Ginsenosides regulation of lysophosphatidylcholine profiles underlies the mechanism of Shengmai Yin in attenuating atherosclerosis

Shenxiang Suhe pill improves cardiac function through modulating gut microbiota and serum metabolites in rats after acute myocardial infarction

CONTEXT

Shenxiang Suhe pill (SXSH), a traditional Chinese medicine, is clinically effective against coronary heart disease, but the mechanism of cardiac-protective function is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the cardiac-protective mechanism of SXSH via modulating gut microbiota and metabolite profiles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n = 8): Sham, Model, SXSH (Low, 0.063 g/kg; Medium, 0.126 g/kg; High, 0.252 g/kg), and Ato (atorvastatin, 20 mg/kg). Besides the Sham group, rats were modelled with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by ligating the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery (LAD). After 3, 7, 14 days' administration, ultrasound, H&E staining, serum enzymic assay, 16S rRNA sequencing were conducted to investigate the SXSH efficacy. Afterwards, five groups of rats: Sham, Model, Model-ABX (AMI with antibiotics-feeding), SXSH (0.126 g/kg), SXSH-ABX were administrated for 14 days to evaluate the gut microbiota-dependent SXSH efficacy, and serum untargeted metabolomics test was performed.

RESULTS

0.126 g/kg of SXSH intervention for 14 days increased ejection fraction (EF, 78.22%), fractional shortening (FS, 109.07%), and aortic valve flow velocities (AV, 21.62%), reduced lesion area, and decreased serum LDH (8.49%) and CK-MB (10.79%). Meanwhile, SXSH upregulated the abundance of Muribaculaceae (199.71%), Allobaculum (1744.09%), and downregulated Lactobacillus (65.51%). The cardiac-protective effect of SXSH was disrupted by antibiotics administration. SXSH altered serum metabolites levels, such as downregulation of 2-n-tetrahydrothiophenecarboxylic acid (THTC, 1.73%), and lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC, 4.61%).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The cardiac-protective effect and suggested mechanism of SXSH could provide a theoretical basis for expanding its application in clinic.

Natural products: A potential immunomodulators against inflammatory-related diseases

The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory-related diseases (IRDs) are increasing worldwide. Current approved treatments for IRDs in the clinic are combat against inhibiting the pro-inflammatory cytokines. Though significant development in the treatment in the IRDs has been achieved, the severe side effects and inefficiency of currently practicing treatments are endless challenge. Drug discovery from natural sources is efficacious over a resurgence and also natural products are leading than the synthetic molecules in both clinical trials and market. The use of natural products against IRDs is a conventional therapeutic approach since it is a reservoir of unique structural chemistry, accessibility and bioactivities with reduced side effects and low toxicity. In this review, we discuss the cause of IRDs, treatment of options for IRDs and the impact and adverse effects of currently practicing clinical drugs. As well, the significant role of natural products against various IRDs, the limitations in the clinical development of natural products and thus pave the way for development of natural products as immunomodulators against IRDs are also discussed.

Tongxinluo capsule as a multi-functional traditional Chinese medicine in treating cardiovascular disease: A review of components, pharmacological mechanisms, and clinical applications

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the most significant diseases that pose a threat to human health. The innovative traditional Chinese medicine Tongxinluo Capsule, developed under the guidance of the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, has good clinical efficacy in various cardiovascular diseases, this medicine has effects such as blood protection, vascular protection, myocardial protection, stabilizing vulnerable plaques, and vasodilation. However, CVDs are a multifactorial disease, and their underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Therefore, exploring the mechanism of action and clinical application of Tongxinluo Capsule in the treatment of various cardiovascular diseases is beneficial for exerting its therapeutic effect from multiple components, targets, and pathways. At the same time, it provides broader treatment ideas for other difficult to treat diseases in the cardiovascular event chain, and has significant theoretical and clinical significance for improving the treatment of cardiovascular diseases with traditional Chinese medicine.

Exploring global research trends in Chinese medicine for atherosclerosis: a bibliometric study 2012-2023

Background

While Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) boasts an extensive historical lineage and abundant clinical expertise in addressing atherosclerosis, this field is yet to be penetrated adequately by bibliometric studies. This study is envisaged to evaluate the contemporary scenario of TCM in conjunction with atherosclerosis over the preceding decade while also identifying forthcoming research trends and emerging topics via the lens of bibliometric analysis.

Methods

Literature pertaining to TCM and atherosclerosis, circulated between January 1, 2012 and November 14, 2023, was garnered for the purpose of this research. The examination embraced annual publications, primary countries/regions, engaged institutions and authors, scholarly journals, references, and keywords, utilizing analytical tools like Bibliometrix, CiteSpace, ScimagoGraphica, and VOSviewer present in the R package.

