Danshen formula granule and salvianic acid A alleviate ethanol-induced neurotoxicity

Irisin attenuates ethanol-induced behavioral deficits in mice through activation of Nrf2 and inhibition of NF-κB pathways

This study aims to investigate the effect of irisin on ethanol-induced behavioral deficits and explore the underlying mechanisms. A mouse model of ethanol addiction/withdrawal was constructed through chronic ethanol administration. Depressive-like behaviors were evaluated by the tail suspension test and forced swimming test, and anxiety-like behaviors were evaluated by the marble-burying test and elevated plus maze test. The expression of Nrf2 was measured by western blotting. Levels of inflammatory mediators (NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) and oxidative stress factors (ROS, MDA, GSH and SOD) were detected by ELISA. The ethanol-induced PC12/BV2 cell injury model was used to elucidate whether the effect of irisin on ethanol-induced neurological injury was related to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms. Ethanol-induced ethanol preference and emotional deficits were improved by chronic irisin treatment; however, these improvements were partly reversed by cotreatment with the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385. Further results implied that the improvement effect of irisin on behavioral abnormalities may be related to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In detail, irisin inhibited ethanol-induced abnormal expression of ROS and MDA and upregulated the expression of GSH and SOD. Meanwhile, irisin treatment inhibited ethanol-induced overexpression of NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. The regulation of oxidative stress factors by irisin was reversed after ML385 treatment. In the in vitro study, overexpression of oxidative stress factors in ethanol-treated PC12 cells was inhibited by irisin treatment; however, the prevention was reversed after the knockdown of Nrf2 siRNA. Moreover, ethanol-induced overexpression of inflammatory mediators in BV2 cells was also inhibited by irisin treatment. Irisin improved depressive and anxiety-like behaviors induced by ethanol addiction/withdrawal in mice, and this protection was greatly associated with the NF-κB-mediated anti-inflammatory signaling pathway and Nrf2-mediated antioxidative stress signaling pathway.

Astragaloside IV: A promising natural neuroprotective agent for neurological disorders

Neurological disorders are characterized by high morbidity, disability, and mortality rates, which seriously threaten human health. However, clinically satisfactory agents for treatment are still currently lacking. Therefore, finding neuroprotective agents with minimum side effects and better efficacy is a challenge. Chinese herbal medicine, particularly natural preparations extracted from herbs or plants, has become an unparalleled resource for discovering new agent candidates. Astragali Radix is an important Qi tonic drug in traditional Chinese medicine and has a long medicinal history. As a natural medicine, it has a good prevention and treatment effect on neurological disorders. Here, the role and mechanism of astragaloside IV in the treatment of neurological disorders were evaluated and discussed through previous research results. Related information from major scientific databases, such as PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Embase, BIOSIS Previews, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Library, covering between 2001 and 2021 was compiled, using "Astragaloside IV" and "Neurological disorders," "Astragaloside IV," and "Neurodegenerative diseases" as reference terms. By summarizing previous research results, we found that astragaloside IV may play a neuroprotective role through various mechanisms: anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic protection of nerve cells and regulation of nerve growth factor, as well as by inhibiting neurodegeneration and promoting nerve regeneration. Astragaloside IV is a promising natural neuroprotective agent. By determining its pharmacological mechanism, astragaloside IV may be a new candidate drug for the treatment of neurological disorders.

Protective effect and mechanism of Lycium barbarum L. polyphenol on cognitive impairment induced by ethanol in mice

BACKGROUND

Chronic excessive ethanol consumption damages the central nervous system and causes neurobehavioral changes, such as cognitive impairment, which is related to oxidative stress and inhibition of neurogenesis in the hippocampus. It is known that promoting neurogenesis improves learning memory, anxiety and depression. Lycium barbarum L. polyphenol (LBP) is the main active ingredient of Lycium barbarum L., which has excellent neuroprotective effects. However, the effects and mechanisms of LBP on ethanol-induced cognitive impairment are unclear.

PURPOSE

To assess the effects and mechanisms of LBP on ethanol-induced cognitive impairment in mice.

