Mechanisms of cinnamic aldehyde against myocardial ischemia/hypoxia injury in vivo and in vitro: Involvement of regulating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Biological fate, functional properties, and design strategies for oral delivery systems for cinnamaldehyde

Cinnamaldehyde (CA) is the main bioactive component extracted from the internal bark of cinnamon trees with many health benefits. In this paper, the bioavailability and biological activities of cinnamaldehyde, and the underlying molecular mechanism are reviewed and discussed, including antioxidant, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anticancer, and antibacterial properties. Common delivery systems that could improve the stability and bioavailability of CA are also summarized and evaluated, such as micelles, microcapsules, liposomes, nanoparticles, and nanoemulsions. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of the beneficial functions and delivery strategies of CA, which is useful for the future application of CA in the functional food industry.

Protective effect of cinnamon extract against cobalt-induced multiple organ damage in rats

Background

The role of oxidative stress and inflammation in cobalt (Co) toxicity has been the focus of previous studies. Cinnamon and its main components have been reported to have protective effects in various tissues with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Aims

In this study, the protective effect of cinnamon extract (CE) against possible Co-induced heart, kidney, and liver damage in rats was investigated biochemically.

Methods

Eighteen albino Wistar-type male rats were categorized into three groups (n = 6 per group): control (CG), CoCL2-administered (CoCL2), and CE + CoCL2-administered (CE + Co) groups. The CE + CoCL2 group was administered CE (100 mg/kg), and the CoCL2 and CG groups were administered distilled water orally by gavage. One hour after the administration, Co (150 mg/kg) was administered orally to the CE + CoCL2 and CoCL2 groups. This procedure was repeated once daily for 7 days. Then, biochemical markers were studied in the excised heart, kidney, and liver tissues.

Results

CoCL2 increased oxidants and proinflammatory cytokines and decreased antioxidants in heart, kidney, and liver tissues. Heart, kidney, and liver tissue were affected by Co damage. CE treatment suppressed the CoCL2-induced increase in oxidants and proinflammatory cytokines and decrease in antioxidants in heart, kidney, and liver tissues. CE treatment has been shown to attenuate cardiac damage by reducing serum troponin I (TpI) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), renal damage by reducing creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and liver damage by reducing alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST).

Conclusion

Co induced the production of oxidants and proinflammatory parameters and antioxidant depletion in heart, kidney, and liver tissues of rats. Our experimental results show that CE protects heart, kidney, and liver tissues against oxidative and inflammatory changes induced by CoCLl2.

Protective Effects of Trans-Chalcone on Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Challenge through Targeting Phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt-inflammosome Interaction

Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury remains a pivotal contributor to myocardial damage following acute coronary events and revascularization procedures. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), a key mediator of cell survival signaling, plays a central role in regulating inflammatory responses and cell death mechanisms. Trans-chalcone (Tch), a natural compound known for its anti-inflammatory activities, has shown promise in various disease models. The aim of the current study was to investigate the potential protective effects of Tch against myocardial injury induced by ischemia and reperfusion challenges by targeting the PI3K-inflammasome interaction. Experimental models utilizing male rats subjected to an in vivo model of IR injury and myocardial infarction were employed. Administration of Tch (100 μg/kg, intraperitoneally) significantly reduced myocardial injury, as indicated by limited infarct size and decreased levels of the myocardial enzyme troponin. Mechanistically, Tch upregulated PI3K expression, thereby inhibiting the activity of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome followed by the activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18. Moreover, it mitigated oxidative stress and suppressed vascular-intercellular adhesion molecules, contributing to its cardioprotective effects. The PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor LY294002 considerably attenuated the beneficial effects of Tch. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of Tch in ameliorating myocardial injury associated with IR insults through its modulation of the PI3K/Akt-inflammasome axis. The multifaceted mechanisms underlying its protective effects signify Tch as a promising candidate for further exploration in developing targeted therapies aimed at mitigating ischemic heart injury and improving clinical outcomes in cardiovascular diseases characterized by IR injury.

Carbon Dots Derived from Curcumae Radix and Their Heartprotective Effect

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a common cardiovascular disease in clinic. Currently, there is no specific treatment for AMI. Carbon dots (CDs) have been reported to show excellent biological activities, which hold promise for the development of novel nanomedicines for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Methods

In this study, we firstly prepared CDs from the natural herb Curcumae Radix Carbonisata (CRC-CDs) by a green, simple calcination method. The aim of this study is to investigate the cardioprotective effect and mechanism of CRC-CDs on isoproterenol (ISO) -induced myocardial infarction (MI) in rats.