Result

This field boasts a total of 1,623 scholarly articles, the majority of which have been contributed by China in this field, with significant contributions stemming from the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Moreover, this field has received financial support from both the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National Key Basic Research Development Program. Wang Yong tops the list in terms of publication count, while Xu Hao's articles take the lead for the total number of citations, positioning them at the core of the authors' collaborative network. The Journal of Ethnopharmacology leads with the most publications and boasts the greatest total number of citations. Principal research foci within the intersection of Chinese Medicine and Atherosclerosis encompass disease characteristics and pathogenic mechanisms, theoretical underpinnings and syndrome-specific treatments in Chinese medicine, potentialities of herbal interventions, and modulation exerted by Chinese medicines on gut microbiota.

Conclusion

This analysis offers a sweeping survey of the contemporary condition, principal foci, and progressive trends in worldwide research related to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and atherosclerosis. It further delves into an in-depth dissection of prominent countries, research institutions, and scholars that have made noteworthy strides in this discipline. Additionally, the report analyzes the most cited articles, research developments, and hotspots in the field, providing a reference for future research directions for clinical researchers and practitioners.

Saponins as therapeutic candidates for atherosclerosis

Drug development for atherosclerosis, the underlying pathological state of ischemic cardiovascular diseases, has posed a longstanding challenge. Saponins, classified as steroid or triterpenoid glycosides, have shown promising therapeutic potential in the treatment of atherosclerosis. Through an exhaustive examination of scientific literature spanning from May 2013 to May 2023, we identified 82 references evaluating 37 types of saponins in terms of their prospective impacts on atherosclerosis. These studies suggest that saponins have the potential to ameliorate atherosclerosis by regulating lipid metabolism, inhibiting inflammation, suppressing apoptosis, reducing oxidative stress, and modulating smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, as well as regulating gut microbiota, autophagy, endothelial senescence, and angiogenesis. Notably, ginsenosides exhibit significant potential and manifest essential pharmacological attributes, including lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and anti-oxidative stress effects. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the pharmacological attributes of saponins in atherosclerosis, with particular emphasis on their role in the regulation of lipid metabolism regulation and anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, saponins may warrant further investigation as a potential therapy for atherosclerosis. However, due to various reasons such as low oral bioavailability, the clinical application of saponins in the treatment of atherosclerosis still needs further exploration.

The effect of Shengmai injection in patients with coronary heart disease in real world and its personalized medicine research using machine learning techniques

Objective: Shengmai injection is a common treatment for coronary heart disease. The accurate dose regimen is important to maximize effectiveness and minimize adverse reactions. We aim to explore the effect of Shengmai injection in patients with coronary heart disease based on real-world data and establish a personalized medicine model using machine learning and deep learning techniques. Methods: 211 patients were enrolled. The length of hospital stay was used to explore the effect of Shengmai injection in a case-control study. We applied propensity score matching to reduce bias and Wilcoxon rank sum test to compare results between the experimental group and the control group. Important variables influencing the dose regimen of Shengmai injection were screened by XGBoost. A personalized medicine model of Shengmai injection was established by XGBoost selected from nine algorithm models. SHapley Additive exPlanations and confusion matrix were used to interpret the results clinically. Results: Patients using Shengmai injection had shorter length of hospital stay than those not using Shengmai injection (median 10.00 days vs. 11.00 days, p = 0.006). The personalized medicine model established via XGBoost shows accuracy = 0.81 and AUC = 0.87 in test cohort and accuracy = 0.84 and AUC = 0.84 in external verification. The important variables influencing the dose regimen of Shengmai injection include lipid-lowering drugs, platelet-lowering drugs, levels of GGT, hemoglobin, prealbumin, and cholesterol at admission. Finally, the personalized model shows precision = 75%, recall rate = 83% and F1-score = 79% for predicting 40 mg of Shengmai injection; and precision = 86%, recall rate = 79% and F1-score = 83% for predicting 60 mg of Shengmai injection. Conclusion: This study provides evidence supporting the clinical effectiveness of Shengmai injection, and established its personalized medicine model, which may help clinicians make better decisions.

