Gallic Acid Reduces Blood Pressure and Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Cardiac Hypertrophy in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Effects of gallic acid and physical training on liver damage, force, and anxiety in obese mice: Hepatic modulation of Sestrin 2 (SESN2) and PGC-α expression

Obesity and overweight are multifactorial diseases affecting more than one-third of the world's population. Physical inactivity contributes to a positive energy balance and the onset of obesity. Exercise combined with a balanced diet is an effective non-pharmacological strategy to improve obesity-related disorders. Gallic acid (GA), is a natural endogenous polyphenol found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and wines, with beneficial effects on energetic homeostasis. The present study aims to investigate the effects of exercise training on obese mice supplemented with GA. Animal experimentation was performed with male Swiss mice divided into five groups: ST (standard control), HFD (obese control), HFD + GA (GA supplement), HFD + Trained (training), and HFD + GA + Trained (GA and training). The groups are treated for eight weeks with 200 mg/kg/body weight of the feed compound and, if applicable, physical training. The main findings of the present study show that GA supplementation improves liver fat, body weight, adiposity, and plasma insulin levels. In addition, animals treated with the GA and a physical training program demonstrate reduced levels of anxiety. Gene expression analyses show that Sesn2 is activated via PGC-1α independent of the GATOR2 protein, which is activated by GA in the context of physical activity. These data are corroborated by molecular docking analysis, demonstrating the interaction of GA with GATOR2. The present study contributes to understanding the metabolic effects of GA and physical training and demonstrates a new hepatic mechanism of action via Sestrin 2 and PGC-1α.

Naoxintong capsule for treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases: from bench to bedside

Naoxintong Capsule (NXT), a renowned traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation, has been broadly applied in China for more than 30 years. Over decades, accumulating evidences have proven satisfactory efficacy and safety of NXT in treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CCVD). Studies have been conducted unceasingly, while this growing latest knowledge of NXT has not yet been interpreted properly and summarized comprehensively. Hence, we systematically review the advancements in NXT research, from its chemical constituents, quality control, pharmacokinetics, to its profound pharmacological activities as well as its clinical applications in CCVD. Moreover, we further propose specific challenges for its future perspectives: 1) to precisely clarify bioactivities of single compound in complicated mixtures; 2) to evaluate the pharmacokinetic behaviors of NXT feature components in clinical studies, especially drug-drug interactions in CCVD patients; 3) to explore and validate its multi-target mechanisms by integrating multi-omics technologies; 4) to re-evaluate the safety and efficacy of NXT by carrying out large-scale, multicenter randomized controlled trials. In brief, this review aims to straighten out a paradigm for TCM modernization, which help to contribute NXT as a piece of Chinese Wisdom into the advanced intervention strategy for CCVD therapy.

Carrier Systems for Advanced Drug Delivery: Improving Drug Solubility/Bioavailability and Administration Routes

The disadvantages of some conventional drugs, including their low bioavailability, poor targeting efficiency, and important side effects, have led to the rational design of drug delivery systems. In particular, the introduction of drug delivery systems is a potential approach to enhance the uptake of therapeutic agents and deliver them at the right time and in the right amount of concentration at the required site, as well as open new strategies for effective illness treatment. In this review, we provide a basic understanding of drug delivery systems with an emphasis on the use of cyclodextrin-, polymer- and surfactant-based delivery systems. These systems are very attractive because they are biocompatible and biodegradable nanomaterials with multifunctional components. We also provide some details on their design considerations and their use in a variety of medical applications by employing several routes of administration.

A comparative study on the protective effects of cuminaldehyde, thymoquinone, and gallic acid against carbon tetrachloride-induced pulmonary and renal toxicity in rats by affecting ROS and NF-κB signaling

CCl4 toxicity is a fatal condition that can cause numerous organ dysfunctions. We evaluated and compared the protective effects of cuminaldehyde (CuA), thymoquinone (TQ), and gallic acid (GA) on CCl4-induced pulmonary and renal toxicity in rats. The impacts of these compounds on CCl4-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and morphological alterations were examined. The results showed that the compounds under investigation prevented CCl4 from significantly increasing pulmonary and renal lipid peroxidation and NO levels, as well as massively depleting GSH levels and GPX and SOD activities. Moreover, they suppressed the CCl4-induced increase in mucus secretion in the lung and upregulated the gene expression of pulmonary and renal NF-ҡB, iNOS, TNF-α, and COX-2. The heatmap cluster plots showed that GA and TQ had better protective potencies than CuA. The external organ morphology, histopathological results, and chest X-ray analysis confirmed the toxicity of CCl4 and the protective influences of the tested compounds in both the lungs and kidneys of rats. These compounds displayed predicted competitive inhibitory effects on iNOS activity and may block the IL-13α2 receptor, as revealed by molecular docking analysis. Thus, CuA, TQ, and GA, particularly the latter two, are prospective protective compounds against the pulmonary and renal toxicity caused by CCl4.

Ameliorating impaired cardiac function in myocardial infarction using exosome-loaded gallic-acid-containing polyurethane scaffolds

Myocardial infarction (MI) can be tackled by implanting cardiac patches which provide mechanical support to the heart. However, most tissue-engineered scaffolds face difficulty in attenuating oxidative stress, maintaining mechanical stability, and regenerating damaged cardiomyocytes. Here, we fabricated elastic cryogels using polyurethane modified with antioxidant gallic acid in its backbone (PUGA) and further coated them with decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) to improve adhesiveness, biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. The scaffold was functionalized with exosomes (EXO) isolated from adipose-derived stem cells having regenerative potential. PUGA-dECM + EXO was tested in a rat model with induced MI where echocardiography after 8 weeks of implantation showed significant recovery in treatment group. Histological analysis revealed a decrease in fibrosis after application of patch and promotion of angiogenesis with reduced oxidative stress was shown by immunostaining. Expression of cardiac tissue contractile function marker was also observed in treatment groups. Thus, the proposed biomaterial has a promising application to be utilized as a patch for cardiac regeneration. More detailed studies with larger animal species are needed for using these observations for specific applications.

Integration of single-nucleus RNA sequencing and network disturbance to elucidate crosstalk between multicomponent drugs and trigeminal ganglia cells in migraine

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Migraine is caused by hyperactivity of the trigeminovascular system, where trigeminal ganglia (TG) plays an important role. TG is composed of multiple neuronal and non-neuronal cell types, which is related to "neuro-inflammation-vascular" disorder in migraine. Tou Tong Ning capsule (TTNC), a CFDA-approved traditional Chinese medicine for treating migraine, has the characteristics of "multicomponents, multitargets, multipathways".

AIM OF THE STUDY

To clarify the mechanism of TTNC and elucidate crosstalk between multicomponent drugs and neuronal and non-neuronal functions and cells in migraine.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We integrated single-nucleus RNA sequencing and a quantitative evaluation algorithm of the disturbance of multitarget drugs on the disease network and explored the specific pathology of migraine and corresponding compounds. A cerebrovascular smooth muscle spasmolytic activity experiment was carried out to verify the results of the bioinformatics analysis.

RESULTS

TTNC exhibited its regulation activities in neuronal and non-neuronal aspects based on drugs attack to four subnetworks and cell specific networks, which explored the MoA of TTNC in comprehensive and refined perspectives. Compared to neuronal regulation, TTNC showed more significant attack score on non-neuronal biological function (smooth muscle and vessel). And TTNC compound clusters C1, C6 and C7, targeting non-neuronal function and cells, had larger group area than C10, C4 and C6 for neuronal function and cell, which implied that TTNC may mainly regulate the non-neuronal function, e.g., vessel smooth muscle contraction. Contraction of cerebrovascular smooth muscle of mice ex vivo confirmed the vasodilation activity of TTNC and active compounds from C1, C6, C9 (Emodin, Luteolin and Levistilide A). Literature mining confirmed the vasospasmodolytic activity and neuroprotective effect of TTNC.