Results

The results showed that pretreatment with CRC-CDs significantly reduced serum levels of cardiac enzymes (CK-MB, LDH, AST) and lipids (TC, TG, LDL) and reduced st-segment elevation and myocardial infarct size on the ECG in AMI rats. Importantly, cardiac ejection fraction (EF) and shortening fraction (FS) were markedly elevated, as was ATPase activity. In addition, CRC-CDs could significantly increase the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and reduce the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in myocardial tissue, thereby exerting cardioprotective effect by enhancing the antioxidant capacity of myocardial tissue. Moreover, the TUNEL staining image showed that positive apoptotic cells were markedly declined after CRC-CDs treatment, which indicate that CRC-CDs could inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Importantly, The protective effect of CRC-CDs on H2O2 -pretreated H9c2 cells was also verified in vitro.

Conclusion

Taken together, CRC-CDs has the potential for clinical application as an anti-myocardial ischemia drug candidate, which not only provides evidence for further broadening the biological application of cardiovascular diseases, but also offers potential hope for the application of nanomedicine to treat intractable diseases.

Cinnamaldehyde protects cardiomyocytes from oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation-induced lipid peroxidation and DNA damage via activating the Nrf2 pathway

Rapid restoration of perfusion in ischemic myocardium is the most direct and effective treatment for coronary heart disease but may cause myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI). Cinnamaldehyde (CA, C9H8O), a key component in the well-known Chinese medicine cinnamomum cassia, has cardioprotective effects against MIRI. This study aimed to observe the therapeutic effect of CA on MIRI and to elucidate its potential mechanism. H9C2 rat cardiomyocytes were pretreated with CA solution at 0, 10, and 100 μM, respectively and subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). Then the cell viability, the NF-κB and caspase3 gene levels, the reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratio, superoxide dismutase (SOD) level, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected. The severity of DNA damage was assessed by tail moment (TM) values using alkaline comet assay. Besides, the DNA damage-related proteins and the key proteins of the Nrf2 pathway were detected by western blot. CA treatment increased the cell viability, GHS/GSSG ratio, SOD level, PARP1, Nrf2, PPAR-γ, and HO-1 protein levels of H9C2 cardiomyocytes, while reducing NF-κB, caspase3, ROS level, 4-HNE and MDA content, γ-H2AX protein level, and TM values. Inhibition of the Nrf2 pathway reversed the effect of CA on cell viability and apoptosis of OGD/R induced H9C2 cardiomyocytes. Besides, 100 μM CA was more effective than 10 μM CA. In the OGD/R-induced H9C2 cardiomyocyte model, CA can protect cardiomyocytes from MIRI by attenuating lipid peroxidation and repairing DNA damage. The mechanism may be related to the activation of the Nrf2 pathway.

Exploring the Mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma against Thrombosis Based on Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking and Experimental Verification

Chuanxiong rhizoma (CX) has been utilized for centuries as a traditional herb to treat blood stasis syndromes. However, the pharmacological mechanisms are still not completely revealed. This research was aimed at exploring the molecular mechanisms of CX treatment for thrombosis. Network pharmacology was used to predict the potential anti-thrombosis mechanism after correlating the targets of active components with targets of thrombosis. Furthermore, we verified the mechanism of using CX to treat thrombosis via molecular docking and in vitro experiments. Network pharmacology results showed that a total of 18 active ingredients and 65 targets of CX treatment for thrombosis were collected, including 8 core compounds and 6 core targets. We revealed for the first time that tissue factor (TF) had a close relationship with most core targets of CX in the treatment of thrombosis. TF is a primary coagulation factor in physiological hemostasis and pathological thrombosis. Furthermore, core components of CX have strong affinity for core targets and TF according to molecular docking analysis. The in vitro experiments indicated that Ligustilide (LIG), the representative component of CX, could inhibit TF procoagulant activity, TF mRNA and protein over-expression in a dose-dependent manner in EA.hy926 cells through the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway. This work demonstrated that hemostasis or blood coagulation was one of the important biological processes in the treatment of thrombosis with CX, and TF also might be a central target of CX when used for treating thrombosis. The inhibition of TF might be a novel mechanism of CX in the treatment of thrombosis.

Cinnamaldehyde protects donor heart from cold ischemia-reperfusion injury via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

With the growing shortage of organs, improvements in donor organ protection are needed to meet the increasing demands for transplantation. Here, the aim was to investigate the protective effect of cinnamaldehyde against ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in donor hearts exposed to prolonged cold ischemia. Donor hearts were harvested from rats pretreated with or without cinnamaldehyde, then subjected to 24 h of cold preservation and 1 h of ex vivo perfusion. Hemodynamic changes, myocardial inflammation, oxidative stress, and myocardial apoptosis were evaluated. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway involved in the cardioprotective effects of cinnamaldehyde was explored through RNA sequencing and western blot analysis. Intriguingly, cinnamaldehyde pretreatment remarkably improved cardiac function through increasing coronary flow, left ventricular systolic pressure, +dp/dtmax, and -dp/dtmax, decreasing coronary vascular resistance and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. Moreover, our findings indicated that cinnamaldehyde pretreatment protected the heart from IRI by alleviating myocardial inflammation, attenuating oxidative stress, and reducing myocardial apoptosis. Further studies showed that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was activated after cinnamaldehyde treatment during IRI. The protective effects of cinnamaldehyde were abolished by LY294002. In conclusion, cinnamaldehyde pretreatment alleviated IRI in donor hearts suffering from prolonged cold ischemia. Cinnamaldehyde exerted cardioprotective effects through the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Advances in detecting fruit aroma compounds by combining chromatography and spectrometry

