Geniposide inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced apoptosis by modulating TLR4 and apoptosis-related factors in mouse mammary glands

MyD88 deficiency in mammary epithelial cells attenuates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis in mice

Lactation mastitis is a debilitating inflammatory mammary disease in postpartum animals. Myeloid differentiation primary response protein MyD88 is the key downstream adapter for innate pattern recognition receptor toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), which plays an important role in inflammation. However, the specific role of MyD88 in mammary epithelial cells in the progression of mastitis has not been investigated. In this study, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse mastitis model was used and cytokines such as Tnf-α, Il-1β, Il-6, Cxcl1, Cxcl2 and Ccl2 were significantly increased in inflammatory mammary gland as shown by real time-qPCR. However, the mice with MyD88-deficienet in mammary epithelial cells (cKO) showed a reduction in the expression of Tnf-α, Il-1β, Il-6, Cxcl1 and Cxcl2 in mammary gland compared with control mice, when subjected to LPS induced mastitis. Immunohistochemical staining of cleaved caspase-3 showed that the cell apoptosis induced by inflammation were decreased in MyD88 cKO mice. Furthermore, there were significantly fewer infiltrating inflammatory cells in alveolar lumen of MyD88 cKO mice, including Ly6G-positive neutrophils and F4/80-positive macrophages. RNA-seq in LPS treated mammary glands showed that MyD88 cKO mice had significantly downregulated inflammation-related genes and upregulated genes related to anti-inflammation processes and lipid metabolism compared with control mice. Thus, these results demonstrate that MyD88 in mammary epithelial cells is essential for mastitis progression. And this study not only has important implications for understanding the innate immune response in mammary epithelial cells, but also potentially helps the development of new therapeutic drugs for treating mastitis.

Medulla Tetrapanacis water extract alleviates inflammation and infection by regulating macrophage polarization through MAPK signaling pathway

Medulla Tetrapanacis (MT) is a commonly used herb to promote lactation and manage mastitis in lactating mothers. However, its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects are currently unknown. We hypothesized that MT water extract possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects by modulating macrophage polarization to reduce the release of inflammatory mediators and phagocytosis via inactivation of MAPKs pathways. The chemical composition of the MT water extract was analyzed by UPLC-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry. The anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties of the MT water extract were examined using LPS-stimulated inflammation and Staphylococcus aureus infection model in RAW 264.7 cells, respectively. The underlying mechanism of action of the MT water extract was also investigated. We identified eight compounds by UPLC-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry that are abundant within the MT water extract. MT water extract significantly suppressed LPS-induced nitric oxide, TNF-α and IL-6 secretion in RAW 264.7 cells which was accompanied by the promotion of macrophage polarization from pro-inflammatory towards anti-inflammatory phenotypes. MT water extract significantly suppressed the LPS-induced MAPK activation. Finally, MT water extract decreased the phagocytic capacity of the RAW 264.7 cells against S. aureus infection. MT water extract could suppress LPS-induced inflammation by promoting macrophages towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype. In addition, MT also inhibited the growth of S. aureus.

Rapid identification of the geographical origin of Eucommia ulmoides by using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence combined with chemometric methods

Eucommia ulmoides is an important and valuable traditional Chinese medicine with various medical functions, and has been widely used as health food in China, Japan, South Korea and other Asian countries for many years. The efficacy and quality of E. ulmoides are closely associated with the geographical origin. In this work, the potential of excitation-emission matrix (EEMs) fluorescence coupled with chemometric methods was investigated for simple, rapid and accurate for identification E. ulmoides from different geographical origins. Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was applied for characterizing the fluorescence fingerprints of E. ulmoides samples. Moreover, k-nearest neighbor (kNN), principal component analysis-linear discriminant analysis (PCA-LDA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) models were used for the classification of E. ulmoides samples according to their geographical origins. The results showed that kNN model was more suitable for identification of E. ulmoides samples from different provinces. The kNN model could identify E. ulmoides samples from eight different geographical origins with 100% accuracy on the training and test sets. Therefore, the proposed method was available for conveniently and accurately determining the geographical origin of E. ulmoides, which can expect to be an attractive alternative method for identifying the geographic origin of other traditional Chinese medicines.

