Effects of androsterone on the protective action of various antiepileptic drugs against maximal electroshock-induced seizures in mice

Novel Steroidal[17,16-d]pyrimidines Derived from Epiandrosterone and Androsterone: Synthesis, Characterization and Configuration-Activity Relationships

Two series of novel steroidal[17,16-d]pyrimidines derived from natural epiandrosterone and androsterone were designed and synthesized, and these compounds were screened for their potential anticancer activities. The preliminary bioassay indicated that some of these prepared compounds exhibited significantly good cytotoxic activities against human gastric cancer (SGC-7901), lung cancer (A549), and hepatocellular liver carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines compared with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), epiandrosterone, and androsterone. Especially the respective pairs from epiandrosterone and androsterone showed significantly different inhibitory activities, and the possible configuration-activity relationships have also been summarized and discussed based on kinase assay and molecular docking, which indicated that the inhibition activities of these steroidal[17,16-d]pyrimidines might obviously be affected by the configuration of the hydroxyl group in the part of the steroidal scaffold.

From non-targeted to targeted GC-MS metabolomics strategy for identification of TCM preparations containing natural and artificial musk

BACKGROUND

Moschus is a rare and precious natural medicine. Due to the properties of resources scarcity and expensive price of natural musk, artificial musk has been developed as substitute materials in some prescriptions. Rapid and accurate identification of natural or artificial musk in complex traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparations is also a challenge.

METHOD

A strategy from non-targeted to targeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics was developed for discrimination of natural and artificial musk. Firstly, GC-MS-based non-targeted analysis combined with chemometrics was used to find the potential chemical markers to distinguish natural musk and artificial musk. Subsequently, targeted metabolomics was used to analyze musk in preparations with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode by use gas chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QQQ MS).

RESULTS

Two chemical markers named prasterone and androsterone have been selected and could be detected in all Compound Pien Tze Huang preparations (CPZHs) containing artificial musk, while the CPZHs containing natural musk did not detect two markers with S/N (signal to noise ratio) less than 3.

CONCLUSION

Our work provides an applicable approach to select the practical chemical markers for the assessment of musk in preparations to realize the traceability of musk in TCM and improve the quality control of musk-containing preparations.

Animal Models of Epilepsy: A Phenotype-oriented Review

Epilepsy is a serious neurological disorder characterized by abnormal, recurrent, and synchronous discharges in the brain. Long-term recurrent seizure attacks can cause serious damage to brain function, which is usually observed in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Controlling seizure attacks is vital for the treatment and prognosis of epilepsy. Animal models, such as the kindling model, which was the most widely used model in the past, allow the understanding of the potential epileptogenic mechanisms and selection of antiepileptic drugs. In recent years, various animal models of epilepsy have been established to mimic different seizure types, without clear merits and demerits. Accordingly, this review provides a summary of the views mentioned above, aiming to provide a reference for animal model selection.

Neurosteroids and Seizure Activity

Still circa 25% to 30% of patients with epilepsy cannot be efficiently controlled with available antiepileptic drugs so newer pharmacological treatment options have been continuously searched for. In this context, a group of endogenous or exogenous neurosteroids allosterically positively modulating GABA-A receptors may offer a promising approach. Among endogenous neurosteroids synthesized in the brain, allopregnanolone or allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone have been documented to exert anticonvulsant activity in a number of experimental models of seizures-pentylenetetrazol-, bicuculline- pilocarpine-, or 6 Hz-induced convulsions in rodents. Neurosteroids can also inhibit fully kindled seizures and some of them have been reported to counteract maximal electroshock-induced convulsions. An exogenous neurosteroid, alphaxalone, significantly elevated the threshold for maximal electroconvulsions in mice but it did not potentiate the anticonvulsive action of a number of conventional antiepileptic drugs against maximal electroshock-induced seizures. Androsterone not only elevated the threshold but significantly enhanced the protective action of carbamazepine, gabapentin and phenobarbital against maximal electroshock in mice, as well. Ganaxolone (a 3beta-methylated analog of allopregnanolone) needs special consideration for two reasons. First, it performed better than conventional antiepileptic drugs, diazepam or valproate, in suppressing convulsive and lethal effects of pentylenetetrazol in pentylenetetrazol-kindled mice. Second, ganaxolone has been evaluated in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial in patients with intractable partial seizures, taking maximally 3 antiepileptic drugs. The initial results indicate that add-on therapy with ganaxolone resulted in reduced seizure frequency with adverse effect being mainly mild to moderate. Possibly, ganaxolone may be also considered against catamenial seizures. Some positive effects of ganaxolone as an adjuvant were also observed in children with refractory seizures and its use may also prove efficient for the management of neonatal seizures associated with hypoxic injury. Neurosteroids positively modulating GABA-A receptor complex exert anticonvulsive activity in many experimental models of seizures. Their interactions with antiepileptic drugs seem ambiguous in mice. Initial clinical data indicate that ganaxolone may provide a better seizure control in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.