Safflower leaf ameliorates cognitive impairment through moderating excessive astrocyte activation in APP/PS1 mice

Clinical efficacy and pharmacological mechanism analysis of Xubi Capsule in the treatment of patients with liver and kidney deficiency osteoarthritis

To explore the clinical efficacy and pharmacological mechanism analysis of Xubi capsule in the treatment of patients with liver and kidney deficiency osteoarthritis (OA). In this single-center retrospective study, 120 patients with liver and kidney deficiency OA admitted to the Hangzhou Fuyang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to May 2022 were included, and patients were divided into the intervention group (n = 60) and the control group (n = 60) according to their treatment. The control group was treated with Ibuprofen, while the intervention group was treated with Xubi capsule combined with Ibuprofen. According to the network pharmacology method, the mechanism of the Xubi capsule in the treatment of patients with liver and kidney deficiency OA was analyzed. After the treatment, the total effective rate in the intervention group was 93.33%, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < .001). After treatment, compared with the control group, the degree of joint swelling and tenderness in the intervention group were lighter, the muscle strength was better, the level of erythrocyte sedimentation rate was lower, and the pain visual score was lower (P < .05), while the C-reactive protein level was significantly lower (P < .001). The effective chemical composition of Xubi capsules is 176, with quercetin and palmitoleic acid being the most associated with diseases. There are 209 intersection targets between drugs and diseases. A total of 119 gene ontology cellular components were significantly enriched. The combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine adopted in this study can effectively treat patients with liver and kidney deficiency OA and relieve the joint pain of patients. In a multicomponent and multitarget approach, the Xubi capsule breaks through the limitations of traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and has good clinical application value.

AVE 0991 Suppresses Astrocyte-Mediated Neuroinflammation of Alzheimer's Disease by Enhancing Autophagy

Purpose

Our previous study has shown that AVE 0991, a nonpeptide analogue of Ang-(1-7), ameliorates cognitive decline and inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome of astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease model mice. Additionally, several studies have suggested that activation of autophagy appears to effectively inhibit the progression of neuroinflammation. However, it is unclear whether AVE 0991 can modulate astrocyte autophagy to suppress neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease.

Materials and Methods

APP/PS1 mice and Aβ-treated primary astrocytes were used as the research objects in vivo and in vitro, respectively. Water maze test was used to evaluate cognitive function of mice, Nissl staining and immunofluorescence staining was used to assess neuronal damage. ELISA kits were used to detect the levels of Ang-(1-7) and Aβ in the cortex, and qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of cortical inflammation-related mediators. The expression of autophagy-related proteins in cortex were detected by Western blot. The upstream molecular responses involved in inflammation inhibition by AVE 0991 were validated by means of using the Mas1 antagonist and autophagy inhibitor.

Results

We found that 30 days of intraperitoneal administration of AVE 0991 improved. Aβ deposition, neuronal death, and cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 Alzheimer's disease model mice. Moreover, AVE 0991 treatment greatly suppressed astrocyte-mediated inflammation and up-regulated the expression of autophagy. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of AVE 0991 on the expression of inflammatory factors was reversed by 3-MA, an autophagy inhibitor.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that regulation of autophagy is critical for inhibiting astrocyte neuroinflammatory responses and demonstrate a potential neuroprotective mechanism by which AVE 0991 could suppress neuroinflammatory responses by enhancing autophagy.

Effect of β-hydroxybutyrate on behavioral alterations, molecular and morphological changes in CNS of multiple sclerosis mouse model