An Integrated Pharmacology-Based Strategy to Investigate the Potential Mechanism of Xiebai San in Treating Pediatric Pneumonia

Xiebai San (XBS) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription that has been widely used to treat pediatric pneumonia since the Song dynasty. To reveal its underlying working mechanism, a network pharmacology approach was used to predict the active ingredients and potential targets of XBS in treating pediatric pneumonia. As a result, 120 active ingredients of XBS and 128 potential targets were screened out. Among them, quercetin, kaempferol, naringenin, licochalcone A and isorhamnetin showed to be the most potential ingredients, while AKT1, MAPK3, VEGFA, TP53, JUN, PTGS2, CASP3, MAPK8 and NF-κB p65 showed to be the most potential targets. IL-17 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, which are involved in anti-inflammation processes, immune responses and apoptosis, showed to be the most probable pathways regulated by XBS. UPLC-Q/Orbitrap HRMS analysis was then performed to explore the main components of XBS, and liquiritin, quercetin, kaempferol, licochalcone A and glycyrrhetinic acid were identified. Molecular docking analysis of the compounds to inflammation-associated targets revealed good binding abilities of quercetin, kaempferol, licochalcone A and liquiritin to NF-κB p65 and of quercetin and kaempferol to Akt1 or Caspase-3. Moreover, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for binding of quercetin or kaempferol to NF-κB p65 revealed dynamic properties of high stability, high flexibility and lowbinding free energy. In the experiment with macrophages, XBS markedly suppressed the (Lipopolysaccharides) LPS-induced expression of NF-κB p65 and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-1β, supporting XBS to achieve an anti-inflammatory effect through regulating NF-κB p65. XBS also down-regulated the expression of p-Akt (Ser473)/Akt, Bax and Caspase-3 and up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2, indicating that regulating Akt1 and Caspase-3 to achieve anti-apoptotic effect is also the mechanism of XBS for treating pediatric pneumonia. Our study helped to reveal the pharmacodynamics material basis as well as the mechanism of XBS in treating pediatric pneumonia.

Integrative Systems Biology Analysis Elucidates Mastitis Disease Underlying Functional Modules in Dairy Cattle

Background: Mastitis is the most prevalent disease in dairy cattle and one of the most significant bovine pathologies affecting milk production, animal health, and reproduction. In addition, mastitis is the most common, expensive, and contagious infection in the dairy industry. Methods: A meta-analysis of microarray and RNA-seq data was conducted to identify candidate genes and functional modules associated with mastitis disease. The results were then applied to systems biology analysis via weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), Gene Ontology, enrichment analysis for the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and modeling using machine-learning algorithms. Results: Microarray and RNA-seq datasets were generated for 2,089 and 2,794 meta-genes, respectively. Between microarray and RNA-seq datasets, a total of 360 meta-genes were found that were significantly enriched as "peroxisome," "NOD-like receptor signaling pathway," "IL-17 signaling pathway," and "TNF signaling pathway" KEGG pathways. The turquoise module (n = 214 genes) and the brown module (n = 57 genes) were identified as critical functional modules associated with mastitis through WGCNA. PRDX5, RAB5C, ACTN4, SLC25A16, MAPK6, CD53, NCKAP1L, ARHGEF2, COL9A1, and PTPRC genes were detected as hub genes in identified functional modules. Finally, using attribute weighting and machine-learning methods, hub genes that are sufficiently informative in Escherichia coli mastitis were used to optimize predictive models. The constructed model proposed the optimal approach for the meta-genes and validated several high-ranked genes as biomarkers for E. coli mastitis using the decision tree (DT) method. Conclusion: The candidate genes and pathways proposed in this study may shed new light on the underlying molecular mechanisms of mastitis disease and suggest new approaches for diagnosing and treating E. coli mastitis in dairy cattle.

Effect of genipin-1-β-d-gentiobioside on diabetic nephropathy in mice by activating AMP-activated protein kinase/silencing information regulator-related enzyme 1/ nuclear factor-κB pathway

OBJECTIVES

Genipin-1-β-d-gentiobioside (GG) is a kind of compound extracted from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis. The chemical structure of GG is similar to that of geniposide and has antidiabetic effects. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of GG on diabetic nephropathy (DN) in vivo and in vitro experiments and explore its potential mechanism.

