Lycium barbarum polysaccharide protects against Homocysteine-induced Vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and phenotypic transformation via PI3K/Akt pathway

Lycium barbarum polysaccharides regulate the gut microbiota to modulate metabolites in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides (LBP) can benefit lipid parameters such as total cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein levels and upregulate the level of Firmicutes, increase the diversity of gut microbiota and reduce metabolic disorders, finally relieving weight gain of obese rats. But it cannot reverse the outcome of obesity. Over 30 differential metabolites and four pathways are altered by LBP.

Therapeutic potential of natural products and underlying targets for the treatment of aortic aneurysm

Aortic aneurysm is a vascular disease characterized by irreversible vasodilatation that can lead to dissection and rupture of the aortic aneurysm, a life-threatening condition. Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are two main types. The typical treatments for aortic aneurysms are open surgery and endovascular aortic repair, which are only indicated for more severe patients. Most patients with aneurysms have an insidious onset and slow progression, and there are no effective drugs to treat this stage. The inability of current animal models to perfectly simulate all the pathophysiological states of human aneurysms may be the key to this issue. Therefore, elucidating the molecular mechanisms of this disease, finding new therapeutic targets, and developing effective drugs to inhibit the development of aneurysms are the main issues of current research. Natural products have been applied for thousands of years to treat cardiovascular disease (CVD) in China and other Asian countries. In recent years, natural products have combined multi-omics, computational biology, and integrated pharmacology to accurately analyze drug components and targets. Therefore, the multi-component and multi-target complexity of natural products have made them a potentially ideal treatment for multifactorial diseases such as aortic aneurysms. Natural products have regained popularity worldwide. This review provides an overview of the known natural products for the treatment of TAA and AAA and searches for potential cardiovascular-targeted natural products that may treat TAA and AAA based on various cellular molecular mechanisms associated with aneurysm development.

Treatment of diabetic retinopathy with herbs for tonifying kidney and activating blood circulation: A review of pharmacological studies

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a prevalent microvascular complication of diabetes. Chinese medicine believes that kidney deficiency and blood stasis are significant pathogenesis of DR. A characteristic therapeutic approach for this pathogenesis is the kidney-tonifying and blood-activating method. By literature retrieval from several databases, we methodically summarized the commonly used kidney-tonifying and blood-activating herbs for treating DR, including Lycii Fructus, Rehmanniane Radix Praeparata, and Corni Fructus with the function of nourishing kidney; Salvia Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma with the function of enhancing blood circulation; Rehmanniae Radix with the function of nourishing kidney yin; and Astragali Radix with the function of tonifying qi. It has been demonstrated that these Chinese herbs described above, by tonifying the kidney and activating blood circulation, significantly improve the course of DR.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Through literature research, to gain a thorough comprehension of the pathogenesis of DR. Simultaneously, through the traditional application analysis, modern pharmacology research and network pharmacology analysis of kidney-tonifying and blood-activating herbs, to review the effectiveness and advantages of kidney-tonifying and blood-activating herbs in treating DR comprehensively.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Data were used to filter the most popular herbs for tonifying kidney and activating blood in the treatment of DR. The search terms were "diabetic retinopathy" and "tonifying kidney and activating blood". Mostly from 2000 to 2023. Network pharmacology was applied to examine the key active components and forecast the mechanisms of kidney-tonifying and blood-activating herbs in the treatment of DR.

RESULTS

Kidney deficiency and blood stasis are the pathogenesis of DR, and the pathogenesis is linked to oxidative stress, inflammation, hypoxia, and hyperglycemia. Scientific data and network pharmacology analysis have demonstrated the benefit of tonifying kidney and activating blood herbs in treating DR through several channels, multiple components, and multiple targets.

CONCLUSIONS

This review first presents useful information for subsequent research into the material foundation and pharmacodynamics of herbs for tonifying kidney and activating blood, and offers fresh insights into the treatment of DR.

Targeted intervention of natural medicinal active ingredients and traditional Chinese medicine on epigenetic modification: Possible strategies for prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis is a deadly consequence of cardiovascular disease and has very high mortality rate worldwide. The epigenetic modifications can regulate the pervasiveness and progression of atherosclerosis through its involvement in regulation of inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid metabolism and several other factors. Specific non-coding RNAs, DNA methylation, and histone modifications are key regulatory factors of atherosclerosis. Natural products from traditional Chinese medicine have shown promising therapeutic potential against atherosclerosis by means of regulating the expression of specific genes, stabilizing arterial plaques and protecting vascular endothelial cells.

OBJECTIVE

Our study is focusing to explore the pathophysiology and probability of traditional Chinese medicine and natural medicinal active ingredients to treat atherosclerosis.

METHODS

Comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and China National Knowledge Infrastructure with a core focus on natural medicinal active ingredients and traditional Chinese medicine prying in epigenetic modification related to atherosclerosis.

RESULTS

Accumulated evidence demonstrated that natural medicinal active ingredients and traditional Chinese medicine have been widely studied as substances that can regulate epigenetic modification. They can participate in the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis through inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, cell proliferation and migration, macrophage polarization and autophagy respectively.

CONCLUSION

The function of natural medicinal active ingredients and traditional Chinese medicine in regulating epigenetic modification may provide a new potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. However, more extensive research is essential to determine the potential of these natural medicinal active ingredients to treat atherosclerosis because of least clinical data.