CONCLUSIONS

The study found that TTNC may primarily alleviate non-neuronal functional disorders in migraine by relaxing cerebral vascular smooth muscle cell spasm to alleviate migraine. Integrating single-nucleus RNA sequencing data and network disturbance tools provides a new strategy for the pharmacological mechanism of multicomponent drugs through cell subtyping.

Gallic Acid Inhibits Proliferation and Migration of Smooth Muscle Cells in a Pig In-Stent Restenosis Model

In-stent restenosis (ISR) develops primarily due to neointimal hyperplasia. Gallic acid (GA) has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cardioprotective effects. This study sought to investigate the effects of GA on neointimal hyperplasia and proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in a pig ISR model. In vitro proliferation and migration experiments were confirmed, after VSMCs were treated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) and GA (100 µM) using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and a scratch wound assay for 24 hours and 48 hours. A bare metal stent (BMS) was implanted in the pig coronary artery to induce ISR with overdilation (1.1-1.2:1), and GA (10 mg/kg/day) was administered for 4 weeks. At the 4-week follow-up, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and histopathological analyses were performed. GA decreased the proliferation of VSMCs by PDGF-BB for 24 hours (89.24±24.56% vs. 170.04±19.98%, p<0.001) and 48 hours (124.87±7.35% vs. 187.64±4.83%, p<0.001). GA inhibited the migration of VSMCs induced by PDGF-BB for 24 hours (26.73±2.38% vs. 65.38±9.73%, p<0.001) and 48 hours (32.96±3.04% vs. 77.04±10.07%, p<0.001). Using OCT, % neointimal hyperplasia was shown to have significantly decreased in the GA group compared with control vehicle group (28.25±10.07% vs. 37.60±10.84%, p<0.001). GA effectively reduced neointimal hyperplasia by inhibiting the proliferation and migration of VSMCs in a pig ISR model. GA could be a potential treatment strategy for reducing ISR after stent implantation.

Protective Roles and Therapeutic Effects of Gallic Acid in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: Current Trends and Future Directions

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are serious life-threatening illnesses and significant problematic issues for public health having a heavy economic burden on all society worldwide. The high incidence of these diseases as well as high mortality rates make them the leading causes of death and disability. Therefore, finding novel and more effective therapeutic methods is urgently required. Gallic acid, an herbal medicine with numerous biological properties, has been utilized in the treatment of various diseases for thousands of years. It has been demonstrated that gallic acid possesses pharmacological potential in regulating several molecular and cellular processes such as apoptosis and autophagy. Moreover, gallic acid has been investigated in the treatment of CVDs both in vivo and in vitro. Herein, we aimed to review the available evidence on the therapeutic application of gallic acid for CVDs including myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and infarction, drug-induced cardiotoxicity, hypertension, cardiac fibrosis, and heart failure, with a focus on underlying mechanisms.

Ling-Gui-Qi-Hua formula alleviates left ventricular myocardial fibrosis in rats with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction by blocking the transforming growth factor-β1 /Smads signaling pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ling-Qui-Qi-Hua (LGQH) decoction, composed of Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf, Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl, Paeonia veitchii Lynch, and Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz., is a compound formula derived from Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan decoction recorded in the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous. It has shown cardioprotective effects on patients or rats with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Nevertheless, the active ingredients of LGQH and its anti-fibrotic mechanism remain unknown.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To determine the active ingredients in LGQH decoction and verify that LGQH decoction may inhibit left ventricular (LV) myocardial fibrosis in HFpEF rats by blocking the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/Smads signaling pathway from the perspective of animal experiments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technology was used to identify active components in the LGQH decoction. Secondly, a rat model of the metabolic syndrome-associated HFpEF phenotype was established and subsequently received LGQH intervention. The mRNA and protein expression of targets in the TGF-β1/Smads pathway were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. Finally, molecular docking was conducted to examine the interactions between the active ingredients in the LGQH decoction and key proteins of the TGF-β1/Smads pathways.

RESULTS

According to LC-MS analysis, the LGQH decoction contained 13 active ingredients. In animal experiments, LGQH attenuated LV hypertrophy, enlargement, and diastolic function in HEpEF rats. Mechanically, LGQH not only down-regulated TGF-β1, Smad2, Smad3, Smad4, α-SMA, Coll I, and Coll III mRNA expressions and TGF-β1, Smad2, Smad3, P-Smad2/Smad3, Smad4, α-SMA, and Coll I protein expressions, but also up-regulated Smad7 mRNA and protein expressions, which ultimately led to myocardial fibrosis. Furthermore, molecular docking confirmed that 13 active ingredients in the LGQH decoction have excellent binding activities to the critical targets of the TGF-β1/Smads pathway.

CONCLUSION

LGQH is a modified herbal formulation with multiple active ingredients. It might alleviate LV remodeling and diastolic dysfunction and inhibit LV myocardial fibrosis by blocking TGF-β1/Smads pathways in HFpEF rats.

Antioxidant and Renin Inhibitory Activities of Peptides from Food Proteins on Hypertension: A Review

Hypertension is a condition induced by oxidative stress causing an alteration in the endothelium, which increases the risk of suffering from other degenerative diseases. This review compiles the findings on peptides from food proteins with antioxidant and antihypertensive activities. Antihypertensive peptides are mainly focused on renin inhibition. Peptides containing hydrophobic amino acids have antioxidant and renin inhibitory activities, as reported by studies on the biological activity of peptides from various food sources evaluated separately and simultaneously. Peptides from food sources can present multiple biological activities. Moreover, antioxidant peptides have the potential to be evaluated against renin, offering an alternative for hypertension therapy without causing adverse side effects.

Cardiovascular complications are resolved by tuna protein hydrolysate supplementation in rats fed with a high-fat diet

This study is aimed to investigate whether tuna protein hydrolysate (TPH) supplementation could alleviate cardiovascular complications induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in rats. Rats were fed a HFD for 16 weeks and given TPH (100 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg, or 500 mg/kg) or metformin (100 mg/kg) (n = 8) for the last four weeks. TPH had the following effects: resolved their impaired glucose tolerance, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, obesity, and hypertension (p < 0.05); alleviated left ventricular dysfunction and hypertrophy (p < 0.05), and vascular dysfunction and hypertrophy (p < 0.05); adipocyte hypertrophy; increases in circulating leptin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) were mitigated (p < 0.05); increased renin-angiotensin system (RAS), oxidative stress, and decreased nitric oxide metabolites were modulated (p < 0.05). TPH restored the expression of angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R)/NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ)/the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) protein in cardiovascular tissue (p < 0.05). In metabolic syndrome (MS) rats, metformin and TPH had comparable effects. In conclusion, TPH alleviated cardiovascular complications related to MS. It suppressed RAS, oxidative stress, and inflammation that were associated with modulation of AT1R/NOX2, eNOS, Nrf2/HO-1, and PPARγ/NF-κB expression.

Parkia speciosa Hassk. Empty Pod Extract Prevents Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy by Inhibiting MAPK and Calcineurin-NFATC3 Signaling Pathways

Cardiac hypertrophy is an early hallmark during the clinical course of heart failure. Therapeutic strategies aiming to alleviate cardiac hypertrophy via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) signaling pathway may help prevent cardiac dysfunction. Previously, empty pod ethanol crude extract of Parkia speciosa Hassk was shown to demonstrate protective effects against cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the effects of various fractions of the plant ethanol extract on the MAPK/NFAT signaling pathway in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Simultaneous treatment with ethyl acetate (EA) fraction produced the most potent antihypertrophic effect evidenced by the reduced release of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Subsequently, treatment with the EA fraction (6.25, 12.5, and 25 μg/mL) prevented an Ang II-induced increase in cell surface area, hypertrophic factors (atrial natriuretic peptide and BNP), reactive oxygen species, protein content, and NADPH oxidase 4 expression in the cells. Furthermore, EA treatment attenuated the activation of the MAPK pathway and calcineurin-related pathway (GATA-binding protein 4 and NFATC3), which was similar to the effects of valsartan (positive control). Our findings indicate that the EA fraction prevents Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy by regulating the MAPK/calcineurin-NFAT signaling pathway.