METHODS

For high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced DN mice used in our study, the general features of mice were analysed after GG treatment. Oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory factors were also measured by commercial kits. Kidney damage was assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Masson staining, respectively. In vitro, podocyte injury was assessed by TUNEL and flow cytometric analyses. AMP-activated protein kinase/silencing information regulator related enzyme 1 (AMPK/SIRT1)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway-related proteins were detected by AMPK-siRNA intervention and western blotting.

KEY FINDINGS

Treatment of GG could increase cell survival and attenuated kidney damage. Despite the presence of inflammatory and oxidative stress, when GG retained the expression of AMPK/SIRT1, it could be observed that the downstream NLRP3 inflammatory-related proteins were inhibited.

CONCLUSIONS

Results showed that the protective efficacy of GG on DN works together with hypoglycemia and suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation, which at least partly involved in APMK/SIRT1/NF-κB-dependent pathway.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester mitigates cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity in mice: Role of miR-182-5p/TLR4 axis

Cadmium (Cd), an environmental pollutant, is evidenced to cause hepatotoxicity. In this study, the potential protective effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on cadmium-induced liver damage was investigated. Forty male mice were treated daily with either CdCl₂ (1.5 mg/kg body weight (b.w.), gavage) or CAPE (10 μmol/kg b.w., gavage) or both for 4 weeks. CAPE administration significantly reduced Cd level and liver and body weight, and increased AST, ALT and ALP level. Moreover, CAPE prevented CdCl₂-induced oxidative stress via PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and inhibited apoptosis by regulating apoptosis markers. CAPE also suppressed the CdCl₂-induced inflammation by reducing the inflammatory mediators, including TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. Furthermore, CAPE alleviated CdCl₂-induced reduction of TLR4. It should be noted that this effect was achieved by targeting miR-182-5p, and CAPE improved miR-182-5p level. The improvement of the liver tissue histopathology by CAPE confirmed the biochemical data. These results show for the first time that miR-182-5p/TLR4 axis involved in CAPE's protection against CdCl₂-induced hepatotoxicity, and may provide novel insights into the treatment of cadmium-related diseases.

Establishment of a Stable β-Casein Protein-Secreted Laoshan Dairy Goat Mammary Epithelial Cell Line

Mammary epithelial cells are widely used as models in mastitis research and as tools for mammalian bioreactors; however, the short lifespan of these cells limits their utility. Several mammal epithelial cell line models have been established; however, the secretion capacity and the bacterial sensitivity of these lines have not been effectively evaluated. In this study, a stable immortalized goat mammary epithelial cell (GMEC) line was constructed by transfection with the SV40 gene. The monoclonal cells were then passaged through more than 50 generations after puromycin selection. The GMEC line was evaluated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, the cell cycle, karyotype analysis, detection of apoptosis, Western blotting, and β-casein (CSN2) inducible assays. The GMEC line had a strong proliferation capacity relative to the primary GMECs. GMECs had the same karyotype as the primary cells. The GMEC lines maintained basic biological properties and had estrogen, prolactin, and progesterone receptors as same the primary cells. Additionally, the cells and the cell line could synthesize and secrete β-casein proteins. Finally, the rate of apoptosis of the transfected cells suggested that the cell line could provide a useful tool for signal research and mammary gland bioreactors.

Geniposide alleviates diabetic nephropathy of mice through AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB pathway

Geniposide (GE) can effectively inhibit diabetic nephropathy (DN), but its mechanism is unclear. The objective of this study was to explore the antidiabetic nephropathy effects of GE both in high fat diet/streptozotocin-induced DN mice and in high glucose-induced podocyte model. Renal function in DN mice was evaluated by levels of serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Renal inflammation was appraised by pro-inflammatory cytokines: Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-1β via ELISA assay. Renal histopathology analysis was conducted via hematoxylin and eosin, Masson and periodic acid-silver metheramine staining. Cellular viability was measured by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay. Moreover, the related proteins p-NF-κB, ASC, Cleave-IL-1β, NLRP3, Cleave-Caspase-1 and GSDMD-N in AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB pathway were assayed by Western blotting. In order to further investigate the effects of GE on podocytes, we also assessed these protein levels in AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB pathway after siRNA-AMPK intervention by Western blotting. GE alleviated renal dysfunction as evidenced by decreased levels of Scr, BUN, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. Histological examination revealed GE effectively attenuated kidney damage, including glomerular basement membrane thickening and inflammatory cells infiltration. AMPK, p-AMPK and SIRT1 levels were obviously decreased both in DN mice and in podocyte model, but GE reversed these changes. The protein expressions in APMK/SIRT1/NF-κB pathway were significantly decreased by GE treatment. These results suggested that GE could efficiently block oxidative stress and inflammatory responses accompanied with pyroptosis, thus inhibiting the development of DN, and its mechanism might be related to APMK/SIRT1/NF-κB pathway.