Glycyrrhizic Acid Inhibits High-Mobility Group Box-1 and Homocysteine-Induced Vascular Dysfunction

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) worsens cardiovascular outcomes by impairing vascular function and promoting chronic inflammation via release of danger-associated molecular patterns, such as high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB-1). Elevated levels of HMGB-1 have recently been reported in patients with HHcy. Therefore, targeting HMGB-1 may be a potential therapy to improve HHcy-induced cardiovascular pathologies. This study aimed to further elucidate HMGB-1's role during acute HHcy and HHcy-induced atherogenesis and to determine if inhibiting HMGB-1 with glycyrrhizic acid (Glyz) improved vascular function. Male New Zealand White rabbits (n = 25) were placed on either a standard control chow (CD; n = 15) or atherogenic diet (AD; n = 10) for 4 weeks. Rabbit serum and Krebs taken from organ bath studies were collected to quantify HMGB-1 levels. Isometric tension analysis was performed on abdominal aorta (AA) rings from CD and AD rabbits. Rings were incubated with homocysteine (Hcy) [3 mM] for 60 min to induce acute HHcy or rhHMGB-1 [100 nM]. Vascular function was assessed by relaxation to cumulative doses of acetylcholine. Markers of vascular dysfunction and inflammation were quantified in the endothelium, media, and adventitia of AA rings. HMGB-1 was significantly upregulated in serum (p < 0.0001) and Krebs (p < 0.0001) after Hcy exposure or an AD. Incubation with Hcy (p < 0.0001) or rhHMGB-1 (p < 0.0001) and an AD (p < 0.0001) significantly reduced relaxation to acetylcholine, which was markedly improved by Glyz. HMGB-1 expression was elevated (p < 0.0001) after Hcy exposure and AD (p < 0.0001) and was normalized after Glyz treatment. Moreover, markers of vascular function, cell stress and inflammation were also reduced after Glyz. These results demonstrate that HMGB-1 has a central role during HHcy-induced vascular dysfunction and inhibiting it with Glyz could be a potential treatment option for cardiovascular diseases.

Therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine in atherosclerosis: A review

Atherosclerosis is the onset of endothelial cell damage and is characterized by abnormal accumulation of fibrinogen and lipid in large and middle arteries. Recent researches indicate that traditional Chinese medicine including Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Astragali Radix, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Fructus Crataegi, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Polygoni Multiflori Radix, Fructus Lycii, and Coptidis Rhizoma have therapeutic effects on atherosclerosis. Furthermore, the pharmacological roles of these kinds of traditional Chinese medicine in atherosclerosis refer to endothelial function influences, cell proliferation and migration, platelet aggregation, thrombus formation, oxidative stress, inflammation, angiogenesis, apoptosis, autophagy, lipid metabolism, and the gut microbiome. Traditional Chinese medicine may serve as potential and effective anti-atherosclerosis drugs. However, a critical study has shown that Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma may also have toxic effects including pustules, fever, and elevate circulating neutrophil count. Further high-quality studies are still required to determine the clinical safety and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine and its active ingredients.

OxLDL-stimulated macrophage exosomes promote proatherogenic vascular smooth muscle cell viability and invasion via delivering miR-186-5p then inactivating SHIP2 mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

The current study aimed to investigate the implication of microRNA (miRNA) profile in the linkage between oxidized low-density-lipoprotein (oxLDL)-stimulated-macrophages (MФ) exosomes and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during atherosclerosis. VSMCs were treated by oxLDL-stimulated-MФ with/without GW4869. MiRNA profile in oxLDL-stimulated-MФ and untreated-MФ was detected by microarray, then candidate miRNAs were proposed to RT-qPCR and functional validation in VSMCs. MiR-186-5p mimic/inhibitor was transfected into oxLDL-stimulated-MФ, then its exosomes were used to VSMCs. Subsequently, miR-186-5p, SHIP2 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway were modified alone or in combination in VSMCs. VSMCs viability, invasion and apoptosis were detected. OxLDL-stimulated-MФ induced VSMCs viability, invasion, but repressed apoptosis (all P < 0.01); while after GW4869 treatment to delete exosomes, its effect was weakened (all P < 0.05). Totally 45 dysregulated miRNAs were identified in oxLDL-stimulated-MФ versus untreated-MФ. The top-three dysregulated miRNAs (miR-186-5p, miR-21-5p, miR-320b) were elevated in VSMCs after oxLDL-stimulated-MФ treatment (all P < 0.001); while only miR-186-5p mimic greatly enhanced VSMCs viability and invasion (both P < 0.01). Furthermore, miR-186-5p-overexpressed oxLDL-stimulated-MФ exosomes promoted VSMCs viability, invasion, repressed apoptosis, while miR-186-5p-knockdown oxLDL-stimulated-MФ exosomes exhibited opposite effect (all P < 0.05). MiR-186-5p negatively regulated SHIP2 in VSMCs and bound SHIP2 via luciferase-reporter-gene assay (all P < 0.05). SHIP2 overexpression decreased VSMCs viability, invasion, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, increased apoptosis, and attenuated miR-186-5p-overexpression's effect on these functions (all P < 0.05). Besides, PI3K activator (740 Y-P) weakened SHIP2-overexpression's effect on VSMCs viability, invasion and apoptosis (all P < 0.05). In conclusion, oxLDL-stimulated-MФ exosomes deliver miR-186-5p to inactivate SHIP2 mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, then promote cell viability and invasion in VSMCs to accelerate atherosclerosis.