Comparison of structure and the synergistic anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effect of three polysaccharides from vinegar-baked Radix Bupleuri

Three polysaccharides from Vinegar-baked Radix Bupleuri (VR) and their combined effects were studied. VRP3-3 was a branched polysaccharide with a molecular weight (Mw) of 16.05 kDa characterized by 1,5 linked-α-Araf, 1,2,4 linked-α-Rhap and 1,4 linked-α-GalpA as main chain with a small amount of esterification and acetylation groups. And side chains were connected to the O-3 of Araf, O-4 of Rhap. VRP2-3 had a Mw of 95.35 kDa, its backbone comprised of 1,2 linked-α-Galp, 1,4 linked-β-GalpA(O-Ac), 1,2,4 linked-α-Rhap and 1,5 linked α-Araf. The residues of 1,4 linked-β-Galp,1,3 linked-β-Galp and 1,6 linked-β-D-Galp were connected at O-4 of α-L-Rhap and O-3 of α-L-Araf as its side chain. VRP2-4 was a pectin polysaccharide with a Mw of 57.90 kDa. Its main chain was constituted of 1,4 linked-α-Galp, 1,4 linked-α-GalpA(OMe), 1,4 linked-α-GalpA and 1,2,4 linked-α-Rhap, with some acetylation. As the major side chain, 1,5 linked-α-Araf was connected to O-4 of α-Rhap, a small amount of t-α-Galp and t-α-Manp were also included. VRP3-3 showed superior synergistic effect in combination with paclitaxel, methotrexate and cisplatin than the other two polysaccharides. The VR polysaccharide with a ~16 kDa molecular weight, a larger polymerization degree of arabinan in the backbone and the triple helix structure are the key structures for activity. Together, our findings clarify the pharmacodynamic basis of VR and provide promising adjuvants for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) chemotherapy.

Icariin, the main prenylflavonoid of Epimedii Folium, ameliorated chronic kidney disease by modulating energy metabolism via AMPK activation

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Epimedii Folium is a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) widely used in classic formulas, Chinese patent drugs and health care products for treating kidney diseases. Therefore, we speculated that icariin, its main component, might also have a good therapeutic effect on chronic kidney disease (CKD).

AIM OF STUDY

To investigate the efficacy and potential mechanism of icariin on CKD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A CKD model was established by intragastric administration of adenine (200 mg/kg/d) to adult male SD rats for 28 consecutive days. TGF-β1-induced fibrotic HK-2 cells were applied to establish the renal fibrosis model in vitro. Biochemical determination, pathological staining, flow cytometry and ELISA were performed to preliminarily evaluate the renoprotection of icariin. The intervention effect of icariin on renal fibrosis progression was assessed by cell stiffness determination and multiple immunological methods. The potential mechanism of icariin on CKD was revealed by means of ¹H NMR metabolomics, qRT-PCR and Western blotting analysis.

RESULTS

Icariin at the dosage of 100 mg/kg/d and 200 mg/kg/d markedly ameliorated rat renal function in a dose-dependent manner. Based on renal pathological features, the mechanism of icariin intervention in CKD was initially revealed by metabolomics, which was closely related to energy metabolism pathways. Furthermore, the detection results of AMPK and related factors in its mediated signaling pathways indicated that icariin exerted a therapeutic effect on CKD by attenuating inflammation and oxidative stress responses and retarding renal fibrosis progression through regulating AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB and AMPK/ACC signaling pathways.

CONCLUSION

It was the first time to demonstrate that icariin could treat adenine-induced CKD by modulating energy metabolism via AMPK activation in a dose-dependent manner.

Review of Herbal Medicines for the Treatment of Depression

Depression, a mental illness that is receiving increasing attention, is caused by multiple factors and genes and adversely affects social life and health. Several hypotheses have been proposed to clarify the pathogenesis of depression, and various synthetic antidepressants have been introduced to treat patients with depression. However, these drugs are effective only in a proportion of patients and fail to achieve complete remission. Recently, herbal medicines have received much attention as alternative treatments for depression because of their fewer side effects and lower costs. In this review, we have mainly focused on the herbal medicines that have been proven in clinical studies (especially randomized controlled trials and preclinical studies) to have antidepressant effects; we also describe the potential mechanisms of the antidepressant effects of those herbal medicines; the cellular and animal model of depression; and the development of novel drug delivery systems for herbal antidepressants. Finally, we objectively elaborate on the challenges of using herbal medicines as antidepressants and describe the benefits, adverse effects, and toxicity of these medicines.