Bacterial Endotoxin Induces Oxidative Stress and Reduces Milk Protein Expression and Hypoxia in the Mouse Mammary Gland

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying the reduced milk production during mastitis. We hypothesized that bacterial endotoxin induces hypoxia, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis while inhibiting milk gene expression in the mammary gland. To test this hypothesis, the left and right sides of the 4^th pair of mouse mammary glands were alternatively injected with either lipopolysaccharide (LPS, E. coli 055: B5, 100 μL of 0.2 mg/mL) or sterile PBS through the teat meatus 3 days postpartum. At 10.5 and 22.5 h postinjection, pimonidazole HCl, a hypoxyprobe, was injected intraperitoneally. At 12 or 24 h after the LPS injection, the 4^th glands were individually collected (n = 8) and analyzed. LPS treatment induced mammary inflammation at both 12 and 24 h but promoted cell apoptosis only at 12 h. Consistently, H₂O₂ content was increased at 12 h (P < 0.01), but dropped dramatically at 24 h (P < 0.01) in the LPS-treated gland. Nevertheless, the total antioxidative capacity in tissue tended to be decreased by LPS at both 12 and 24 h (P = 0.07 and 0.06, respectively). In agreement with these findings, LPS increased or tended to increase the mRNA expression of antioxidative genes Nqo1 at 12 h (P = 0.05) and SLC7A11 at 24 h (P = 0.08). In addition, LPS inhibited mammary expression of Csn2 and Lalba across time and protein expression of Csn1s1 at 24 h (P < 0.05). Furthermore, hypoxyprobe staining intensity was greater in the alveoli of the PBS-treated gland than the LPS-treated gland at both 12 and 24 h, demonstrating a rise in oxygen tension by LPS treatment. In summary, our observations indicated that while intramammary LPS challenge incurs inflammation, it induces oxidative stress, increases cell apoptosis and oxygen tension, and differentially inhibits the milk protein expression in the mammary gland.

Oleanolic acid derivative isolated fromGardenia jasminoidesvar.radicansalleviates LPS-induced acute kidney injury in mice by reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory responsesviathe TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication of sepsis with hallmarks including inflammation and oxidative stress.

Florfenicol alleviated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in Ctenopharyngodon idella through inhibiting toll / NF-κB signaling pathways

The present study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of florfenicol (FFC) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in Ctenopharyngodon idella in vivo and in vitro. Head-kidney (HK) macrophages were pre-treated with 10 μg/mL LPS and then exposed to different concentrations of FFC to determine its in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Inhibitory effect of FFC on inflammatory mediators TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, as well as LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2) production were assayed by ELISA. The expression level of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were investigated by RT-PCR. Expression level of TLR-related genes (TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR7, TLR8) expression, tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), transforming growth factor-b-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), nucleus p65, NF-κBα (IκBα) were measured by RT-PCR after grass carp were treated with 50, 100 and 200 mg FFC/kg body weight for 3 days. Results from in vitro tests demonstrated that FFC dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, inflammatory factors NO and PGE 2 production in macrophages. In addition, iNOS and COX-2 expression levels decreased significantly as compared with LPS treated group. In vivo test demonstrated that treatment with FFC prevented the LPS-induced upregulation of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, NO and PGE 2. The expression level of iNOS, and COX-2 in FFC-treated grass carp were also downregulated as compared with LPS treated fish. Besides, FFC blocked the expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and then suppressed the phosphorylation of nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 and degradation inhibitor of IκBα. Furthermore, administration of FFC inhibited the up-regulation of IRAK4, TRAF6 and TAK1 induced by LPS. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of FFC might be the results from the inhibition of iNOS, COX-2, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α expressions through the down-regulation of Toll/NF-κB signaling pathways.