METHODS

Eight-weeks-old adult C57BL/6J mice were allowed to drink ethanol (10%) to establish a model of ethanol-induced cognitive impairment. From the 29th day of LBP (25, 50, 100, 200, 400 mg/kg, intragastric administration), the locomotor activity, novel object recognition (NOR), Y maze and Morris water maze (MWM) were sequentially performed to investigate the effect of LBP on ethanol-induced cognitive impairment in mice. Next, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescence, and western blotting were used to study the underlying mechanism of LBP on ethanol-induced cognitive impairment.

RESULTS

LBP significantly decreased the escape latency and increased the number of crossings of the original platform in MWM, increased the spontaneous alteration behavior in the Y maze, and increased the preference index in the NOR in ethanol-induced mice. Notably, LBP significantly promoted the proliferation of neural stem cells, neural progenitor cells and neuroblasts, and increased the proportion of activated NSCs in mice with ethanol-induced cognitive impairment. Similarly, LBP significantly increased the number of newborn immature neurons and mature neurons. Moreover, LBP increased the levels of nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and the downstream heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) protein expression, which led to a decrease of oxidative stress levels.

CONCLUSION

LBP significantly improves cognitive impairment in ethanol-induced mice, which is attributed to the promotion of hippocampal neurogenesis and reduction of oxidative stress.

Cryptotanshinone ameliorates MPP+-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells: the role of STAT3 in Parkinson's disease

Cryptotanshinone (CTN) has shown its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory qualities in non-genetic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. According to bioinformatics analysis, CTN and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) may interact to form a drug-target network. This study was conducted to identify the role of CTN-STAT3 interaction in Parkinson's disease (PD). PD model was established with MMP⁺-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells. After pre-treatment with CTN or co-treatment with CTN and STAT3 agonist, MTT assay was performed to observe cell viability; ELISA kit was used to measure the expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines; DCFH-DA and corresponding assay kits were employed to determine the production of ROS, SOD, CAT and GSH-px; TUNEL assay and western blot were performed to detect cell apoptosis. STAT3 activity was also detected by western blot. Treatment with CTN alone had no impact on SH-SY5Y cell viability, but CTN pre-treatment effectively improved MPP⁺-induced loss of viability in SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, pre-treatment with CTN inhibited MPP⁺-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis and STAT3 activity in SH-SY5Y cells, whereas this inhibitory effect was diminished after additional treatment with STAT3 agonist. CTN ameliorates MPP⁺-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells by inhibiting the expression of STAT3. Therefore, CTN could be a promising therapeutic agent, and STAT3 could be a potential target for PD treatment.

Danshensu alleviates pseudo-typed SARS-CoV-2 induced mouse acute lung inflammation

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can induce acute inflammatory response like acute lung inflammation (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome, leading to severe progression and mortality. Therapeutics for treatment of SARS-CoV-2-triggered respiratory inflammation are urgent to be discovered. Our previous study shows that Salvianolic acid C potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, we investigated the antiviral effects of a Salvia miltiorrhiza compound, Danshensu, in vitro and in vivo, including the mechanism of S protein-mediated virus attachment and entry into target cells. In authentic and pseudo-typed virus assays in vitro, Danshensu displayed a potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 with EC₅₀ of 0.97 μM, and potently inhibited the entry of SARS-CoV-2 S protein-pseudo-typed virus (SARS-CoV-2 S) into ACE2-overexpressed HEK-293T cells (IC₅₀ = 0.31 μM) and Vero-E6 cell (IC₅₀ = 4.97 μM). Mice received SARS-CoV-2 S via trachea to induce ALI, while the VSV-G treated mice served as controls. The mice were administered Danshensu (25, 50, 100 mg/kg, i.v., once) or Danshensu (25, 50, 100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1, oral administration, for 7 days) before SARS-CoV-2 S infection. We showed that SARS-CoV-2 S infection induced severe inflammatory cell infiltration, severely damaged lung tissue structure, highly expressed levels of inflammatory cytokines, and activated TLR4 and hyperphosphorylation of the NF-κB p65; the high expression of angiotensinogen (AGT) and low expression of ACE2 at the mRNA level in the lung tissue were also observed. Both oral and intravenous pretreatment with Danshensu dose-dependently alleviated the pathological alterations in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 S. This study not only establishes a mouse model of pseudo-typed SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2 S) induced ALI, but also demonstrates that Danshensu is a potential treatment for COVID-19 patients to inhibit the lung inflammatory response.