6-Benzylaminopurine causes lipid dyshomeostasis via disruption of glycerophospholipid metabolism in zebrafish

6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BA) is ubiquitous in agricultural production and is accessible to humans through diets. The modulation of lipid metabolism by 6-BA has been previously demonstrated in plants and oleaginous microorganisms. Therefore, whether it alters lipid homeostasis in other living organisms requires further investigation. In this study, doses ≥10 mg 6-BA/L caused malformation of the yolk sac, steatosis, and other hepatopathies in zebrafish larvae. Exposure to 25 mg 6-BA/L resulted in increased levels of triglyceride and total cholesterol. Results of transcriptomic analysis indicated that 6-BA alters genes associated with fatty acid and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Among them, the expression levels of hmgcra, elovl7b, and apobb.2 were downregulated, whereas those of lpcat3, bco1l, cyp7al, fabp1b.1, elp6, pde6ha, apoa4b.2_2, sgk1, dgkaa, and mogat2 were upregulated. Correspondingly, a study of the metabolome identified lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) as the major differentially expressed metabolite in response to 6-BA treatment. Therefore, abnormal accumulation of LPCs and dyshomeostasis of glycerophospholipid metabolism were identified as potential mechanisms causing the toxicity of 6-BA, which should be assessed to understand the risks of 6-BA and the products contaminated by it. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: 6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BA), an important residue in "toxic bean sprouts," is ubiquitous in agricultural production and is common in typical diets. Its regulation of lipid metabolism has been demonstrated in plants and oleaginous microorganisms. Whether it alters lipid homeostasis in other organisms and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. The worldwide use of 6-BA and the potential exposure of humans have aroused public attention owing to its hazardous effects; thus, its hazardous effects, particularly those on lipid homeostasis, deserve careful clarification.

A UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS-based serum and urine metabolomics approach reveals the mechanism of Gualou-Xiebai herb pair intervention against atherosclerosis process in ApoE-/- mice

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a metabolic disorder commonly correlated with a high-fat diet (HFD). There are many endogenous metabolic changes associated with AS development. Gualou-Xiebai (GLXB) is a traditional Chinese medicine herb pair that has been used to treat AS. However, the mechanism of GLXB herb pair on the process of AS is still essentially unknown. In this study, aortic histopathological examination and biochemical analyses were used to validate the anti-atherosclerotic effects of GLXB herb pair on ApoE^-/- mice during the disease course of AS. The mechanism of GLXB herb pair were performed by metabolomics approach based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS). As a result, GLXB herb pair has protective effects on AS lesion development and improves blood lipid levels in ApoE^-/- mice. A total of 34, 39, and 49 metabolites were found to be profoundly altered in the 9-week, 14-week, and 19-week model groups compared with the corresponding control groups. Among them, 16, 18, and 18 metabolites showed a trend toward normal levels after pharmacological intervention. Metabolic pathway analysis found that GLXB herb pair mainly affects glycerophospholipid metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions in 9 weeks; linoleic acid metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism in 14 weeks; arachidonic acid metabolism and pentose and glucuronate interconversions in 19 weeks. The results demonstrated that GLXB herb pair mainly played a therapeutic role by regulating glycerophospholipid metabolism and pentose and glucuronate interconversions in the whole process of AS.

Landscape of lipidomics in cardiovascular medicine from 2012 to 2021: A systematic bibliometric analysis and literature review

Lipidomics has shaped our knowledge of how lipids play a central role in cardiovascular diseases (CVD), whereas there is a lack of a summary of existing research findings. This study performed a bibliometric analysis of lipidomics research in cardiovascular medicine to reveal the core countries, institutions, key researchers, important references, major journals, research hotspots and frontiers in this field. From 2012 to 2021, a total of 761 articles were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database. There is a steady increase of publications yearly. The United States and China are on the top of the list regarding article output. The institutions with the most publications were the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Harvard Medical School. Peter J Meikle was both the most published and most co-cited author. The major journal in this field is Journal of lipid research. Keyword co-occurrence analysis indicated that coronary heart disease, mass spectrometry, risk, fatty acid, and insulin resistance have become hot topics in this field and keyword burst detection suggests that metabolomics, activation, liver, low density lipoprotein are the frontiers of research in recent years. Collectively, lipidomics in CVD is still in its infancy with a steady increase yearly. More in-depth studies in this area are warranted in the future.