Biochemistry of Antioxidants: Mechanisms and Pharmaceutical Applications

Natural antioxidants from fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs and fish protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. They are widely used to reduce food loss and waste, minimizing lipid oxidation, as well as for their effects on health through pharmaceutical preparations. In fact, the use of natural antioxidants is among the main efforts made to relieve the pressure on natural resources and to move towards more sustainable food and pharmaceutical systems. Alternative food waste management approaches include the valorization of by-products as a source of phenolic compounds for functional food formulations. In this review, we will deal with the chemistry of antioxidants, including their molecular structures and reaction mechanisms. The biochemical aspects will also be reviewed, including the effects of acidity and temperature on their partitioning in binary and multiphasic systems. The poor bioavailability of antioxidants remains a huge constraint for clinical applications, and we will briefly describe some delivery systems that provide for enhanced pharmacological action of antioxidants via drug targeting and increased bioavailability. The pharmacological activity of antioxidants can be improved by designing nanotechnology-based formulations, and recent nanoformulations include nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, liposomes/proliposomes, phytosomes and solid lipid nanoparticles, all showing promising outcomes in improving the efficiency and bioavailability of antioxidants. Finally, an overview of the pharmacological effects, therapeutic properties and future choice of antioxidants will be incorporated.

Ajuga bracteosa Exerts Antihypertensive Activity in l-NAME-Induced Hypertension Possibly through Modulation of Oxidative Stress, Proinflammatory Cytokines, and the Nitric Oxide/Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate Pathway

Ajuga bracteosa has been used in traditional medicine to treat hypertension and other ailments. The present study has been designed to investigate the beneficial effects of A. bracteosa in l-nitro arginine methyl ester (l-NAME)-induced hypertensive rats. Hypertension was induced by intraperitoneal injection of l-NAME (185 μmol kg^-1 i.p.). The aqueous methanol extract of A. bracteosa (AMEAB, 250 and 500 mg kg^-1) and coumarin (30 and 70 mg kg^-1) were administered orally from day 8 to day 35 of the study. In vivo antihypertensive activity was assessed by measuring the blood pressure using a PowerLab data system. The effects of the AMEAB and coumarin on nitric oxide (NO), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), the tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and oxidative stress markers were also assessed using kit methods. Phytochemical profiling of the AMEAB was carried out through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) where quercetin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, benzoic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, and ferulic acid were labeled as plant constituents including coumarin. The AMEAB and coumarin significantly reduced blood pressure at the tested doses of 500 and 70 mg kg^-1, respectively. Serum levels of NO and cGMP were found to be significantly increased in AMEAB- and coumarin-treated groups when compared with only l-NAME-challenged rats. In addition, a marked decrease was noticed in the serum concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) in AMEAB- and coumarin-treated rats. Moreover, in AMEAB- and coumarin-treated animals, a noticeable improvement was observed in the levels of antioxidant enzymes including catalase, superoxide dismutase, and malonaldehyde, and the total oxidant status when compared with those of only l-NAME-challenged rats. The data of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) experiments supported that the antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory activities of the AMEAB and coumarin are possibly mediated through modulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), nuclear factor (NF)-kB, and COX-2 gene expressions. This study concludes that A. bracteosa possesses an antihypertensive effect mediated through the modulation of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and NO/cGMP pathways, thus providing a rationale to the antihypertensive use of A. bracteosa in traditional medicine.

Yang-xin-xue keli exerts therapeutic effects via regulating mitochondrial homeostasis and function in doxorubicin-induced rat heart failure

Background: Heart failure, especially chronic heart failure, is generally induced by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as the subsequent loss of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) openings and pathological mitochondrial dysfunction. Herein, we explored the therapeutic effects of the Chinese medicine Yangxin Keli (YXXKL) on chronic heart failure and its underlying working mechanism.

Methods: To mimic oxidative stress-induced chronic heart failure, a rat heart failure model was induced by the administration of DOX. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed to confirm the successful establishment of the heart failure model by observing significantly decreased cardiac function in the rats. Mitochondrial membrane potential, function, and ATP synthesis activity were measured after YXXKL was employed.

Results The administration of YXXKL not only significantly improved cardiac function but also reversed the myocardium loss and fibrosis induced via DOX. Moreover, the administration of YXXKL also increased ATP synthesis and mitochondrial DNA mass in left ventricular tissues, which indicated that mitochondria may be a key target of YXXKL. Thus, we employed rat cardiomyocyte H9c2 and primary rat cardiac myocytes (RCMs) to induce oxidative stress-induced myocardial injury via DOX treatment. YXXKL-medicated serum promoted cell proliferation, which was inhibited by the addition of IC30 DOX, and the serum also inhibited cell apoptosis, which was promoted by the addition of IC50 DOX. YXKL-medicated serum was able to scavenge ROS and maintain the mitochondrial membrane potential as well as promote mitochondrial function, including the promotion of ATP synthesis, mitochondrial DNA mass, and transcriptional activity. Furthermore, we also observed that YXXKL-medicated serum inhibited DOX-induced autophagy/mitophagy by scavenging ROS.

Conclusion: Taken together, we conclude that YXXKLI may exert therapeutic effects on oxidative stress-related heart failure via the regulation of mitochondria.

Hawthorn fruit acid consumption attenuates hyperlipidemia-associated oxidative damage in rats

Context

Hyperlipidemia is a highly prevalent risk factor for atherosclerosis and stroke. The currently available medications used to treat Hyperlipidemia cannot improve its oxidative stress damage. Consumption of hawthorn can regulate blood sugar and blood lipids, and its rich fruit acid is a natural antioxidant that can improve oxidative stress damage.

Objective

The present research aimed to investigate the protective effect of hawthorn fruit acid (HFA) on hyperlipidemia and to determine its potential molecular mechanism.

Materials and methods

Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce hyperlipidemia and treated orally with hawthorn fruit acids (HFA). Serum and liver levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), superoxide dismutase (SOD), hydrogen peroxide (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG2) cells were treated with 0.1 mM oleic acid and HFA (0.125, 0.25 mg/mL), and intracellular TC, TG, HDL-C, SOD, CAT and MDA were measured. Changes in LDLR, HMGCR, Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1 protein and gene expression were analyzed by Western blot and qPCR.

Results

This study found that HFA treatment effectively reduced the level of triglyceride, cholesterol, and glucose, and attenuated hepatic steatosis in rats. Additionally, oxidative stress damage of rats was effectively reduced by treatment with HFA. Western blot and qPCR analysis indicated that HFA treatment inhibited fat accumulation in HepG2 cells by upregulating LDLR and downregulating HMGCR gene expression. HFA inhibits oleic acid (OA)-induced oxidative damage to HepG2 by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Conclusion

HFA administration can provide health benefits by counteracting the effects of hyperlipidemia caused by an HFD in the body, and the underlying mechanism of this event is closely related to the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

(+)-Catechin Stereoisomer and Gallate Induce Oxidative Stress in Rat Aorta

The goal of the work was to study changes in the activity of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the aorta of rats after the intraperitoneal injection of stereoisomers of catechin and gallate. The activity of ACE in the aorta sections was determined by measuring the hydrolysis of hippuryl-l-histidyl-l-leucine. The production of ROS in the aorta sections was estimated from the oxidation of dichlorodihydrofluorescein. The time and dose dependences of the effect of catechin stereoisomers and gallate on ACE activity and ROS production in the aorta were studied. It was shown that (+)-catechin and gallate increased the ACE activity and ROS production, and (-)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin did not influence these parameters. The doses of (+)-catechin and gallate that increased the ACE activity to a half-maximal value (AD₅₀) were 0.04 and 0.03 µg/kg, respectively. Fucoidin, a blocker of leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium, reduced the ACE activity to the control level in the aortas of (+)-catechin-treated rats.