SIRT7 Regulates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Injury by Suppressing the NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Mastitis has severely affected the cattle industry worldwide and has resulted in decreased dairy production and cattle reproduction. Although prevention and treatment methods have been implemented for decades, cattle mastitis is still an intractable disease. Sirtuin 7 (SIRT7) is an NAD⁺-dependent deacetylase that is involved in various biological processes, including ribosomal RNA synthesis and protein synthesis, DNA damage response, metabolism, and tumorigenesis. However, whether SIRT7 participates in inflammation remains unknown. Our results revealed that SIRT7 is downregulated in tissue samples from mastitic cattle. Therefore, we isolated dairy cow mammary epithelial cells (DCMECs) from breast tissues and developed an in vitro model of lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced inflammation to examine SIRT7 function and its potential role in inflammation. We showed that SIRT7 was significantly downregulated in LPS-treated DCMECs. SIRT7 knockdown significantly increased the LPS-stimulated production of inflammatory mediators, like reactive oxygen and nitric oxide, and upregulated TAB1 and TLR4. In addition, SIRT7 knockdown significantly increased the phosphorylation of TAK1 and NF-κBp65 in LPS-treated DCMECs. Moreover, SIRT7 knockdown promoted the translocation of NF-κBp-p65 to the cell nucleus and then increased the secretion of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-6). In contrast, SIRT7 overexpression had the opposite effects when compared to SIRT7 knockdown in LPS-treated DCMECs. In addition, SIRT7 overexpression attenuated LPS-induced DCMEC apoptosis. Taken together, our results indicate that SIRT7 can suppress LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis via the NF-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, SIRT7 may be considered as a potential pharmacological target for clinical mastitis therapy.

Diverse Pharmacological Activities and Potential Medicinal Benefits of Geniposide

Geniposide is a well-known iridoid glycoside compound and is an essential component of a wide variety of traditional phytomedicines, for example, Gardenia jasminoides Elli (Zhizi in Chinese), Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (Duzhong in Chinese), Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. (Dihuang in Chinese), and Achyranthes bidentata Bl. (Niuxi in Chinese). It is also the main bioactive component of Gardeniae Fructus, the dried ripe fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis. Increasing pharmacological evidence supports multiple medicinal properties of geniposide including neuroprotective, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antidepressant-like, cardioprotective, antioxidant, immune-regulatory, antithrombotic, and antitumoral effects. It has been proposed that geniposide may be a drug or lead compound for the prophylaxis and treatment of several diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, diabetes and diabetic complications, ischemia and reperfusion injury, and hepatic disorders. The aim of the present review is to give a comprehensive summary and analysis of the pharmacological properties of geniposide, supporting its use as a medicinal agent.

Gardenia Decoction Prevent Intestinal Mucosal Injury by Inhibiting Pro-inflammatory Cytokines and NF-κB Signaling

Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, which belongs to the Rubiaceae family, is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine. Although effect of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis has been widely reported, its anti-inflammatory role in intestinal mucosal injury induced by LPS remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of decoction extracted from Gardenia jasminoides on the morphology and intestinal antioxidant capacity of duodenum induced by LPS in mice. Further analysis was carried out in the expression of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) was determined by Western blot. Gardenia jasminoides water extract was qualitative analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electro spray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The results showed that Gardenia decoction markedly inhibited the LPS-induced Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-1 production. It was also observed that Gardenia decoction attenuated duodenum histopathology changes in the mouse models. Furthermore, Gardenia decoction inhibited the expression of NF-κB in LPS stimulated mouse duodenum. These results suggest that Gardenia decoction exerts an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant property by up-regulating the activities of the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), the total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Gardenia decoction is highly effective in inhibiting intestinal mucosal damage and may be a promising potential therapeutic reagent for intestinal mucosal damage treatment.