Advances in the Bioactivities of Phytochemical Saponins in the Prevention and Treatment of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by hardening and narrowing of arteries. AS leads to a number of arteriosclerotic vascular diseases including cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral artery disease, which pose a big threat to human health. Phytochemicals are a variety of intermediate or terminal low molecular weight secondary metabolites produced during plant energy metabolism. Phytochemicals from plant foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains) and traditional herb plants have been shown to exhibit multiple bioactivities which are beneficial for prevention and treatment against AS. Many types of phytochemicals including polyphenols, saponins, carotenoids, terpenoids, organic sulfur compounds, phytoestrogens, phytic acids and plant sterols have already been identified, among which saponins are a family of glycosidic compounds consisting of a hydrophobic aglycone (sapogenin) linked to hydrophilic sugar moieties. In recent years, studies have shown that saponins exhibit a number of biological activities such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, cholesterol-lowering, immunomodulation, anti-platelet aggregation, etc., which are helpful in the prevention and treatment of AS. This review aims to summarize the recent advances in the anti-atherosclerotic bioactivities of saponins such as ginsenoside, soyasaponin, astra-galoside, glycyrrhizin, gypenoside, dioscin, saikosaponin, etc.

Shengmai Yin alleviated plaque vulnerability and ischemic myocardial damage in diesel exhaust particle-aggravated atherosclerosis with myocardial ischemia

Exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) increases the risk of ischemic heart disease, especially heart attacks and ischemic/thrombotic strokes. Shengmai Yin (SMY) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat coronary heart disease. The aim of this study was to determine the protective role of SMY and the mechanism by which SMY affects DEP-induced cardiovascular injury. This study is expected to provide the basis for the development of an adaptive signature of SMY in the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and premature death from global air pollution exposure. We developed animal models of myocardial ischemia and atherosclerosis (AS) in response to DEP exposure. After SMY treatment, serum lipids returned to normal. Aortic plaque area and MMP9 expression were significantly reduced and collagen fiber expression increased after SMY treatment compared to DEP exposure alone. Thus, the risk of plaque formation and vulnerability is reduced. In addition, SMY improved left ventricular structure, morphology, function, blood flow, infarct area, myocardial damage, and ROS accumulation to varying degrees in ApoE-/- mice. These results indicate that the use of SMY is effective, to varying degrees, for the treatment of dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia, and oxidative stress in ApoE-/- mice. SMY has a potential protective effect in DEP-aggravated AS in people with myocardial ischemia.

Heat-treated adzuki bean protein hydrolysates reduce obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet via remodeling gut microbiota and improving metabolic function

SCOPE

Heat-treated adzuki bean protein hydrolysates (APH) reduced cholesterol in vitro. However, it is unclear if APH have anti-obesity effects in vivo and, if so, the relationship between the effects and the improvement of gut microbiota composition and metabolic function.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Four groups of mice were fed either a normal control diet (NCD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) with or without APH for 12 weeks. In HFD-fed mice, APH supplementation significantly alleviated fat accumulation, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation. In addition, APH supplementation regulated gut microbiota composition, reduced the abundance of harmful bacteria (Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Romboutsia, Blautia, Mucispirillum, Bilophila, and Peptococcus), enriched Lactobacillus and SCFA-producing bacteria (Lactobacillaceae, Eisenbergiella, Alistipes, Parabacteroides, Tannerellaceae, Eubacterium_nodatum_group, Acetatifactor, Rikenellaceae, and Odoribacter), and increased fecal SCFAs concentration. Importantly, APH supplementation significantly regulated the levels of serum metabolites, especially Lactobacillus-derived metabolites and tryptophan derivatives, which helped to alleviate obesity and its complications.

CONCLUSION

APH improved gut microbiota composition and metabolic function in mice and may help to prevent and treat obesity and related complications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Recent Progress of Nanomedicine on Secreted Phospholipase A2 as a Potential Therapeutic Target

Overexpressed secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) is found in many inflammatory diseases and various types of cancer. sPLA2 can catalyze the hydrolysis of phospholipid sn-2 ester bond to lysophosphatidylcholine and free...

Application of lipidomics strategy to explore aging-related biomarkers and potential anti-aging mechanisms of ginseng

Aging often leads to an increase risk of age-related diseases, and the development of anti-aging drugs have become the trend and focus of the current scientific research. In this experiment, serum samples from healthy people of different ages were analyzed based on clinical lipidomics, and a total of 10 potential biomarkers in middle-aged and youth group, 20 biomarkers in the youth and the elderly group were obtained. Furthermore, dhSph and dhCer involved above may affect the aging process through sphingolipid metabolic pathway. As the first and rate-limiting step of catalyzing de novo sphingolipid pathway, SPT may play a key role in human anti-aging, which is revealed by lipidomics liposome tracer analysis. The potential active components in ginseng on SPT was further verified by molecular docking virtual screening and atomic force microscope. Four ingredients of ginseng may reduce the levels of metabolites dhSph and dhCer by inhibiting the activity of SPT, and play an anti-aging effect by affecting the sphingolipid metabolism pathway.A clinical trials registration number: ChiCTR1900026836.