The Prevention Role of Theaflavin-3,3′-digallate in Angiotensin II Induced Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy via CaN-NFAT Signal Pathway

Theaflavin-3,3′-digallate (TF3) is a representative theaflavin of black tea and is remarkable for the anti-coronary heart disease effect. As an adaptive response to heart failure, pathological cardiac hypertrophy (PCH) has attracted great interest. In this study, the PCH cell model was established with H9c2 cells by angiotensin II, and the prevention effect and mechanisms of TF3 were investigated. The results showed that the cell size and fetal gene mRNA level were significantly reduced as pretreated with TF3 at the concentration range of 1–10 μM, also the balance of the redox system was recovered by TF3 at the concentration of 10 μM. The intracellular Ca²⁺ level decreased, Calcineurin (CaN) expression was down-regulated and the p-NFATc3 expression was up-regulated. These results indicated that TF3 could inhibit the activation of the CaN-NFAT signal pathway to prevent PCH, and TF3 may be a potentially effective natural compound for PCH and heart failure.

Olive cake reduces blood pressure, oxidative stress, aortic endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodeling, in dexamethasone-induced hypertensive rats

BACKGROUND/AIM: Hypertension is a global public health problem and a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In this paper, we study the effect of olive cake (OC) on blood pressure, endothelial dysfunction, redox status and vascular remodeling in dexamethasone-induced hypertensive (HT) rats. METHODS: HT rats were divided into two groups fed standard diet supplemented (HT-OC) or not (HT) with OC at 7.5% for 28 days. A control (C) was submitted to standard diet for the same experimental period. RESULTS: Systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures were higher in the HT vs C and decreased in HT-OC vs HT. Aortic nitric oxide value was decreased in the HT vs the C and increased in HT-OC vs HT. Aortic lipid and protein oxidation products were higher in the HT than C and lower in the HT-OC vs HT. Aortic antioxidant enzymes activities were reduced in HT than control and increased in the HT-OC vs HT. The aortic wall thickness, medial cross-sectional area, media to lumen ratio and the number of VSMCs were higher in the HT and the OC has regressed vascular redemptions. CONCLUSION: In hypertensive rats, OC may alleviate blood pressure and arterial remodeling by suppressing oxidative stress, increasing antioxidant activity, improving endothelial function, preventing smooth muscle proliferation and thickening of the tunica media.

Winery by-products as a valuable source for natural antihypertensive agents

Hypertension (HTN) is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Agri-food by-products are emerging as a novel source of natural antihypertensive agents allowing for their valorization and making food and agricultural industries more environmentally friendly. In this regard, wine making process generates large amounts of by-products rich in phenolic compounds that have shown potential to exert several beneficial effects including antihypertensive properties. The aim of this study was to review the blood pressure-lowering effects of winery by-products. In addition, molecular mechanisms involved in their bioactivity were also evaluated. Among the winery by-products, grape seed extracts have widely shown antihypertensive properties in both animal and human studies. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that grape stem, skin and pomace and wine lees may also have great potential to manage HTN, although more studies are needed in order to confirm their potential in humans. Improvement of endothelial dysfunction and reduction of oxidative stress associated with HTN are the main mechanisms involved in the blood pressure-lowering effects of these by-products.

Metabolomics analysis delineates the therapeutic effects of hydroethanolic extract of Cucumis sativus L. seeds on hypertension and isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction

Cucumis sativus L., widely cultivated as an edible vegetable. Its seeds are well reputed for cardiovascular preventive properties. However, the mechanisms underlying for cardiovascular protection of C. sativus are still unidentified. Therefore, this study utilized a metabolomics approach to investigate putative mechanisms of C. sativus seeds in myocardial infarction (MI) and in vitro models of vasoconstriction, atrium, and invasive blood pressure measurement. Results showed that Cu.EtOH extract showed a vasorelaxant response with potent hypotensive effect in normotensive rats and L-NAME induced hypertension. Cu.EtOH caused a negative inotropic and positive chronotropic effect on the atrium. Cu.EtOH protected the animals from ISO-induced myocardial infarction (MI) interventions in left ventricular thickness, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, mRNA gene expression, and biochemical assays. The metabolomics data suggested that Cu.EtOH mainly affected amino acid metabolism, BCAA degradation, ketone bodies degradation, and oxidative stress. Our study showed that Cu.EtOH suppressed inflammation with a strong anti-myocardial infarction impact. Additionally, our findings indicated Cu.EtOH reverted the amino acid metabolism, BCAA, and ketone bodies degradation. The findings show the antihypertensive mechanism of Cu.EtOH may include the modulation of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) produced from nitric oxide (NO) and is connected with vascular endothelial function. C. sativus seeds, in particular, played a pivotal role in the treatment of myocardial and vascular disorders by enhancing the EDRF mechanism, energy generation, and antioxidant capacity. In summary, our findings showed the mechanistic insights on the therapeutic potential of C. sativus seeds for cardiovascular disorders.

A review on the medicinal potential, toxicology, and phytochemistry of litchi fruit peel and seed

The perception that many fruit wastes, particularly the peel, contain more phytochemicals than the edible portions has been largely supported by scientific evidence, making them potential sources of bioactive and therapeutic phytochemicals. The peel and seed of Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) contain bioactive principles and have been shown to exhibit antioxidative, antidiabetic, cancer preventive, anti-obesogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties. This review presents a critical analysis of previous and current perspectives on the medicinal, toxicological, and phytochemical profiles of litchi fruit peel and seed, thus providing an evidence-based platform to explore their medicinal potential. A literature search was done on "PubMed," "Google Scholar," and "ScienceDirect." Peer-reviewed published data on the medicinal profiles of litchi fruit peel and seed were identified and critically analyzed. The fruit peel and seed improved glycemic control and insulin signaling and downregulated lipogenic and cholesterogenic processes. Their neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and renal protective potentials were influenced by antioxidative and anti-inflammatory actions. The anticancer effect was mediated by upregulated proapoptotic, proinflammatory, antiproliferative, and anti-metastatic processes in cancer cells. Simple flavonols, sesquiterpenes, phenolic acids, jasmonates, and proathocyanidins are the possible bioactive principles influencing the medicinal effects. Appropriate toxicity studies are, however, still lacking. Litchi fruit wastes may be further studied as useful sources of therapeutic agents that may have medicinal relevance in oxidative, metabolic, vascular, and carcinogenic ailments. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Underutilized fruit wastes contribute to environmental pollution. Interestingly, these wastes contain phytochemicals that could be of medicinal relevance if their medicinal potentials are maximized. Litchi fruit is a widely consumed fruit with commercial value. Its peel and seeds contribute to fruit wastes. The review exposes the medicinal potential and bioactive principles and/or nutrients of the fruit's peel and seed while elucidating the underlying therapeutic mechanisms or modes of actions through which litchi peel and seed potentiate medicinal effects. Thus, the review provides an evidence-based platform to explore the medicinal potential of underutilized wastes from litchi fruit. Additionally, the fruit peel and seed could be low-cost residues that could afford ecofriendly opportunity if their medicinal potentials are properly maximized.

Microbial Flavonoid Metabolism: A Cardiometabolic Disease Perspective

Cardiometabolic disease (CMD) is a leading cause of death worldwide and encompasses the inflammatory metabolic disorders of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. Flavonoids are polyphenolic plant metabolites that are abundantly present in fruits and vegetables and have biologically relevant protective effects in a number of cardiometabolic disorders. Several epidemiological studies underscored a negative association between dietary flavonoid consumption and the propensity to develop CMD. Recent studies elucidated the contribution of the gut microbiota in metabolizing dietary intake as it relates to CMD. Importantly, the biological efficacy of flavonoids in humans and animal models alike is linked to the gut microbial community. Herein, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of leveraging flavonoid intake as a potential strategy to prevent and treat CMD in a gut microbe-dependent manner, with special emphasis on flavonoid-derived microbial metabolites.

Screening of potential tropical fruits in protecting endothelial dysfunction in vitro

Background

High consumption of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables reduces the endothelial damage involved in cardiovascular disease pathogenesis.