Geniposide suppresses growth, migration and invasion of MKN45 cells by down-regulation of lncRNA HULC

Gastric cancer (GC) is a serious disease with high incidence rate and high mortality. Geniposide (GEN) exhibits multiple biological properties including anti-tumor function. However, effect of GEN on GC is not well studied. Hence, the effects of GEN on GC were investigated in our study. HULC expression in GC tissue and GC cell lines (MKN45, SGC-7901, MKN28, AGS) was detected by qRT-PCR. Cell viability, colony formation, migration, invasion and cell apoptosis were examined by CCK-8 assay, survival fraction assay, modified two-chamber migration assay, Millicell Hanging Cell Culture and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/9 and vimentin was detected by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. The expression of PI3K/AKT and JNK was measured by western blot. The expression of HULC was up-regulated both in GC tissue and cell lines (P < .05, P < .01 or P < .001). GEN negatively regulated the expression of HULC in MKN45 cells (P < .05 or P < .01). GEN decreased cell viability (P < .05), colony formation (P < .01), migration (P < .05) and invasion (P < .05) while HULC overexpression led to the opposite results in GEN-treated cells. The expression of phosphatidylinositol 3' -kinase (PI3K)/ protein kinase B (AKT) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was down-regulated by GEN (all P < .05) while reversed by HULC overexpression. HULC was up-regulated in GC. GEN inhibited MNK45 cell viability, colony formation, migration and invasion while induced cell apoptosis by down-regulation of HULC in MKN45 cells. GEN inactivated PI3K/AKT and JNK signal pathways through down-regulation of HULC.

Analysis of the HPLC Fingerprint and QAMS for Sanhuang Gypsum Soup

A valid and encyclopaedic evaluation method for assessing the quality of Sanhuang Gypsum Soup (SGS) has been set up based on analysis of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint combined with the quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS) method, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and similarity analysis. 20 peaks of the common model were obtained and used for the similarity analysis and HCA analysis. Berberine was selected as an internal reference, and the relative correction factors of mangiferin, geniposide, liquiritin, epiberberine, coptisine, baicalin, palmatine, harpagosid, wogonoside, cinnamic acid, cinnamic aldehyde, baicalein, glycyrrhizic acid, and wogonin were established. The accuracy of quantitative analysis of multicomponents by the single-marker method was verified by comparing the contents of the fourteen components calculated by the external standard method with those of the quantitative analysis of multicomponents by the single-marker method. No significant difference was found in the quantitative results of the established quantitative analysis of multicomponents by a single-marker method and an external standard method. In summary, these methods were applied to evaluate the quality of SGS successfully. As a result, these evaluation methods have great potential to be widely used in the quality control of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM).

Dietary Sodium Butyrate Supplementation Reduces High-Concentrate Diet Feeding-Induced Apoptosis in Mammary Cells in Dairy Goats

Eighteen lactating goats (38.86 ± 2.06 kg) were randomly allocated to three groups. One group was fed a low-concentrate (LC) diet (forage:concentrate = 6:4), while the other two groups were fed a high-concentrate (HC) diet (forage:concentrate = 4:6) or an HC diet supplemented with sodium butyrate (BHC) for 20 weeks. Samples of ruminal fluid, milk, hepatic blood plasma, and mammary gland tissue were prepared for the experimental analysis. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentration, caspase-3 and -8 enzymatic activity, caspase-3 and -8 mRNA expression, and NF-κB (p65), phosphorylated-p65, bax, cytochrome c, and caspase-3 protein expression were higher in the HC group than those in the LC group; however, the levels of these parameters were lower in the BHC group than those in the HC group. Moreover, bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression was higher in the BHC group than that in the HC or LC groups, and no significant difference was observed between the HC and LC groups. Thus, feeding lactating goats an HC diet induces apoptosis in mammary cells, and supplementing the diet with sodium butyrate reduces the concentrations of LPS and proinflammatory cytokines, subsequently attenuating the activation of NF-κB and caspase-3 and eventually inhibiting apoptosis in mammary cells.

A Review on the Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics and Toxicology of Geniposide, a Natural Product

Iridoid glycosides are natural products occurring widely in many herbal plants. Geniposide (C17H24O10) is a well-known one, present in nearly 40 species belonging to various families, especially the Rubiaceae. Along with this herbal component, dozens of its natural derivatives have also been isolated and characterized by researchers. Furthermore, a large body of pharmacological evidence has proved the various biological activities of geniposide, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, cholagogic effects and so on. However, there have been some research articles on its toxicity in recent years. Therefore, this review paper aims to provide the researchers with a comprehensive profile of geniposide on its phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and toxicology in order to highlight some present issues and future perspectives as well as to help us develop and utilize this iridoid glycoside more efficiently and safely.