Chinese Pharmacopoeia Revisited: A Review of Anti-Depression Herbal Sources

Depression, which can be accompanied by many fatal diseases and a low life quality, has become the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. However, Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the most authoritative and evidence-based encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), could contain leads and insights into the development of new antidepressant drugs. In this work, nine herbal medicines with ‘dispel melancholy functions’ specifically documented in Chinese Pharmacopoeia have been comprehensively reviewed with respect to clinical trials, and phytochemical and pharmacological aspects. The nine drugs are Rosae Chinensis Flos, Croci Stigma, Albiziae Cortex and Flos, Roase Rugosae Flos, Curcumae Radix, Hyperici Perforati Herba, Cyperi Rhizoma and Bupleuri Radix. The mechanisms of action of their functional antidepressant compounds, including gallic acid, hypericin, kaempferol, crocetin, crocin, quercetin, luteolin, isorhamnetin, curcumin, hyperforin, adhyperforin, catechin, rutin, puerarin, and saikosaponins A and D, have been collected and discussed. These traditional Chinese herbs and their active compounds provide a promising resource to develop effective new antidepressant drugs in future. Moreover, mechanistic investigations, safety verification and large-scale clinical trials are still expected to finally transform such TCM-based antidepressant resources to new drugs for patients suffering from depression.

Therapeutic Effects of Modified Gengnianchun Formula on Stress-Induced Diminished Ovarian Reserve Based on Experimental Approaches and Network Pharmacology

Aim

To verify the effects of modified Gengnianchun formula (MGNC), a traditional Chinese medicine, on a stressed diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) animal model and predict the underlying mechanisms through network pharmacology strategies.

Methods

Sexually mature female C57BL/6 mice were allocated to five groups, abbreviated as the control (C) group, stress manipulated model (M) group, stress with normal saline gavage (N) group, stress with low-dose MGNC gavage (L) group, and stress with high-dose MGNC gavage (H) group. Body weight and the estrous cycle were monitored during the stress and gavage process. Serum stress hormones and reproductive hormones were evaluated by ELISA. Ovarian follicle counts were calculated, and ovarian follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) expression were assessed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Network pharmacology strategies included active compound screening, drug and disease target analysis, gene ontology analysis, pathway analysis, and visualization of results.

Results

MGNC treatment significantly decreased serum corticosterone (CORT) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and increased testosterone (T) levels in the H group compared with the M and N groups. Primordial and preantral follicle counts and ovarian AMH and FSHR expression were significantly increased in the H group compared to those in the M and N groups. Through pharmacokinetic screening, we found 244 active compounds in MGNC. A total of 186 candidate intersection target genes of disease and MGNC were further screened to construct the interaction network. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis ultimately unveiled a series of key targets that mainly mediated the effects of MGNC on DOR induced by chronic stress. The PI3K-Akt pathway may serve as the critical pathway underlying this therapeutic mechanism.

Conclusion

MGNC is a promising formula to treat DOR induced by chronic stress, and the PI3K-Akt pathway may play an essential role in this effect.