Objective

To evaluate the phytochemical content, antioxidant and scavenging activities (FRAP, ORAC, OH^•, HOCl, H₂O₂, and O₂ ^-), endothelial H₂O₂-cytoprotective effect, nitric oxide (NO) release activation potential, and endothelial wound healing properties of 10 tropical fruits, comprising pineapple, sugar apple, papaya fruit, longan, mangosteen, lychee, langsat, mango, rambutan, and guava.

Design

Experimental study. The experiments were conducted in vitro using endothelial cell line EA.hy926.

Results

The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of gallic acid and quercetin in all fruits, along with the overall absence of ellagic acid. Chlorogenic acid was only detected in three fruits, that is, pineapple, ripe papaya, and guava. The antioxidant and scavenging activities of all fruits were concentration-dependent. Only the H₂O₂ scavenging activity exhibited broad positive associations with other ROS-scavenging activities. Sugar apple and unripe papaya induced a significant reduction in H₂O₂-induced cell death in endothelial cells while pineapple, sugar apple, longan, and langsat activated NO release.

Discussion

All the studied tropical fruits contained bioactive phytoantioxidants with wide ranges of antioxidant capacity and scavenging activities. The endothelial functional tests were relevant to the screening for fruits that may benefit cardiovascular health. Among the four fruits that promoted endothelial wound closure, only sugar apple and unripe papaya induced cell migration and vascular capillary-like tube formation.

Conclusion

Sugar apple and unripe papaya are potential functional fruits that can protect against oxidative cell death and enhance endothelial wound healing.

Protective effect of gallic acid on nicotine-induced testicular toxicity in mice

Background and purpose

Nicotine is an alkaloid found in many nutrients and tobacco that can cause infertility in men. Gallic acid is a powerful antioxidant that possesses antimutagenic and anticancer activities. This study aimed to determine the potential protective effect of gallic acid against nicotine-induced testicular toxicity in male mice.

Experimental approach

In this in vivo study, forty-eight mice were equally divided into eight groups intraperitoneally receiving normal saline (control), nicotine (0.6 mg/kg), gallic acid (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg), and gallic acid (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg) plus nicotine. Nicotine was injected intraperitoneally for 14 days and gallic acid was administered concomitantly with nicotine and continued for 7 days later. Then, body and testicular weights, the sperm parameters (viability, number, motility, and morphology of sperm), and testicular histology were evaluated. Also, serum levels of nitric oxide, total antioxidant, superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, and testosterone were measured.

Findings/Results

The results showed that the administration of nicotine significantly reduced testis and body weight, sperm count, viability, normal morphology and motility, seminiferous tubules diameter, testosterone levels, serum levels of total antioxidants, and superoxide dismutase compared to the control group (P < 0.05). It also significantly increased the level of nitric oxide and malondialdehyde (P < 0.05). Increasing the dose of gallic acid along with nicotine significantly increased body weight, sperm count, viability, normal morphology and motility, the diameter of seminiferous, testosterone concentration, total antioxidant levels (P < 0.05). This combination also significantly decreased malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels compared to the nicotine-receiving group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion and implications

Gallic acid had a protective effect on nicotine-induced testicular toxicity in mice. It can neutralize the harmful effect of nicotine on male fertility in smokers.

By restoring autophagic flux and improving mitochondrial function, corosolic acid protects against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity

Despite effective anticancer effects, the use of doxorubicin (Dox) is limited due to its side effects as cardiotoxicity. Corosolic acid (CRA) is a pentacyclic triterpene acid isolated from Lagerstroemia speciosa L. (Banaba) leaves, and it has also been shown to improve myocardial hypertrophy and myocardial infarction which expected to be used in clinical pharmaceuticals. The purpose of this study was to explore whether CRA can improve myocardial injury caused by Dox and to clarify potential mechanisms. C57 BL/6J mice and AMPKα2 knockout mice were given a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of Dox (5 mg/kg) every week for 4 weeks, while normal saline (NS) was used as control. Mice were given CRA (10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg) or equal volumes of normal saline daily after the first time i.p. injection of Dox. After 4 weeks, echocardiography, gravimetric, hemodynamic, histological, and biochemical analyses were conducted. After Dox injury, compared with the control group, CRA increased the survival rate of mice, improved the cardiac function, decreased the oxidative stress, and reduced the apoptosis. CRA may function by promoting transcription factor EB (TFEB) nuclear translocation and thus restoring autophagic flux. We also observed that CRA protected mitochondrial structure and function, which may benefit from oxidative stress reduction or TFEB activation. In vitro, the protective effect of CRA is reversed by TFEB deletion. Then, we evaluated the expression of AMPKα2/mTOR C1 signaling pathway, the main pathway of TFEB activation. In vivo and in vitro, CRA promoted TFEB nuclear translocation by activating AMPKα2/mTOR C1 signaling, while ablating AMPKα2 reversed these results and accompanied with a decrease in the ability of CRA to resist Dox-induced cardiotoxicity. Thus, we suggested that CRA activated TFEB in an AMPKα2-dependent manner to protect against Dox cardiotoxicity. This study confirms the role and mechanism of CRA in the treatment of Dox-induced cardiac injury. Dox-induced damage to autophagy includes autophagosomes maturation disorders and autophagolysosomes acidification defects, CRA restored autophagic flux, and promoted lysosomal degradation by activating TFEB in an AMPKα2-depended manner, stabilized mitochondrial function, ultimately protected against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity.

Dexmedetomidine alleviates cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction may be associated with inhibition of RhoA/ROCK pathway in mice with myocardial infarction

The global incidence of myocardial infarction has been consistently high, and it is one of the main causes of poor cardiovascular prognosis. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a highly selective α2 receptor agonist. Recent studies have found that DEX has a protective effect on myocardial infarction, but its specific mechanism is still unclear. In this experiment, we permanently ligated the anterior descending branch of mice to explore the protective mechanism of DEX against myocardial infarction. Our study found that intraperitoneal injection of DEX for 7 days after myocardial infarction in mice can increase the reduction of ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) caused by myocardial infarction and significantly reduce the release of serum markers. The results of myocardial HE and Sirius red staining suggest that the changes in the myocardial structure of mice after using DEX are reduced. Immunohistochemistry shows that DEX reduces the expression of ROCK1 protein after myocardial infarction. TUNEL staining and the protein expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9 were used to detect cell apoptosis and results make clear that DEX can reduce the apoptosis caused by myocardial infarction. Western blot experiments showed that DEX can reduce the expression levels of ROCK1 and ROCK2 (Rho-kinase). At the same time, it was observed that DEX improved the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. The above results indicate that DEX reduces cardiomyocyte apoptosis and improves cardiac function likely through inhibiting the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway. This study may provide new insights into the protective effect of DEX after myocardial infarction in mice.

The potential protective effect of the Polygonum hydropiper L against the development of fructose-induced oxidative stress and metabolic disorders in male Sprague-Dawely rats

OBJECTIVES

Polygnum hydropiper L (Polygonaceae) is commonly known as smart weed. This study was designed to assess the effect of aqueous methanolic extract of P. hydropiper on oxidative stress and metabolic changes in fructose-induced hypertensive rats.

METHODS

Male Sprague-Dawely rats were divided into six groups of five animals each (n = 5) and designated as normotensive group with distilled water, fructose-fed group with 10% fructose, standard control group with 10% fructose plus amlodipine (10 mg/kg) and treated groups with different doses of the aqueous methanolic extract of P. hydropiper (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) plus 10% fructose daily for 6 weeks. Body weight gain was checked every week. Blood pressure parameters [systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR)] and reactivity of extract with phenylephrine and adrenaline were measured by invasive method. Metabolic changes and oxidative stress parameters were measured from blood samples. Phytochemical analysis was also performed.

KEY FINDINGS

Aqueous methanolic extract of P. hydropiper at 400 mg/kg decreased the blood pressure, heart rate, body weight and produced significant effect on metabolic and oxidative stress changes as compared to fructose-fed group. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of polyphenols and flavonoids in it.

CONCLUSION

The present results showed that aqueous methanolic extract of P. hydropiper possesses effect on oxidative stress and metabolic changes due to polyphenols and flavonoids.

