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Luo S, Yang B, Xu H, Pan X, Chen X, Jue X, Liu S, Wan R, Tan Q, Yao Y, Chen X, Jiang J, Deng B, Li J. Lithospermic acid improves liver fibrosis through Piezo1-mediated oxidative stress and inflammation. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 134:155974. [PMID: 39217657 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatic fibrosis is becoming an increasingly serious public health issue worldwide. Although liver transplantation is the only and definitive treatment for end-stage liver fibrosis, traditional Chinese medicine offers certain benefits in the treatment of advanced hepatic fibrosis. PURPOSE This study aims to explore the protective effect of lithospermic acid (LA), an extraction from Salvia miltiorrhiza (the roots of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge, known as Danshen in Chinese), on liver fibrosis and investigate its potential mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS Mice were treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) via intraperitoneal injection for 4 weeks. LA was orally administered or colchicine (COL) was injected intraperitoneally for 3 weeks starting one week after the initial CCl4 injection. After the LA treatment, we observed a decrease in the fibrosis index and an improvement in liver function. Molecular docking results revealed that Piezo1 may be a potential pharmacological target of LA. The further experimental results showed that LA inhibited Piezo1 activation and expression in macrophages. Mechanistically, both Piezo1/Notch-mediated inflammation and oxidative stress regulated by the Piezo1/Ca2+ pathway were alleviated in fibrotic livers following LA treatment. Moreover, less oxidative stress and Notch activation were observed in the deficiency of macrophage Piezo1 (Piezo1ΔLysM) mice. In addition, Piezo1ΔLysM partially counteracted the pharmacological effects of LA on liver fibrosis. CONCLUSION In conclusion, our present study corroborated LA limits the progression of liver fibrosis by regulating Piezo1-mediated oxidative stress and inflammation. These results indicate that LA could be a potential medication for hepatic fibrosis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangfei Luo
- Innovation Research Center, Shandong University of Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250307, China; The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Bo Yang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Honglin Xu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Xianmei Pan
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Xin Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Xiaoyu Jue
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Silin Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Rentao Wan
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Qiaorui Tan
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Youfen Yao
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Xiaoting Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Jintao Jiang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Bo Deng
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China.
| | - Jing Li
- Innovation Research Center, Shandong University of Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250307, China; The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
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Li N, Feng X, An C, Liu G, Liu C. Metabolites from traditional Chinese botanical drugs with anti-hepatitis B virus activity - a review. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1331967. [PMID: 39070799 PMCID: PMC11272473 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1331967] [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: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver disease poses a major threat to human health worldwide. Although interferon and nucleoside analogues are commonly administered for treating chronic HBV infection, their use is limited by considerable side effects, drug resistance and incapacity for HBV elimination. Hence, novel HBV therapeutics are urgently required. For numerous years, traditional Chinese botanical drugs have been widely used to treat HBV-related diseases. The natural metabolites derived from these traditional drugs exhibit significant anti-HBV effects and serve as potential novel drugs for treating HBV. For overall understanding the therapeutic potential of these metabolites, the anti-HBV effects and mechanisms of action of 107 natural metabolites are summarized in this article. Mechanistically, these natural metabolites exert their anti-HBV effects by influencing the expression and function of host and/or viral genes, which differs from the mechanism of action of nucleoside analogues. Indeed, combining natural metabolites with nucleoside analogues can exert synergistic effects. Accordingly, natural metabolites or their chemically modified derivatives represent potential novel drugs and adjuvants for anti-HBV treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cheng An
- Clinical Laboratory, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guijian Liu
- Clinical Laboratory, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Clinical Laboratory, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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Liang H, Ren Y, Huang Y, Xie X, Zhang M. Treatment of diabetic retinopathy with herbs for tonifying kidney and activating blood circulation: A review of pharmacological studies. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 328:118078. [PMID: 38513781 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yuan Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yuxia Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Xuejun Xie
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China.