An integrated meta-analysis of peripheral blood metabolites and biological functions in major depressive disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mental illness, characterized by high morbidity, which has increased in recent decades. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying MDD remain unclear. Previous studies have identified altered metabolic profiles in peripheral tissues associated with MDD. Using curated metabolic characterization data from a large sample of MDD patients, we meta-analyzed the results of metabolites in peripheral blood. Pathway and network analyses were then performed to elucidate the biological themes within these altered metabolites. We identified 23 differentially expressed metabolites between MDD patients and controls from 46 studies. MDD patients were characterized by higher levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine, tyramine, 2-hydroxybutyric acid, phosphatidylcholine (32:1), and taurochenodesoxycholic acid and lower levels of L-acetylcarnitine, creatinine, L-asparagine, L-glutamine, linoleic acid, pyruvic acid, palmitoleic acid, L-serine, oleic acid, myo-inositol, dodecanoic acid, L-methionine, hypoxanthine, palmitic acid, L-tryptophan, kynurenic acid, taurine, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D compared with controls. L-tryptophan and kynurenic acid were consistently downregulated in MDD patients, regardless of antidepressant exposure. Depression rating scores were negatively associated with decreased levels of L-tryptophan. Pathway and network analyses revealed altered amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism, especially for the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway and fatty acid metabolism, in the peripheral system of MDD patients. Taken together, our integrated results revealed that metabolic changes in the peripheral blood were associated with MDD, particularly decreased L-tryptophan and kynurenic acid levels, and alterations in the tryptophan-kynurenine and fatty acid metabolism pathways. Our findings may facilitate biomarker development and the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that underly MDD.

Bacterial Metabolites of Human Gut Microbiota Correlating with Depression

Depression is a global threat to mental health that affects around 264 million people worldwide. Despite the considerable evolution in our understanding of the pathophysiology of depression, no reliable biomarkers that have contributed to objective diagnoses and clinical therapy currently exist. The discovery of the microbiota-gut-brain axis induced scientists to study the role of gut microbiota (GM) in the pathogenesis of depression. Over the last decade, many of studies were conducted in this field. The productions of metabolites and compounds with neuroactive and immunomodulatory properties among mechanisms such as the mediating effects of the GM on the brain, have been identified. This comprehensive review was focused on low molecular weight compounds implicated in depression as potential products of the GM. The other possible mechanisms of GM involvement in depression were presented, as well as changes in the composition of the microbiota of patients with depression. In conclusion, the therapeutic potential of functional foods and psychobiotics in relieving depression were considered. The described biomarkers associated with GM could potentially enhance the diagnostic criteria for depressive disorders in clinical practice and represent a potential future diagnostic tool based on metagenomic technologies for assessing the development of depressive disorders.

Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, analytical methods, processing, pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of Bupleuri Radix: A systematic review

Bupleuri Radix (BR) is the dry root of Bupleurum chinense DC. and Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd. It has the functions of evacuation and antipyretic, soothing liver and relieving depression and often used to treat cold fever, chest and rib swelling pain, irregular menstruation, uterine prolapse, rectocele and other diseases. In this paper, the botany, traditional application, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicity of BR were reviewed. On the basis of limited literature, the analytical method, quality control, processing method, processing effect and pharmacokinetics of BR were summarized and analyzed for the first time. This review makes an in-depth discussion on the shortcomings of the current research on BR, and puts forward its own views and solutions. This has never been summarized in the previous review of BR. It is of great practical significance for future scholars to find a breakthrough point in the study of BR. So far, its mechanism has not been satisfactorily explained. Moreover, the comprehensive quality evaluation and multi-target network pharmacology of BR need to be further studied. In the future, more in vitro and in vivo experiments are needed to give full play to the therapeutic potential of BR.

HS-GC-IMS-Based metabonomics study of Baihe Jizihuang Tang in a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress

The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) obtained from the feces of a Baihe Jizihuang Tang (BHT)-treated rat depression model. Rats were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and the differences in VOCs were analyzed by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), NIST software, principal component analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. Eleven biomarkers were identified on the basis of VOC migration time, and their relative peak intensities were analyzed. A metabonomic model was established using multivariate statistical analysis. The study demonstrated the metabonomics of CUMS rats and the intervention effect of BHT and also highlighted the potential therapeutic effects of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Jingfang for the clinical treatment of complex diseases, which was in line with the holistic and systemic approaches of TCM. This study augments the use of metabonomics based on HS-GC-IMS in research studies. Using this method, there is no need to pre-process samples by extraction or derivatization, and the VOC component of the sample can be detected directly and rapidly. In conclusion, this study establishes a simple, convenient, and fast technique, which can help identify clinical biomarkers for rapid medical diagnosis.