Ambient Particulate Matter Induces Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Changes via NOX1/ROS/NF-κB Dependent and Independent Pathways: Protective Effects of Polyphenols

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure and vascular diseases. Here, we observed that treatment with ambient PM increased cell migration ability in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and pulmonary arterial SMCs (PASMCs). These results suggest that VSMCs and PASMCs transitioned from a differentiated to a synthetic phenotype after PM exposure. Furthermore, treatment with PM increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), activated the NF-κB signaling pathway, and increased the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in VSMCs. Using specific inhibitors, we demonstrated that PM increased the migration ability of VSMCs via the nicotinamide–adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 1 (NOX1)/ROS-dependent NF-κB signaling pathway, which also partially involved in the induction of proinflammatory cytokines. Finally, we investigated whether nature polyphenolic compounds prevent PM-induced migration and proinflammatory cytokines secretion in VSMCs. Curcumin, resveratrol, and gallic acid prevented PM_2.5-induced migration via the ROS-dependent NF-κB signaling pathway. However, honokiol did not prevent PM_2.5-induced migration or activation of the ROS-dependent NF-κB signaling pathway. On the other hand, all polyphenols prevented PM_2.5-induced cytokines secretion. These data indicated that polyphenols prevented PM-induced migration and cytokine secretion via blocking the ROS-dependent NF-κB signaling pathway in VSMCs. However, other mechanisms may also contribute to PM-induced cytokine secretion.

Identification of gallic acid as a active ingredient of Syzygium aromaticum against tacrolimus-induced damage in renal epithelial LLC-PK1 cells and rat kidney

Tacrolimus (FK506), a calcineurin inhibitor, is an effective immunosuppressive agent mainly used to lower the risk of organ rejection after allogeneic organ transplant. However, FK506-associated adverse effects, such as nephrotoxicity, may limit its therapeutic use. In this study, we confirmed that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), sanguiin H-6, and gallic acid increased cell survival following FK506-induced cytotoxicity in renal epithelial LLC-PK1. Among these compounds, gallic acid exerted the strongest protective effect, further confirmed in the FK506-induced nephrotoxicity rat model. Additionally, we identified supporting evidence for the nephroprotective function of gallic acid using molecular docking and bioavailability investigations.

Small Molecule Compound Nerolidol attenuates Hypertension induced hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats through modulation of Mel-18-IGF-IIR signalling

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases are caused by multitudes of stress factors like hypertension and their outcomes are associated with high mortality and morbidity worldwide. Nerolidol, a naturally occurring sesquiterpene found in several plant species, embodies various pharmacological benefits against numerous health disorders. However, their effects on hypertension induced cardiac complications are not completely understood.

PURPOSE

The present study is to elucidate the efficacy of nerolidol against hypertension related cardiac hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs).

STUDY DESIGN

For preliminary in vitro studies, H9c2 cardiomyoblasts cells were challenged with 200 nM Angiotensin-II (AngII) for 12 h and were then treated with nerolidol for 24 h. The hypertrophic effect in H9c2 cells were analyzed by actin staining and the modulations in hypertrophic protein markers and mediators were determined by Western blotting analysis. For in vivo experiments, sixteen week-old male Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and SHRs were segregated into five groups (n = 9): Control WKY, hypertensive SHRs, SHRs with low dose (75 mg/kg b.w/day) nerolidol, SHRs with high dose (150 mg/kg b.w/day) nerolidol and SHR rats treated with an anti-hypertensive drug captopril (50 mg/kg b.w/day). Nerolidol treatment was given orally for 8 weeks and were analysed through Echocardiography. After euthanasia, hematoxylin and eosin staining, Immunohistochemical analysis and Western blotting was performed on left ventricle tissue.

RESULTS

Western blotting analysis revealed that nerolidol significantly attenuates AngII induced expression of hypertrophic markers ANP and BNP in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. In addition, actin staining further ascertained the potential of nerolidol to ameliorate AngII induced cardiac hypertrophy. Moreover, nerolidol administration suppressed the hypertrophic signalling mediators like calcineurin, GATA4, Mel-18, HSF-2 and IGFIIR in a dose-dependent fashion. In silico studies also ascertained the role of Mel-18 in the ameliorative effects of nerolidol. Further, these intriguing in vitro results were further confirmed in in vivo SHR model. Oral neraolidol in SHRs efficiently reduced blood pressure and ameliorated hypertension induced cardiac hypertrophic effects by effectively reducing the levels of proteins involved in cardiac MeL-18-HSF2-IGF-IIR signalling.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, the data reveals that the cardioprotective effect of nerolidol against hypertension induced hypertrophy involves reduction in blood pressure and regulation of the cardiac Mel-18-IGFIIR signalling cascade.

MicroRNA-212-5p and its target PAFAH1B2 suppress vascular proliferation and contraction via the downregulation of RhoA

Vascular remodeling and contraction contribute to the development of hypertension. We investigated the role of miR-212-5p and its downstream target in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, migration, and contraction. MicroRNA microarray and PCR analyses showed that miR-212-5p expression was increased with angiotensin II treatment in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, miR-212-5p mimic treatment attenuated and miR-212-5p inhibitor treatment increased VSMC proliferation and migration. Additionally, miR-212-5p mimic treatment suppressed VSMC contraction and related gene expression [Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) and Rho-associated protein kinase 2], while miR-212-5p inhibitor treatment exerted opposite effects. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase 1B2 (PAFAH1B2) is a target of miR-212-5p. miR-212-5p mimic treatment significantly reduced and miR-212-5p inhibitor treatment increased PAFAH1B2 expression. Furthermore, PAFAH1B2 expression was decreased in angiotensin II-treated aortic tissues and VSMCs. PAFAH1B2 was ubiquitously expressed in most adult rat tissues. In the vasculature, PAFAH1B2 was only distributed in the cytoplasm. PAFAH1B2 overexpression decreased A10 cell proliferation, while PAFAH1B2 knockdown increased A10 cell proliferation and cyclin D1 mRNA levels. PAFAH1B2 knockdown stimulated VSMC contraction and RhoA expression. These results suggest that miR-212-5p and PAFAH1B2 are novel negative regulators of VSMC proliferation, migration, and contraction in hypertension.

Berries and Their Polyphenols as a Potential Therapy for Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction: A Mini-Review

Ischemia with no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA) is a common diagnosis with a higher prevalence in women compared to men. Despite the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease and no structural heart disease, INOCA is associated with major adverse cardiovascular outcomes as well a significant contributor to angina and related disability. A major feature of INOCA is coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), which can be detected by non-invasive imaging and invasive coronary physiology assessments in humans. CMD is associated with epicardial endothelial-dependent and -independent dysfunction, diffuse atherosclerosis, and left-ventricular hypertrophy, all of which lead to insufficient blood flow to the myocardium. Inflammatory and oxidative stress signaling, upregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and adrenergic receptor signaling are major drivers of CMD. Treatment of CMD centers around addressing cardiovascular risk factors; however, there are limited treatment options for those who do not respond to traditional anti-anginal therapies. In this review, we highlight the ability of berry-derived polyphenols to modulate those pathways. The evidence supports the need for future clinical trials to investigate the effectiveness of berries and their polyphenols in the treatment of CMD in INOCA patients.

Protective Role of Polyphenols in Heart Failure: Molecular Targets and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Their Therapeutic Potential

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of death in the United States, with a 5-year mortality rate of 50% despite modern pharmacological therapies. Plant-based diets are comprised of a diverse polyphenol profile, which lends to their association with reduced cardiovascular disease risk. Whether a polyphenol-rich diet can slow the progression of or reverse HF in humans is not known. To date, in vitro and in vivo studies have reported on the protective role of polyphenols in HF. In this review, we will discuss the major mechanisms by which polyphenols mitigate HF in vitro and in vivo, including (1) reduced cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress, (2) reduced mitochondrial dysfunction, (3) improved Ca²⁺ homeostasis, (4) increased survival signaling, and (5) increased sirtuin 1 activity.