Fruit aroma is produced by volatile compounds, which can significantly enhance fruit flavor. These compounds are highly complex and have remarkable pharmacological effects. The synthesis, concentration, type, and quantity of fruit aroma substances are affected by various factors, both abiotic and biotic. To fully understand the aroma substances of various fruits and their influencing factors, detection technology can be used. Many methods exist for detecting aroma compounds, and approaches combining multiple instruments are widely used. This review describes and compares each detection technology and discusses the potential use of combined technologies to provide a comprehensive understanding of fruit aroma compounds and the factors influencing their synthesis. These results can inform the development and utilization of fruit aroma substances. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect and mechanism of Tangzhiqing in improving cardiac function in mice with hyperlipidaemia complicated with myocardial ischaemia

Purpose

Tangzhiqing formula (TZQ) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescribed to treat lipid metabolism disorders, atherosclerosis, diabetes and diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, some challenges and hurdles remain. TZQ showed promising results in treating diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. However, its effect on and mechanism of action in hyperlipidaemia complicated with myocardial ischaemia (HL-MI) remain unknown.

Methods

In this study, a network pharmacology-based strategy integrating target prediction was adopted to predict the targets of TZQ relevant to the treatment of HL-MI and to further explore the involved pharmacological mechanisms.

Results

A total of 104 potential therapeutic targets were obtained, including MMP9, Bcl-2, and Bax, which may be related to the apoptosis and PI3K/AKT signalling pathways. Then, we confirmed these potential targets and pathways with animal experimentation. TZQ reduced lipid levels, increased the expression levels of Bcl-2, decreased Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 expression levels, and activated the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the protective mechanisms of TZQ against HL-MI through network pharmacology and pharmacological approaches.

Hesperetin ameliorates ischemia/hypoxia‐induced myocardium injury via inhibition of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and regulation of Ca 2+ homeostasis

Ischemia/hypoxia (I/H)-induced myocardial injury has a large burden worldwide. Hesperetin (HSP) has a cardioprotective effect, but the molecular mechanism underlying this is not clearly established. Here, we focused on the protective mechanisms of HSP against I/H-induced myocardium injury. H9c2 cardiomyocytes were challenged with CoCl₂ for 22 h to imitate hypoxia after treatment groups received HSP for 4 h. The viability of H9c2 cardiomyocytes was evaluated, and cardiac function indices, reactive oxygen species, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺ ]_i ) were measured. L-type Ca²⁺ current (I_Ca-L ), myocardial contraction, and Ca²⁺ transients in isolated ventricular myocytes were also recorded. We found that HSP significantly increased the cell viability, and MMP while significantly decreasing cardiac impairment, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and [Ca²⁺ ]_i caused by CoCl₂ . Furthermore, HSP markedly attenuated I_Ca-L , myocardial contraction, and Ca²⁺ transients in a concentration-dependent manner. Our findings suggest a protective mechanism of HSP on I/H-induced myocardium injury by restoring oxidative balance, inhibiting apoptosis, improving mitochondrial function, and reducing Ca²⁺ influx via L-type Ca²⁺ channels (LTCCs). These data provide a new direction for HSP applied research as a LTCC inhibitor against I/H-induced myocardium injury.

The Therapeutic Roles of Cinnamaldehyde against Cardiovascular Diseases

Evidence from epidemiological studies has demonstrated that the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) increase year by year, which pose a great threat on social economy and human health worldwide. Due to limited therapeutic benefits and associated adverse effects of current medications, there is an urgent need to uncover novel agents with favorable safety and efficacy. Cinnamaldehyde (CA) is a bioactive phytochemical isolated from the stem bark of Chinese herbal medicine Cinnamon and has been suggested to possess curative roles against the development of CVDs. This integrated review intends to summarize the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic features of CA and discuss the recent advances in underlying mechanisms and potential targets responsible for anti-CVD properties of CA. The CA-related cardiovascular protective mechanisms could be attributed to the inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress, improvement of lipid and glucose metabolism, regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis, suppression of cardiac fibrosis, and platelet aggregation and promotion of vasodilation and angiogenesis. Furthermore, CA is likely to inhibit CVD progression via affecting other possible processes including autophagy and ER stress regulation, gut microbiota and immune homeostasis, ion metabolism, ncRNA expression, and TRPA1 activation. Collectively, experiments reported previously highlight the therapeutic effects of CA and clinical trials are advocated to offer scientific basis for the compound future applied in clinical practice for CVD prophylaxis and treatment.