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Kazmi STB, Fatima H, Naz I, Kanwal N, Haq IU. Pre-clinical studies comparing the anti-inflammatory potential of artemisinic compounds by targeting NFκB/TNF-α/NLRP3 and Nrf2/TRX pathways in Balb/C mice. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1352827. [PMID: 38910883 PMCID: PMC11190342 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1352827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin, artemether, artesunate, and dihydroartemisinin are renowned for their antimalarial potential. The current study aims to repurpose the above-mentioned artemisinic compounds (ACs) by conducting an intercomparison to evaluate their antiinflammatory potential (AIP). In order to develop potential candidates for the evaluation of AIP of ACs (50 and 100 mg/kg BW), carbon tetrachloride (1ml/kg body weight (BW)) was administered intraperitoneally to BALB/c mice. Alterations in animal behavior were assessed weekly through tail suspension test, force swim test, open field test, Y-maze test, inverted screen analysis, and weight lifting test. Aberrations in hematological, serological, endogenous antioxidants, and oxidative stress marker profiles were assessed in all twelve groups. Histological alterations were read using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Levels of inflammatory markers including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), were determined using immunohistochemical analysis (IHCA). Antioxidant markers i.e., nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf-2) and thioredoxin (TRX) were also quantified through IHCA. Comet assay was performed to quantify DNA damage. Oral administration of ACs to mice significantly alleviated the carbon tetrachloride induced inflammation in comparison with silymarin. Reduced levels of several inflammatory markers including nitric oxide, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, interleukin-1 beta, NF-κB, TNF-α, and NLRP3, underscore the substantial AIP of ACs. IHCA depicted the revitalized percent relative expression of Nrf-2 and TRX in groups treated with ACs. Behavioral analysis revealed that ACs-treated groups significantly (p<0.05) attenuated the memory deficit, anxiety, and depressive-like behavior. Moreover, histopathological, hematological, serological, and endogenous antioxidant profiles indicated substantial AIP of ACs. Findings of comet assay further bolstered the compelling evidence as DNA damage was significantly (p<0.05) curbed down after ACs (100 mg/kg) treatment. All these outcomes implied that ACs exhibited AIP in a dose-dependent manner with maximal AIP imparted by artemisinin (100 mg/kg). This pre-clinical investigation avers the tremendous AIP of ACs targeting key molecular pathways. The current study divulges artemisinin as the most potent antiinflammatory agent among the tested compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Humaira Fatima
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Iffat Naz
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Qassim University, Almolaydah, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nosheen Kanwal
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Qassim University, Almolaydah, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ihsan-ul Haq
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Liu Q, Ding X, Wang Y, Chu H, Guan Y, Li M, Sun K. Artemisinin reduces PTSD-like symptoms, improves synaptic plasticity, and inhibits apoptosis in rats subjected to single prolonged stress. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1303123. [PMID: 38379899 PMCID: PMC10876839 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1303123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a chronic mental disorder characterized by symptoms of panic and anxiety, depression, impaired cognitive functioning, and difficulty in social interactions. While the effect of the traditional Chinese medicine artemisinin (AR) on PTSD is unknown, its therapeutic benefits have been demonstrated by studies on models of multiple neurological disorders. This study aimed to extend such findings by investigating the effects of AR administration on a rat model of PTSD induced by a regimen of single prolonged stress (SPS). After rats were subjected to the SPS protocol, AR was administered and its impact on PTSD-like behaviors was evaluated. In the present study, rats were subjected to a multitude of behavioral tests to evaluate behaviors related to anxiety, memory function, and social interactions. The expression of hippocampal synaptic plasticity-related proteins was detected using Western blot and immunofluorescence. The ultrastructure of synapses was observed under transmission electron microscopy. The apoptosis of hippocampal neurons was examined with Western blot, TUNEL staining, and HE staining. The results showed that AR administration alleviated the PTSD-like phenotypes in SPS rats, including behavior indicative of anxiety, cognitive deficits, and diminished sociability. AR administration was further observed to improve synaptic plasticity and inhibit neuronal apoptosis in SPS rats. These findings suggest that administering AR after the onset of severe traumatic events may alleviate anxiety, cognitive deficits, and impaired social interaction, improve synaptic plasticity, and diminish neuronal apoptosis. Hence, the present study provides evidence for AR's potential as a multi-target agent in the treatment of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kuisheng Sun
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