HDAC5 inhibition reduces angiotensin II-induced vascular contraction, hypertrophy, and oxidative stress in a mouse model

Non-specific histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition reduces high blood pressure in essential hypertensive animal models. However, the exact HDAC isoforms that play a critical role in controlling hypertension are not known. Here, we investigated the role of HDAC5 in vascular contraction, hypertrophy, and oxidative stress in the context of angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension. Genetic deletion of HDAC5 and treatment with class IIa HDAC inhibitors (TMP269 and TMP195) prevented Ang II-induced increases in blood pressure and arterial wall thickness. Hdac5-knockout mice were also resistant to the thromboxane A2 agonist (U46619)-induced vascular contractile response. Furthermore, the expression of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) 2 was downregulated in the aortas of Ang II-treated Hdac5-knockout mice. Knockdown of HDAC5, RhoA, or ROCK2 reduced collagen gel contraction, whereas silencing of ROCK1 increased it. VSMC hypertrophy reduced on knocking down HDAC5, ROCK1, and ROCK2. Here we showed that genetic deletion of HDAC5 and pharmacological inhibition of class IIa HDACs ameliorated Ang II-induced ROS generation. Moreover, ROCK1 and ROCK2, the downstream targets of HDAC5, influenced ROS generation. The relative protein levels of HDAC5, ROCK1, and ROCK2 were increased both in the cytoplasm and nuclear fraction in response to Ang II stimulation in vascular smooth muscle cells. Inhibition of HDAC5 expression or activity reduced vascular hypertrophy, vasoconstriction, and oxidative stress in the Ang II-induced hypertension model. These findings indicate that HDAC5 may serve as a potential target in the treatment of hypertension.

Berry-Derived Polyphenols in Cardiovascular Pathologies: Mechanisms of Disease and the Role of Diet and Sex

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence, pathogenesis, and manifestation is differentially influenced by biological sex. Berry polyphenols target several signaling pathways pertinent to CVD development, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and cardiac and vascular remodeling, and there are innate differences in these pathways that also vary by sex. There is limited research systematically investigating sex differences in berry polyphenol effects on these pathways, but there are fundamental findings at this time that suggest a sex-specific effect. This review will detail mechanisms within these pathological pathways, how they differ by sex, and how they may be individually targeted by berry polyphenols in a sex-specific manner. Because of the substantial polyphenolic profile of berries, berry consumption represents a promising interventional tool in the treatment and prevention of CVD in both sexes, but the mechanisms in which they function within each sex may vary.

Vasorelaxant effect of water fraction of Labisia Pumila and its mechanisms in spontaneously hypertensive rats aortic ring preparation

Introduction

Labisia pumila has been reported to possess activities including antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-cancer but there is no report on its vasorelaxant effects.

Objective

This study aims to fractionate water extract of Labisia pumila, identify the compound(s) involved and elucidate the possible mechanism(s) of its vasorelaxant effects.

Methods

Water extract of Labisia pumila was subjected to liquid-liquid extraction to obtain ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water fractions. In SHR aortic ring preparations, water fraction (WF-LPWE) was established as the most potent fraction for vasorelaxation. The pharmacological mechanisms of the vasorelaxant effect of WF-LPWE were investigated with and without the presence of various inhibitors. The cumulative dose-response curves of potassium chloride (KCl)-induced contractions were conducted to study the possible mechanisms of WF-LPWE in reducing vasoconstriction.

Results

WF-LPWE produced dose-dependent vasorelaxant effect in endothelium-denuded aortic ring and showed non-competitive inhibition of dose-response curves of PE-induced contraction, and at its higher concentrations reduced KCl-induced contraction. 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) significantly inhibited vasorelaxant effect of WF-LPWE. WF-LPWE significantly reduced the release of intracellular calcium ion (Ca²⁺) from the intracellular stores and suppressed the calcium chloride (CaCal₂)-induced contraction. N^ω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), methylene blue, indomethacin and atropine did not influence the vasorelaxant effects of WF-LPWE.

Conclusion

WF-LPWE exerts its vasorelaxant effect independently of endothelium and possibly by inhibiting the release of calcium from intracellular calcium stores, receptor-operated calcium channels and formation of inositol 1,4,5- triphosphate. WF-LPWE vasorelaxant effect may also mediated via nitric oxide-independent direct involvement of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)/ cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathways.

Castanea sativa Mill. bark extract cardiovascular effects in a rat model of high-fat diet

Ellagitannins may have a beneficial impact in cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of high-fat diet (HFD) and the efficacy of Castanea sativa Mill. bark extract (ENC) on cardiac and vascular parameters. Rats were fed with regular diet, (RD, n = 15), HFD (n = 15), RD + ENC (20 mg/kg/day by gavage, n = 15), and HFD + ENC (same dose, n = 15) and the effects on body weight, biochemical serum parameters, and inflammatory cytokines determined. Cardiac functional parameters and aorta contractility were also assessed on isolated atria and aorta. Results showed that ENC reduced weight gain and serum lipids induced by HFD. In in vitro assays, HFD decreased the contraction force of left atrium, increased right atrium chronotropy, and decreased aorta K⁺ -induced contraction; ENC induced transient positive inotropic and negative chronotropic effects on isolated atria from RD and HFD rats and a spasmolytic effect on aorta. In ex vivo experiments, ENC reverted inotropic and chronotropic changes induced by HFD and enhanced Nifedipine effect more on aorta than on heart. In conclusion, ENC restores metabolic dysfunction and cardiac cholinergic muscarinic receptor function, and exerts spasmolytic effect on aorta in HFD rats, highlighting its potential as nutraceutical tool in obesity.

Gallic Acid Ameliorates Angiotensin II-Induced Atrial Fibrillation by Inhibiting Immunoproteasome- Mediated PTEN Degradation in Mice

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmia and is a major cause of stroke and heart failure. We and others have found that gallic acid (GA) plays a beneficial role in cardiac hypertrophic remodeling and hypertension. However, the effect of GA on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced AF and atrial remodeling as well as the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. AF was induced in mice by Ang II infusion (2000 ng/kg/min) for 3 weeks. Blood pressure was measured using the tail-cuff method. Atrial volume was evaluated by echocardiography. Atrial remodeling was studied using hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome, and immunohistochemical staining. Atrial oxidative stress was assessed by dihydroethidium staining. The gene expression of fibrotic and inflammatory markers and protein levels of signaling mediators were measured by quantitative real-time PCR and western blot analysis. In mice, GA administration significantly attenuated Ang II-induced elevation of blood pressure, AF incidence and duration, atrial dilation, fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress compared with the vehicle control. Furthermore, GA downregulated Ang II-induced activity and expression of immunoproteasome subunits (β2i and β5i), which reduced PTEN degradation and led to the inactivation of AKT1 and downstream signaling mediators. Importantly, blocking PTEN activity by VO-Ohpic markedly reversed the GA-mediated protective effects on Ang II-induced AF and atrial remodeling. Therefore, our results provide novel evidence that GA exerts a cardioprotective role by inhibiting immunoproteasome activity, which attenuates PTEN degradation and activation of downstream signaling, and may represent a promising candidate for treating hypertensive AF.

Caloric restriction mimetics for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases

Caloric restriction mimetics (CRMs) are emerging as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. CRMs include natural and synthetic compounds able to inhibit protein acetyltransferases, to interfere with acetyl coenzyme A biosynthesis, or to activate (de)acetyltransferase proteins. These modifications mimic the effects of caloric restriction, which is associated with the activation of autophagy. Previous evidence demonstrated the ability of CRMs to ameliorate cardiac function and reduce cardiac hypertrophy and maladaptive remodelling in animal models of ageing, mechanical overload, chronic myocardial ischaemia, and in genetic and metabolic cardiomyopathies. In addition, CRMs were found to reduce acute ischaemia-reperfusion injury. In many cases, these beneficial effects of CRMs appeared to be mediated by autophagy activation. In the present review, we discuss the relevant literature about the role of different CRMs in animal models of cardiac diseases, emphasizing the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of these compounds and their potential future clinical application.