Geraniol alleviates LPS-induced acute lung injury in mice via inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis

Geraniol (GOH), a special type of acyclic monoterpene alcohol, has been widely used to treat many diseases associated with inflammation and apoptosis. Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common clinical disease in humans characterized by pulmonary inflammation and apoptosis. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of GOH in a mouse model of ALI induced by the intranasal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms in RAW 264.7 cells. In vivo, GOH treatment markedly ameliorated pathological injury and pulmonary cell apoptosis and reduced the wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio of lungs, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). In vitro, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, iNOS and COX-2 were significantly increased in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, an effect that was decreased by GOH treatment. Moreover, GOH treatment dramatically reduced the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and then prevented the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. GOH treatment also promoted anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression and inhibited pro-apoptotic Bax and Caspase-3 expression. Furthermore, knockdown of TLR4 expression exerted a similar effect and inhibited the phosphorylation of p65, as well as the Bax and Caspase-3 expression. Taken together, these results suggest that GOH treatment alleviates LPS-induced ALI via inhibiting pulmonary inflammation and apoptosis, a finding that might be associated with the inhibition of TLR4-mediated NF-κB and Bcl-2/Bax signalling pathways.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor enhances Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation, potentially contributing to cystic fibrosis pathogenesis

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a key proinflammatory mediator that we have previously shown to be associated with an aggressive clinical phenotype in cystic fibrosis. It possesses unique tautomerase enzymatic activity. However, to date, no human-derived substrate has been identified that has the capacity to interact with this cytokine's unique tautomerase activity. This led us to hypothesize that MIF may have the capacity to interact with external substrates. We describe for the first time how Pseudomonas aeruginosa can utilize human recombinant MIF (rMIF) to significantly (P < 0.01) enhance its endogenous biofilm formation. Our in vivo studies demonstrate that utilizing a small-molecular-weight inhibitor targeting MIF's tautomerase activity (SCD-19) significantly reduces the inflammatory response in a murine pulmonary chronic P. aeruginosa model. In addition, we show that in in vitro experiments, pretreatment of P. aeruginosa with rMIF is associated with reduced bacterial killing by tobramycin. Our novel findings support the concept of an anti-MIF strategy that targets this enzymatic activity as a potential future antibacterial therapeutic approach.-Tynan, A., Mawhinney, L., Armstrong, M. E., O'Reilly, C., Kennedy, S., Caraher, E., Jülicher, K., O'Dwyer, D., Maher, L., Schaffer, K., Fabre, A., McKone, E. F., Leng, L., Bucala, R., Bernhagen, J., Cooke, G., Donnelly, S. C. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor enhances Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation, potentially contributing to cystic fibrosis pathogenesis.

Geniposide ameliorates TNBS-induced experimental colitis in rats via reducing inflammatory cytokine release and restoring impaired intestinal barrier function

Geniposide is an iridoid glycosides purified from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, which is known to have antiinflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-tumor activities. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of geniposide on experimental rat colitis and to reveal the related mechanisms. Experimental rat colitis was induced by rectal administration of a TNBS solution. The rats were treated with geniposide (25, 50 mg·kg^-1·d^-1, ig) or with sulfasalazine (SASP, 100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1, ig) as positive control for 14 consecutive days. A Caco-2 cell monolayer exposed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) was used as an epithelial barrier dysfunction model. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) was measured to evaluate intestinal barrier function. In rats with TNBS-induced colitis, administration of geniposide or SASP significantly increased the TNBS-decreased body weight and ameliorated TNBS-induced experimental colitis and related symptoms. Geniposide or SASP suppressed inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) release and neutrophil infiltration (myeloperoxidase activity) in the colon. In Caco-2 cells, geniposide (25-100 μg/mL) ameliorated LPS-induced endothelial barrier dysfunction via dose-dependently increasing transepithelial electrical resistance (TER). The results from both in vivo and in vitro studies revealed that geniposide down-regulated NF-κB, COX-2, iNOS and MLCK protein expression, up-regulated the expression of tight junction proteins (occludin and ZO-1), and facilitated AMPK phosphorylation. Both AMPK siRNA transfection and AMPK overexpression abrogated the geniposide-reduced MLCK protein expression, suggesting that geniposide ameliorated barrier dysfunction via AMPK-mediated inhibition of the MLCK pathway. In conclusion, geniposide ameliorated TNBS-induced experimental rat colitis by both reducing inflammation and modulating the disrupted epithelial barrier function via activating the AMPK signaling pathway.