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Zhu W, Fan Y, Li Y, Peng L, Li Y, Yan F, Zhao J, Zhang L, Kurihara H, He R, Chen H. Hybridization of Amantadine with Gardenamide A Enhances NMDA Antagonism and in vivo Anti-PD Effects. Bioorg Chem 2022; 130:106223. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Wang R, Ren Q, Gao D, Paudel YN, Li X, Wang L, Zhang P, Wang B, Shang X, Jin M. Ameliorative effect of Gastrodia elata Blume extracts on depression in zebrafish and cellular models through modulating reticulon 4 receptors and apoptosis. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2022; 289:115018. [PMID: 35092824 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Gastrodia elata Blume (G. elata), a traditional Chinese herb, known as "Tian Ma", is widely used as a common medicine and diet ingredient for treating or preventing neurological disorders for thousands of years in China. However, the anti-depressant effect of G. elata and the underlying mechanism have not been fully evaluated. AIM OF THE STUDY The study is aimed to investigate the anti-depressant effect and the molecular mechanism of G. elata in vitro and in vivo using PC12 cells and zebrafish model, respectively. MATERIAL AND METHODS Network pharmacology was performed to explore the potential active ingredients and action targets of G. elata Blume extracts (GBE) against depression. The cell viability and proliferation were determined by MTT and EdU assay, respectively. TUNEL assay was used to examine the anti-apoptotic effect of GBE. Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to detect the protein expression level. In addition, novel tank diving test was used to investigate the anti-depressant effect in zebrafish depression model. RT-PCR was used to analyze the mRNA expression levels of genes. RESULTS G. elata against depression on the reticulon 4 receptors (RTN4R) and apoptosis-related targets, which were predicted by network pharmacology. Furthermore, GBE enhanced cell viability and inhibited the apoptosis in PC12 cells against CORT treatment. GBE relieved depression-like symptoms in adult zebrafish, included increase of exploratory behavior and regulation of depression related genes. Mechanism studies showed that the GBE inhibited the expression of RTN4R-related and apoptosis-related genes. CONCLUSION Our studies show the ameliorative effect of G. elata against depression. The mechanism may be associated with the inhibition of RTN4R-related and apoptosis pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongchun Wang
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China.
| | - Qingyu Ren
- School of Psychology, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai Road, Tang'shan, 063210, Hebei Province, PR China; Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China.
| | - Daili Gao
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China.
| | - Yam Nath Paudel
- Neuropharmacology Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Xia Li
- Mills Institute for Personalized Cancer Care, Fynn Biotechnologies Ltd, Gangxing 3rd Rd, High-Tech and Innovation Zone, Bldg. 2, Rm. 2201, Ji'nan, 250101, Shandong Province, PR China.
| | - Lizhen Wang
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China.
| | - Pengyu Zhang
- School of Psychology, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai Road, Tang'shan, 063210, Hebei Province, PR China; Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China.
| | - Baokun Wang
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China.
| | - Xueliang Shang
- School of Psychology, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai Road, Tang'shan, 063210, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Meng Jin
- Biology Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China; Key Laboratory for Drug Screening Technology of Shandong Academy of Sciences, 28789 East Jingshi Road, Ji'nan, 250103, Shandong Province, PR China.
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Feng Y, Wang W, Zhang Y, Fu X, Ping K, Zhao J, Lei Y, Mou Y, Wang S. Synthesis and biological evaluation of celastrol derivatives as potential anti-glioma agents by activating RIP1/RIP3/MLKL pathway to induce necroptosis. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 229:114070. [PMID: 34968902 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.114070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Celastrol, a quinone methide triterpenoid, possesses potential anti-glioma activity. However, its relatively low activity limit its application as an effective agent for glioma treatment. In search for effective anti-glioma agents, this work designed and synthesized two series of celastrol C-3 OH and C-20 COOH derivatives 4a-4o and 6a-6o containing 1, 2, 3-triazole moiety. Their anti-glioma activities against four human glioma cell lines (A172, LN229, U87, and U251) were then evaluated using MTT assay in vitro. Results showed that compound 6i (IC50 = 0.94 μM) exhibited substantial antiproliferative activity against U251 cell line, that was 4.7-fold more potent than that of celastrol (IC50 = 4.43 μM). In addition, compound 6i remarkably inhibited the colony formation and migration of U251 cells. Further transmission electron microscopy and mitochondrial depolarization assays in U251 cells indicated that the potent anti-glioma activity of 6i was attributed to necroptosis. Mechanism investigation revealed that compound 6i induced necroptosis mainly by activating the RIP1/RIP3/MLKL pathway. Additionally, compound 6i exerted acceptable BBB permeability in mice and inhibited U251 cell proliferation in an in vivo zebrafish xenograft model, obviously. In summary, compound 6i might be a promising lead compound for potent celastrol derivatives as anti-glioma agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Feng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Culture Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Wenbao Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar, 161006, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Culture Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Xuefeng Fu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Culture Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Kunqi Ping
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Culture Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Jiaxing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Culture Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Yu Lei
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Culture Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Yanhua Mou
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Culture Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110016, China.
| | - Shaojie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Culture Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110016, China.
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