Desloratadine and depression, a drug safety signal based on worldwide spontaneous reporting of side effects

Blockade of NMT1 enzymatic activity inhibits N-myristoylation of VILIP3 protein and suppresses liver cancer progression

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. Identification of the underlying mechanism of HCC progression and exploration of new therapeutic drugs are urgently needed. Here, a compound library consisting of 419 FDA-approved drugs was taken to screen potential anticancer drugs. A series of functional assays showed that desloratadine, an antiallergic drug, can repress proliferation in HCC cell lines, cell-derived xenograft (CDX), patient-derived organoid (PDO) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. N-myristoyl transferase 1 (NMT1) was identified as a target protein of desloratadine by drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays. Upregulation of NMT1 expression enhanced but NMT1 knockdown suppressed tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Metabolic labeling and mass spectrometry analyses revealed that Visinin-like protein 3 (VILIP3) was a new substrate of NMT1 in protein N-myristoylation modification, and high NMT1 or VILIP3 expression was associated with advanced stages and poor survival in HCC. Mechanistically, desloratadine binds to Asn-246 in NMT1 and inhibits its enzymatic activity, disrupting the NMT1-mediated myristoylation of the VILIP3 protein and subsequent NFκB/Bcl-2 signaling. Conclusively, this study demonstrates that desloratadine may be a novel anticancer drug and that NMT1-mediated myristoylation contributes to HCC progression and is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in HCC.

Efficacy and safety of Xiaoyao pills for mild to moderate depression: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Depression is one of the most frequent and severe psychiatric conditions. Many chemical drugs to treat depression are associated with adverse reactions and have shortcomings. Traditional Chinese medicine is of great significance in the prevention and treatment of depression. Xiaoyao pills has achieved good results in clinical application, which has the advantages of quick effect and no obvious adverse reactions. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoyao pills on mild to moderate depression patients.

METHODS

This study is a multi-centre, double-blinded, randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 108 participants are assigned to three groups: Xiaoyao pill group taking Xiaoyao pills twice daily for 4 weeks, placebo group taking placebos twice daily for 4 weeks and normal group without taking any drug. The primary and secondary outcome measures are the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Syndrome Scale. The assessment is at baseline (before treatment initiation), 1 week, 2 weeks 4 weeks after the first treatment. Exploratory outcome is also assessed to explore the mechanism of Xiaoyao pills at baseline and 4 weeks.

DISCUSSION

The results from this study will provide clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of Xiaoyao pills in patients with mild to moderate depression with syndrome of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov ISRCTN12746343. Registered on September 25, 2020.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Jiuwei Zhenxin Granules in Treating Depression: An Overview

Depression is known as "Yu Zheng" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Jiuwei Zhenxin granules (JZG) is a type of TCM. According to TCM theory, it nourishes the heart and spleen, tonifies Qi, and tranquilizes the spirit, and may also has effects in the treatment of depression. Here, we systematically reviewed recent basic and clinical experimental studies of JZG and depression, including studies of the pharmacological mechanisms, active ingredients, and clinical applications of JZG in depression treatment. This review will deepen our understanding of the pharmacological mechanisms, drug interactions, and clinical applications of TCM prescriptions and provide a basis for the development of new drugs in the treatment of depression.

Collision cross sections obtained with ion mobility mass spectrometry as new descriptor to predict blood-brain barrier permeation by drugs

Evaluating the ability of a drug to permeate the blood-brain barrier is not a trivial task due to the structural complexity of the central nervous system. Nevertheless, it is of immense importance to identify related properties of the drugs either to be able to produce a desired effect in the brain or to avoid unwanted side effects there. In the past, multiple methods have been used for that purpose. However, these are sometimes methodologically problematic and do not claim universal validity. Therefore, additional new methods for judging blood-brain barrier penetration by drugs are advantageous. Accordingly, within the scope of this study, we tried to introduce a new structure-derived parameter to predict the blood-brain barrier permeation of small molecules based on ion mobility mass spectrometry experiments – the collision cross section, as an illustration of the branching and the molecular volume of a molecule. In detail, we used ion mobility quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometric data of 46 pharmacologically active small-molecules as well as literature-derived permeability and lipophilicity data to set up our model. For the first time we were able to show a strong correlation between the brain penetration of pharmacologically active ingredients and their mass spectrometric collision cross sections.

Honeysuckle extract relieves ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis by inhibiting AR-induced inflammation and autoimmunity

Honeysuckle has antiviral, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. Allergic rhinitis (AR) is induced by immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated inflammatory reaction. Our study investigates whether honeysuckle extract (HE) has therapeutic effect on AR. An AR model of mice was established by ovalbumin (OVA). Hematoxylin-Eosin staining was used to assess nasal mucosa damage. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to determine serum histamine, IgE and interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-17 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) from nasal lavage fluid. Western blot was carried out to analyze the protein level from nasal mucosa tissue. We found that HE not only decreased nasal rubbing and sneezing in AR mice, but also reduced AR-induced damage to nasal mucosa. Moreover, HE lowered the levels of serum IgE and histamine and inhibited IL-4 and IL-17 levels from AR mice but raised IL-2 and IFN-γ levels in AR-induced nasal lavage fluid. Our results also showed that HE elevated the protein levels of forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) and T-box transcription factor (T-bet) in AR-induced nasal mucosa tissue, whereas it inhibited signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 and GATA binding protein 3 (GATA-3) protein levels. By regulating AR-induced inflammatory reaction and autoimmune response, HE also relieved OVA-induced AR. Thus, HE could be used as a potential drug to treat AR.