Protective effect of naringin against the LPS-induced apoptosis of PC12 cells: Implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders

Several studies have demonstrated that increased apoptosis plays an essential role in neurodegenerative disorders. It has been demonstrated that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces apoptosis largely through the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory mediators. In this study, we investigated the potential protective mechanisms of naringin (Nar), a pummelo peel extract, on LPS-induced PC12 cell apoptosis. Nar pre-conditioning prior to stimulation with LPS for 18 h was a prerequisite for evaluating PC12 cell viability and the protective mechanisms of Nar. Nar significantly improved cell survival in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. On the one hand, Nar downregulated cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), inhibited the release of ROS, mitigated the stimulation of oxidative stress, and rectified the antioxidant protein contents of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD)2 and glutathione synthetase (GSS). On the other hand, Nar down-regulated inflammatory gene and protein expression, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, HMGB1, high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)-TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) path way and downstream mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, activator protein transcription factor-1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB. Moroever, Nar markedly attenuated the cytochrome c shift from the mitochondria to the cytosol and regulated caspase-3-related protein expression. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of Nar in neuronal-like PC12 cells. These results suggest that Nar can be utilized as a potential drug for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

Selenium Deficiency Deteriorate the Inflammation of S. aureus Infection via Regulating NF-κB and PPAR-γ in Mammary Gland of Mice

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient contributing to a strong immune system for the prevention of infections and diseases in humans and animals. Dietary Se regulates the immune status and mediates anti-inflammatory action. Mastitis is an inflammation in the mammary gland typically induced through the major pathogen S. aureus. The aim of the present study was to determine the regulating effect of Se on S. aureus-induced inflammation using a mouse mastitis model. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect histopathological injury. ELISA was used to detect cytokine expression, while protein and mRNA levels were analyzed through Western blotting and qPCR analysis, respectively. The results showed that Se deficiency increased inflammatory lesions in individuals with S. aureus infection in the mammary gland. The NO levels showed a significant increase in Se-deficient mice with S. aureus mastitis. Se deficiency accelerated the production of pro-inflammatory factors and reduced IL-10 expression. Furthermore, the results of the present study showed that the regulating effect of Se on S. aureus-induced mastitis was associated with the NF-κB pathway. Indeed, Se deficiency suppressed PPAR-γ activity and promoted NF-κB pathway activation. Thus, Se supplementation could improve the effect on PPAR-γ and NF-κB. These results suggest that Se deficiency could aggravate the inflammatory injury resulting from S. aureus-induced mastitis. Moreover, the results of the present study contribute to the development of new prevention or treatment methods for S. aureus-induced mastitis and other infectious diseases.

Geniposide Inhibits Alpha-Naphthylisothiocyanate-Induced Intrahepatic Cholestasis: The Downregulation of STAT3 and NFκB Signaling Plays an Important Role

Traditional medicinal formulation of Yin-zhi-huang (YZH) is widely used in the clinic for the treatment of jaundice and chronic liver diseases in East Asian countries. However, the pharmacologically active components of YZH and the underlying mechanism are still unknown. Geniposide (GEN) was recently identified as one of the most abundant circulating components in YZH. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of GEN against liver injuries induced by alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT). 50[Formula: see text]mg/kg of GEN was administered to ICR mice once daily for 5 days, and challenge of ANIT 75[Formula: see text]mg/kg was performed on the 4th day. Blood and liver tissues were collected on day 6 and subjected to biochemical, histopathological and pathway analyses. The biochemical and pathological findings showed that GEN almost totally attenuated ANIT-induced cholestasis and liver injury compared with the vehicle/ANIT group. The altered gene transcription related to bile acid metabolism and transport was normalized by co-treatment with GEN. The expressions of tumor necrosis factor-[Formula: see text] and the suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 were significantly decreased in the GEN/ANIT group. Western blot revealed that GEN inhibited the activation and expression of STAT3 and NF[Formula: see text]B. These data suggest GEN inhibits ANIT-induced hepatotoxicity. The protective effect is associated with the downregulation of STAT3 and NF[Formula: see text]B signaling.