Icaritin protects SH-SY5Y cells transfected with TDP-43 by alleviating mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of icaritin (ICT) on TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43)-induced neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cell damage and to further explore its underlying mechanisms.

Methods

To investigate the possible mechanism, TDP-43 was used to induce SH-SY5Y cell injury. Cell viability was evaluated by the CCK-8 assay. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was determined with JC-1. The expression levels of TDP-43 and cytochrome C (CytC) were measuring by Western blotting. Changes in adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) content, total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were detected with specific kits.

Results

The results showed that ICT reduced the cell damage induced by TDP-43. ICT reduced the expression level of TDP-43; increased ATP content and the MMP; decreased CytC expression; increased T-AOC and GSH-Px, total SOD (T-SOD), copper/zinc SOD (CuZn-SOD), and manganese SOD (Mn-SOD) activity; and decreased MDA content.

Conclusions

The results suggest that ICT has a protective effect on TDP-43-transfected SH-SY5Y cells that is related to reductions in TDP-43 expression and mitochondrial damage and alleviation of oxidative stress.

Mechanism of Radix Astragali and Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae Ameliorates Hypertensive Renal Damage

Hypertensive-induced renal damage (HRD) is an important public health and socioeconomic problem worldwide. The herb pair Radix Astragali- (RA-) Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (RS) is a common prescribed herbal formula for the treatment of HRD. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The purpose of our study is to explore the mechanism of combination of Radix Astragali (RA) and Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (RS) ameliorating HRD by regulation of the renal sympathetic nerve. Thirty 24-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) as the experimental group were randomly divided into the RA group, the RS group, the RA+RS group, the valsartan group, and the SHR group and six age-matched Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) as the control group. After 4 weeks of corresponding drug administration, venipuncture was done to collect blood and prepare serum for analysis. A color Doppler ultrasound diagnostic instrument was used to observe renal hemodynamics. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), angiotensin II (Ang II), and B-type brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). Simultaneously, the kidneys were removed immediately and observed under a transmission electron microscope to observe the ultrastructural changes. And the concentration of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1), and nitric oxide (NO) was detected by immunohistochemistry. Our results showed that renal ultrasonography of rats showed no significant difference in renal size among groups. The RA+RS group had obviously decreased vascular resistance index. The levels of NE, E, BNP, Ang II, AT1, and TGF-β1 were decreased (P < 0.05), and the density of NO was increased. Pathological damage of the kidney was alleviated. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested sympathetic overexpression in the pathogenesis of HRD. The combination of RA and RS may inhibit the hyperexcitability of sympathetic nerves and maintain the normal physiological structure and function of kidney tissue and has a protective effect on the cardiovascular system.

Tanshinone Inhibits NSCLC by Downregulating AURKA Through Let-7a-5p

Lung cancer is the most deadly malignancy in the last decade, accounting for about 1.6 million deaths every year globally. Tanshinone is the constituent of Salvia miltiorrhiza; it has been found that they influence tumorigenesis. However, the role of tanshinones on lung cancer is still not clear. Let-7a-5p, a short non-coding RNA, is regarded as a suppressor gene in tumorigenesis. Herein, we verified that let-7a-5p is significantly downregulated in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues and cell lines. Tanshinone suppressed the expression of aurora kinase A (AURKA), inhibited cell proliferation, and arrested cell cycle progression. Our results showed that tanshinones suppressed NSCLC by upregulating the expressions of let-7a-5p via directly targeting AURKA. Besides, the data reveal that the knockdown of AURKA can also inhibit cell proliferation, arrest cell cycle, and promote cell apoptosis. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that AURKA was negatively correlated with let-7a-5p in NSCLC patient tissues. Taken together, our findings suggest that tanshinone inhibits NSCLC by downregulating AURKA through let-7a-5p. Tanshinones and let-7a-5p have the potential to be candidates for drug development of NSCLC. In conclusion, this study revealed that tanshinones with miRNA linking lead to partial mechanism in NSCLC.