Preparation, characterization and therapeutic properties of gum arabic-stabilized gallic acid nanoparticles

Gallic acid (GA) is a natural phenolic compound with therapeutic effects that are often challenged by its rapid metabolism and clearance. Therefore,  GA was encapsulated using gum arabic into nanoparticles to increase its bioavailability. The formulated nanoparticles (GANPs) were characterized for physicochemical properties and size and were then evaluated for antioxidant and antihypertensive effects using various established in vitro assays, including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide scavenging (NO), β-carotene bleaching and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory assays. The GANPs were further evaluated for the in vitro cytotoxicity, cell uptake and cell migration in four types of human cancer cell lines including (MCF-7, MDA-MB231) breast adenocarcinoma, HepG2 hepatocellular cancer, HT-29 colorectal adenocarcinoma, and MCF-10A breast epithelial cell lines. The GANPs demonstrated potent antioxidant effects and have shown promising anti-cancer properties in a dose-dependent manner with a predilection toward HepG2 and MCF7 cancer cells. The uptake of GANPs was successful in the majority of cancer cells with a propensity to accumulate in the nuclear region of the cells. The HepG2 and MCF7 cancer cells also had a significantly higher percentage of apoptosis and were more sensitive to gallic acid nanoparticle treatment in the cell migration assay. This study is the first to confirm the synergistic effects of gum arabic in the encapsulation of gallic acid by increasing the selectivity towards cancer cells and enhancing  the antioxidant properties. The formulated nanoparticles also had remarkably low toxicity in normal cells. Based on these findings, GANPs may have promising therapeutic applications towards the development of more effective treatments with a probable targeting precision in cancer cells.

Biological evaluation of gallic acid and quercetin derived from Ceriops tagal: insights from extensive in vitro and in silico studies

Gallic acid (PubChem CID: 370) and quercetin (PubChem CID: 5280343) are major phenolic compounds in many mangrove plants that have been related to health cure. In the present study, the active fractions namely gallic acid (1) and quercetin (2) were isolated from the methanolic extract of leaves of Ceriops tagal in a Tropical mangrove ecosystem of Andaman and Nicobar Island (ANI), India. The chemical structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis: Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ¹H, ¹³C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The anticancer activity of isolated compounds (1) and (2) were evaluated by in vitro assays against two human cancer cell lines namely, HeLa (Cervical) and MDA-MB231 (Breast) cancer cells revealed that IC₅₀ values of gallic acid (HeLa: 4.179197 ± 0.45 µg/ml; MDA-MB231: 80.0427 ± 0.19 µg/ml at 24 h) and quercetin (HeLa: 99.914 ± 0.18 µg/ml; MDA-MB231: 18.288382 ± 0.12 µg/ml at 24 h), respectively. Antioxidant properties of gallic acid (1) and quercetin (2) are found to be IC₅₀ value of 0.77 ± 0.41 µg/ml and 1.897 ± 0.81 µg/ml, respectively. Molecular docking results explained that gallic acid (1) and quercetin (2) showed estimated binding free energy (ΔG) of -5.4 and -6.9 kcal/mol towards drug target Bcl-B protein, respectively. The estimated inhibition constant (Ki) for these two molecules are 110 and 8.75 μM, respectively. The MD simulation additionally supported that quercetin molecule is significantly improved the structural stability of Bcl-B protein. The present study provides key insights about the importance of polyphenols, and thus leads to open the therapeutic route for anti-cancer drug discovery process.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Untargeted Metabolomics of Fermented Rice Using UHPLC Q-TOF MS/MS Reveals an Abundance of Potential Antihypertensive Compounds

Enzyme treatment and fermentation of cereals are known processes that enhance the release of bound bioactive compounds to make them available for bioactivity. In this study, we tested the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory ability of destarched rice, Prozyme 2000p treated destarched rice (DP), and fermented DP samples. Prozyme 2000p treatment increased the ACE inhibitory ability from 15 ± 5% to 45 ± 3%. Fermentation of the Prozyme 2000p treated samples with Enterococcus faecium EBD1 significantly increased the ACE inhibitory ability to 75 ± 5%, while captopril showed an ACE inhibition of 92 ± 4%. An untargeted metabolomics approach using Ultra-high-performance liquid tandem chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry revealed the abundance of vitamins, phenolic compounds, antioxidant peptides, DPP IV inhibitory peptides, and antihypertensive peptides in the fermented samples which may account for its strong ACE inhibition. Although fermented DP had decreased fatty acid levels, the amount of essential amino acid improved drastically compared to destarched rice. Our results show that fermenting Prozyme-treated destarched rice with Enterococcus faecium EBD1 generates abundant bioactive compounds necessary for developing antihypertensive functional foods.

Gallic Acid Attenuates Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension and Vascular Dysfunction by Inhibiting the Degradation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase

Hypertension is a major cause of heart attack and stroke. Our recent study revealed that gallic acid (GA) exerts protective effects on pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction. However, the role of GA in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension and vascular remodeling remains unknown. C57BL/6J mice were subjected to saline and Ang II infusion. Systolic blood pressure was measured using a tail-cuff system. Vascular remodeling and oxidative stress were examined by histopathological staining. Vasodilatory function was evaluated in the aortic ring. Our findings revealed that GA administration significantly ameliorated Ang II-induced hypertension, vascular inflammation, and fibrosis. GA also abolished vascular endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress in Ang II-infused aortas. Mechanistically, GA treatment attenuated Ang II-induced upregulation of the immunoproteasome catalytic subunits β2i and β5i leading to reduction of the trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome, which suppressed degradation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and reduction of nitric oxide (NO) levels. Furthermore, blocking eNOS activity by using a specific inhibitor (_L-N^G-nitroarginine methyl ester) markedly abolished the GA-mediated beneficial effect. This study identifies GA as a novel immunoproteasome inhibitor that may be a potential therapeutic agent for hypertension and vascular dysfunction.

Polyphenolic compounds of amla prevent oxidative stress and fibrosis in the kidney and heart of 2K1C rats

Amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) is a natural source of antioxidants and possesses valuable medicinal properties. However, the protective effect of amla in the kidney of two-kidneys-one-clip (2K1C) rats has not been explained sufficiently. This study was performed to evaluate the renoprotective effect of amla fruit powder (2.5% W/W) supplementation in kidneys of 2K1C rats. 2K1C rats increased the remnant kidney wet weight and also increased plasma creatinine and uric acid concentration compared to the control. Amla supplementation ameliorates elevated creatinine and uric acid concentration in plasma of 2K1C rats. Various oxidative stress indicators such as malondialdehyde, nitric oxide (NO), and advanced protein oxidation product (APOP) were also increased in plasma, heart, and kidney tissues in 2K1C rats that were also significantly brought down to normal level by amla supplementation. Moreover, the inflammatory cells entry and fibrosis in the 2K1C rat's tissues were prevented by amla supplementation. These research results suggest that amla may restore plasma antioxidant capacities and prevents oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis in 2K1C rats. Taken these results as a base, clinical supplementation of dried amla powder in diet or juice to the CKD patients would be beneficial.

Antihypertensive phytocomplexes of proven efficacy and well-established use: Mode of action and individual characterization of the active constituents

Hypertension has become the leading risk factor for worldwide cardiovascular diseases. Conventional pharmacological treatment, after both dietary and lifestyle changes, is generally proposed. In this review, we present the antihypertensive properties of phytocomplexes from thirteen plants, long ago widely employed in ethnomedicines and, in recent years, increasingly evaluated for their activity in vitro and in vivo, also in humans, in comparison with synthetic drugs acting on the same systems. Here, we focus on the demonstrated or proposed mechanisms of action of such phytocomplexes and of their constituents proven to exert cardiovascular effects. Almost seventy phytochemicals are described and scientifically sound pertinent literature, published up to now, is summarized. The review emphasizes the therapeutic potential of these natural substances in the treatment of the 'high normal blood pressure' or 'stage 1 hypertension', so-named according to the most recent European and U.S. guidelines, and as a supplementation in more advanced stages of hypertension, however needing further validation by clinical trial intensification.