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and degenerative disease of central nervous system (CNS). Aging is the most significant risk factor for the progression of MS. Dietary modulation (such as ketogenic diet) and caloric restriction, can increase ketone bodies, especially β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Increased BHB has been reported to prevent or improve age-related disease. The present studies were performed to understand the therapeutic effect and potential mechanisms of exogenous BHB in cuprizone (CPZ)-induced demyelinating model. In this study, a continuous 35 days CPZ mouse model with or without BHB was established. The changes of behavior function, pathological hallmarks of CPZ, and intracellular signal pathways in mice were detected by Open feld test, Morris water maze, RT-PCR, immuno-histochemistry, and western blot. The results showed that BHB treatment improved behavioral performance, prevented myelin loss, decreased the activation of astrocyte as well as microglia, and up-regulated the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor in both the corpus callosum and hippocampus. Meanwhile, BHB treatment increased the number of MCT1+ cells and APC+ oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, the treatment decreased the expression of HDAC3, PARP1, AIF and TRPA1 which is related to oligodendrocyte (OL) apoptosis in the corpus callosum, accompanied by increased expression of TrkB. This leads to an increased density of doublecortin (DCX)+ neuronal precursor cells and mature NeuN+ neuronal cells in the hippocampus. As a result, BHB treatment effectively promotes the generation of PDGF-Ra+ (oligodendrocyte precursor cells, OPCs), Sox2+ cells and GFAP+ (astrocytes), and decreased the production of GFAP+ TRAP1+ cells, and Oligo2+ TRAP1+ cells in the corpus callosum of mouse brain. Thus, our results demonstrate that BHB treatment efficiently supports OPC differentiation and decreases the OLs apoptosis in CPZ-intoxicated mice, partly by down-regulating the expression of TRPA1 and PARP, which is associated with the inhibition of the p38-MAPK/JNK/JUN pathway and the activation of ERK1/2, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, supporting BHB treatment adjunctive nutritional therapy for the treatment of chronic demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS).

Carthamus tinctorius L.: A natural neuroprotective source for anti-Alzheimer's disease drugs

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multicausal neurodegenerative disease clinically characterized by generalized dementia. The pathogenic process of AD not only is progressive and complex but also involves multiple factors and mechanisms, including β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation, tau protein hyperphosphorylation, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. As the first-line treatment for AD, cholinesterase inhibitors can, to a certain extent, relieve AD symptoms and delay AD progression. Nonetheless, the current treatment strategies for AD are far from meeting clinical expectations, and more options for AD treatment should be applied in clinical practice.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

The aim of this review was to investigate published reports of C. tinctorius L. and its active constituents in AD treatment through a literature review.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Information was retrieved from scientific databases including Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Google Scholar, Chemical Abstracts Services and books, PubMed, dissertations and technical reports. Keywords used for the search engines were "Honghua" or "Carthamus tinctorius L." or "safflower" in conjunction with "(native weeds OR alien invasive)"AND "Chinese herbal medicine".

RESULTS

A total of 47 literatures about C. tinctorius L. and its active constituents in AD treatment through signaling pathways, immune cells, and disease-related mediators and systematically elucidates potential mechanisms from the point of anti-Aβ aggregation, suppressing tau protein hyperphosphorylation, increasing cholinergic neurotransmitters levels, inhibiting oxidative stress, anti-neuroinflammation, ameliorating synaptic plasticity, and anti-apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is a treasure endowed by nature to mankind. Emerging studies have confirmed that CHM and its active constituents play a positive role in AD treatment. Carthamus tinctorius L., the most commonly used CHM, can be used with medicine and food, with the effect of activating blood circulation and eliminating blood stasis. In the paper, we have concluded that the existing therapeutic mechanisms of C. tinctorius L. and summarized the potential mechanisms of C. tinctorius L. and its active constituents in AD treatment through a literature review.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Hydroxyl Safflower Yellow a in Diabetic Nephropathy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a chronic progressive disorder which is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). As an important pathogenesis of DKD, the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the inflammatory response have been considered central mediators in the progression of DKD. Herbal products are increasingly being applied as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Of those, the effect of hydroxyl safflower yellow A (HSYA) on oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions has gradually been investigated for DKD treatment, which may provide therapies for DKD with new insights and promote its application in clinical practice.

Methods: We searched CNKI, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the Wanfang Database, PubMed, and Embase from the establishment date of the database to 22 April 2022. The included literature in our study was randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using HSYA to treat DKD. We performed a meta-analysis by calculating the standard mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The inverse-variance method with a random effect was used in our meta-analysis using Stata software and RevMan software.

Results: A total of 31 articles with 31 groups containing a total of 2487 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results showed a statistical improvement in the following measurements: fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urinary albumin excretion rates (UAER), serum creatinine (SCR), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), fasting insulin (FINS), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and malondialdehyde (MDA).

Conclusion: HSYA can effectively treat DKD by inhibiting inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress, decreasing blood glucose and blood lipids, and improving renal function indices. However, more RCTs are still needed in the future to further demonstrate the effect of HSYA on biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions in patients with DKD due to the low quality and small sample size of the literature included in this study.

Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO: CRD 42021235689