-influenza therapy. Despite the number of available approved drugs for the influenza infection treatment, the emergence of resistant variants with novel mutations are the foremost challenges for the currently used NA inhibitors. Thus, the current investigation was carried out to ascertain potent inhibitors using computational strategies such as e-pharmacophore based virtual screening and docking approach. A three-dimensional e-pharmacophore hypothesis was generated based on the chemical features of complexes of the drugs and NA protein using PHASE module of Schrödinger suite. The generated hypothesis consisted of one hydrogen bond acceptor (A), two hydrogen bond donors (D), one negatively charged group (N) and one aromatic ring (R), ADDNR. The hypothesis was further evaluated for its integrity using enrichment analysis and used to filter out molecules with similar pharmacophoric features from approved, investigational and experimental subsets of DrugBank and ZINC database. In addition, ligand filtration was performed to curb down the molecules to an efficient collection of hit molecules by using Lipinski “rule of five and ADME analysis by using Qikprop module. Overall, the results from our analysis suggest that compound lisinopril and formoterol could serve as potent antiviral compounds for the treatment of influenza A virus infection. It is worth mentioning that the results correlate well with literature evidences.

Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone on the immune function of mice in vivo and in vitro

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and immune-regulating properties, while the mechanism of DHEA actions remains unclear. The present study aims to investigate the effect and possible mechanism of DHEA on immune function of mice in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced experimental inflammation model was constructed to analyze the regulation of DHEA on anti-oxidative and immune function in ICR mice; In vitro, the effects of DHEA on the biological functions of lymphocytes and macrophages were studied. The results showed that DHEA increased the activity of total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase, while it decreased the level of reactive oxygen species in LPS-induced mice. Meanwhile, DHEA increased the proportion of T lymphocytes and decreased that of B lymphocytes in primary cultured spleen lymphocytes, and markedly enhanced the Th1/Th2 ratio in spleen T lymphocytes. Furthermore, DHEA significantly increased the Th1 type cytokine (IL-2 and IFN-α) and decreased the Th2 type cytokine (IL-4 and IL-10) levels in LPS-induced mice or in primary cultured spleen T lymphocytes. In addition, DHEA improved the phagocytic ability, enhanced the NO production and increased the iNOS activity in peritoneal macrophages. Our data indicates that DHEA increases the macrophages function via improving NO content and up-regulating TNF-α expression levels; and it evoked a Th1 immuno-response and repressed a Th2 immuno-response through promoting a shift in Th1/Th2 balance toward Th1-dominant immunity in vivo and in vitro. These results provide substantial evidence on the mechanism of DHEA-mediated immune function and the efficient protection against infectious and inflammatory response in animals and humans.

Synthesis and evaluation of steroidal thiazoline conjugates as potential antiviral agents

Aim: Many heterocyclic compounds derived from natural steroids exhibited broad activities, so this work focused on the investigations on a series of steroidal thiazoline conjugates as antiviral agents. Materials & methods: A series of steroid derivatives containing thiazoline heterocycles were designed and synthesized via a convenient condensation procedure. The compounds were screened for their potential antivirus activities against Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Coxsackie Virus Type B (CVB3). Results and Conclusion: The in vitro bioassay indicated that compounds 5b, 5g and 5i exhibited excellent antiviral effects on EV71, and compounds 5b, 5e, 6c and 6g presented better antiviral activities against CVB3 compared with the controls ribavirin or pirodavir. These results indicate that these steroidal thiazoline conjugates might be feasible therapeutic candidates against EV71 infection, which might also be considered as promising compounds for optimization of potential antivirus agents.