| | - Mei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
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Jiang X, Cui X, Nie R, You H, Tang Z, Liu W. Network pharmacology-based analysis on the key mechanisms of Yiguanjian acting on chronic hepatitis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29977. [PMID: 38756592 PMCID: PMC11096846 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis (CH) encompasses a prevalent array of liver conditions that significantly contribute to global morbidity and mortality. Yiguanjian (YGJ) is a classical traditional Chinese medicine with a long history of medicinal as a treatment for CH. Although it has been reported that YGJ can reduce liver inflammation, the intricate mechanism requires further elucidation. We used network pharmacology approaches in this work, such as gene ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, and network-based analysis of protein-protein interactions (PPIs), to clarify the pharmacological constituents, potential therapeutic targets, and YGJ signaling pathways associated with CH. Employing the random walk restart (RWR) algorithm, we identified GNAS, GNB1, CYP2E1, SFTPC, F2, MAPK3, PLG, SRC, HDAC1, and STAT3 as pivotal targets within the PPI network of YGJ-CH. YGJ attenuated liver inflammation and inhibited GNAS/STAT3 signaling in vivo. In vitro, we overexpressed the GNAS gene further to verify the critical role of GNAS in YGJ treatment. Our findings highlight GNAS/STAT3 as a promising therapeutic target for CH, providing a basis and direction for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodan Jiang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyi Cui
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ruifang Nie
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongjie You
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zuoqing Tang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenlan Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Ren F, Zhao S, He X, Lo H, Wong VKW, Law BYK, Wu A, Zhang J. Discovery and mechanistic study of Imperatorin that inhibits HBsAg expression and cccDNA transcription. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29669. [PMID: 38773784 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a significant global health challenge due to its link to severe conditions like HBV-related cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although current treatments effectively reduce viral levels, they have limited impact on certain HBV elements, namely hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). This highlights the urgent need for innovative pharmaceutical and biological interventions that can disrupt HBsAg production originating from cccDNA. In this study, we identified a natural furanocoumarin compound, Imperatorin, which markedly inhibited the expression of HBsAg from cccDNA, by screening a library of natural compounds derived from Chinese herbal medicines using ELISA assay and qRT-PCR. The pharmacodynamics study of Imperatorin was explored on HBV infected HepG2-NTCP/PHHs and HBV-infected humanized mouse model. Proteome analysis was performed on HBV infected HepG2-NTCP cells following Imperatorin treatment. Molecular docking and bio-layer interferometry (BLI) were used for finding the target of Imperatorin. Our findings demonstrated Imperatorin remarkably reduced the level of HBsAg, HBV RNAs, HBV DNA and transcriptional activity of cccDNA both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, Imperatorin effectively restrained the actions of HBV promoters responsible for cccDNA transcription. Mechanistic study revealed that Imperatorin directly binds to ERK and subsequently interfering with the activation of CAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), a crucial transcriptional factor for HBV and has been demonstrated to bind to the PreS2/S and X promoter regions of HBV. Importantly, the absence of ERK could nullify the antiviral impact triggered by Imperatorin. Collectively, the natural compound Imperatorin may be an effective candidate agent for inhibiting HBsAg production and cccDNA transcription by impeding the activities of HBV promoters through ERK-CREB axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Ren
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sichuan-Chongqing Co-construction for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Chongqing, China
| | - Shiqiao Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sichuan-Chongqing Co-construction for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Chongqing, China
| | - Xin He
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases designated by the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hanghong Lo
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao
| | - Vincent Kam Wai Wong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao
| | - Betty Yuen Kwan Law
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao
| | - Anguo Wu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drug Ability Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sichuan-Chongqing Co-construction for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Chongqing, China
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Deng W, Chen F, Zhao Y, Zhou M, Guo M. Anti-hepatitis B virus activities of natural products and their antiviral mechanisms. Chin J Nat Med 2023; 21:803-811. [PMID: 38035936 DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(23)60505-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infections caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) continue to pose a significant global public health challenge. Currently, the approved treatments for CHB are limited to interferon and nucleos(t)ide analogs, both of which have their limitations, and achieving a complete cure remains an elusive goal. Therefore, the identification of new therapeutic targets and the development of novel antiviral strategies are of utmost importance. Natural products (NPs) constitute a class of substances known for their diverse chemical structures, wide-ranging biological activities, and low toxicity profiles. They have shown promise as potential candidates for combating various diseases, with a substantial number demonstrating anti-HBV properties. This comprehensive review focuses on the current applications of NPs in the fight against HBV and provides a summary of their antiviral mechanisms, considering their impact on the viral life cycle and host hepatocytes. By offering insights into the world of anti-HBV NPs, this review aims to furnish valuable information to support the future development of antiviral drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyu Deng
- College of Life Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China
| | - Fu Chen
- College of Life Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science&Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Ming Zhou
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518000, China; Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518110, China; Liver-biotechnology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518110, China.
| | - Min Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science&Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
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Pan Y, Xia H, He Y, Zeng S, Shen Z, Huang W. The progress of molecules and strategies for the treatment of HBV infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1128807. [PMID: 37009498 PMCID: PMC10053227 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1128807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus infections have always been associated with high levels of mortality. In 2019, hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related diseases resulted in approximately 555,000 deaths globally. In view of its high lethality, the treatment of HBV infections has always presented a huge challenge. The World Health Organization (WHO) came up with ambitious targets for the elimination of hepatitis B as a major public health threat by 2030. To accomplish this goal, one of the WHO’s strategies is to develop curative treatments for HBV infections. Current treatments in a clinical setting included 1 year of pegylated interferon alpha (PEG-IFNα) and long-term nucleoside analogues (NAs). Although both treatments have demonstrated outstanding antiviral effects, it has been difficult to develop a cure for HBV. The reason for this is that covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), integrated HBV DNA, the high viral burden, and the impaired host immune responses all hinder the development of a cure for HBV. To overcome these problems, there are clinical trials on a number of antiviral molecules being carried out, all -showing promising results so far. In this review, we summarize the functions and mechanisms of action of various synthetic molecules, natural products, traditional Chinese herbal medicines, as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and their associated proteins (CRISPR/Cas)-based systems, zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), all of which could destroy the stability of the HBV life cycle. In addition, we discuss the functions of immune modulators, which can enhance or activate the host immune system, as well some representative natural products with anti-HBV effects.
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