Pharmacokinetic properties of albiflorin and paeoniflorin after oral administration of pure compound, Radix Paeoniae alba extract and danggui-shaoyao-san extract to rats

Anti-hypertensive and composition as well as pharmacokinetics and tissues distribution of active ingredients from Alpinia zerumbet

Alpinia zerumbet is a food flavor additive and a traditional medicine herb around the world. Several studies have reported that A. zerumbet has excellent effects on a variety of cardiovascular diseases, but its potential hypertensive applications, and pharmacokinetic features of main active substances have not been fully investigated. The mechanism of anti-hypertension with ethyl acetate extracts of A. zerumbet fruits (AZEAE) was evaluated by L-NNA-induced hypertensive rats and L-NAME-injured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Blood pressure, echocardiographic cardiac index and H&E staining were used to preliminary evaluate the antihypertensive effect of AZEAE, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β were evaluated by ELISA, and the proteins expression of IL-1β, IL-18, AGTR1, VCAM, iNOS, EDN1 and eNOS were also evaluated. In addition, isolation, identification, and activity screening of bioactive compounds were carried ou. Next, pharmacokinetics and tissues distribution of dihydro-5,6-dehydrokavain (DDK) in vivo were measured, and preliminary absorption mechanism was conducted with Caco-2 cell monolayers. AZEAE remarkably enhanced the state of hypertensive rats. Twelve compounds were isolated and identified, and five compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. The isolated compounds also exhibited good resistance against injury of HUVECs. Moreover, pharmacokinetics and Caco-2 cell monolayers demonstrated AZEAE had better absorption capacity than DDK, and DDK exhibited differences in tissues distribution and gender difference. This study was the first to assess the potential hypertensive applications of A. zerumbet in vivo and vitro, and the first direct and concise study of the in vivo behavior of DDK and AZEAE.

A Rapid and Sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS Method for Determination of 2, 3, 8-Trimethylellagic, a Potent Active Compound from Sanguisorba officinalis L., and Its Application in the Pharmacokinetic Study within Thrombocytopenia Rats

To investigate the pharmacokinetics of 2, 3, 8-trimethylellagic (TMEA) in rats in vivo and determine the possible effects of the pathological conditions and compatibility, a rapid and sensitive ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for quantitative determination was developed. TMEA and Artemetin (internal standard, IS) were separated on an Acquity Shim-pack GIST column with a total running time of 7 min using gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The intraday and interday relative standard deviations were <9.50%, and the relative error of accuracy was between −5.70% and 2.96%. The calibration curve of TMEA demonstrated good linearity with r2 = 0.9996, with the average recovery changing from 94.77% to 102.47% and the matrix effect from 93.16% to 100.15%. Compared with the normal group, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to the last time of quantifiable concentration (AUC(0 − t)), area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 extrapolated to infinite time (AUC(0 − ∞)), and the maximum concentration (Cmax) of TMEA increased, whereas the time of maximum concentration (Tmax) and apparent clearance (CL/F) remarkably decreased in the TMEA group. With significantly reduced CL/F, AUC(0 − t), AUC(0 − ∞), and Cmax for TMEA were increased approximately one time after combining with 3, 7-Di-O-methylducheside A (DOMA). AUC(0 − t) and Cmax for TMEA in the 2, 3, 8-trimethylellagic-3, 8-dimethoxyellagic acid-2-oxyglucoside (TMEA-DMAG) group were significantly lower than that in the TMEA group with clearly prolonged Tmax and increased CL/F. These findings indicate that the changes in the pharmacokinetic parameters of TMEA may be caused by pathological and combination conditions.

Mixture of Five Fermented Herbs (Zhihuasi Tk) Alters the Intestinal Microbiota and Promotes the Growth Performance in Piglets

To explore the feasibility of using fermented Chinese herbal mixture Zhihuasi Tk (Z. Tk) supplementation to increase the swine production, the protective effect of dietary supplementation with Z. Tk on the intestinal oxidative stress model and the regulation of both growth performance and intestinal microbiota of weaned piglets were investigated in vitro. Our results showed that the addition of Z. Tk increased the cell viability, prevented the decrease of glutathione peroxidase, and significantly increased the total antioxidant capacity and reduced the damage caused by H₂O₂ to the tight junction proteins of the porcine small intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2). Furthermore, weaned piglets supplemented with either 2 kg/ton zinc oxide (ZnO) or 4 kg/ton of Z. Tk in the diet increased body weight as well as average daily feed intake and daily gain, while the feed conversion rate and diarrhea rate decreased within 0–35 days. Results of the taxonomic structure of the intestinal microbiota showed that, in 21 days after weaning, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in experimental group was increased, while the abundance of beneficial bacteria such, as Lactobacillus, was increased by Z. Tk, showing inhibitory effect on pathogenic bacteria such as members of Proteobacteria. In summary, dietary supplementation with Z. Tk maintained the intestinal microbiota in a favorable state for the host to effectively reduce the abnormal changes in the intestinal microbial structure and improved growth performance of weaned piglets. Therefore, Z. Tk may potentially function as a substitute for ZnO in feed additives for weaned piglets in modern husbandry.

The Effect of Acupoint Application of Sinomenine for Rheumatoid Arthritis Measured by Microdialysis and UPLC-MS/MS

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the treatment effects of acupoint application of sinomenine in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA models were constructed using male New Zealand rabbits.

METHODS

The rabbits were randomly divided into a blank control group and four experimental groups as follows: ST 36 group (acupoint application of sinomenine at Zusanli); GB 34 group (acupoint application of sinomenine at Yanglingquan); knee-joint group (application directly at the site of the knee joint); and oral administration group (sinomenine administered by gavage). In all rabbits, microdialysis was applied at the knee joint to obtain samples. Pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) parameters were measured by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and the PK/PD models were established according to the parameters derived.

RESULTS

Sinomenine concentration was in the range of 0.832-208 ng/mL, and the peak area showed a good linear relationship with the regression equation of y = 539.64x + 953.81; r = 0.9998. Moreover, good specificity and precision were obtained for the LC-MS/MS method of sinomenine evaluation in the microdialysate samples. The PK analysis showed that the sinomenine effect time was longer in the ST 36 group (area under the time-concentration curve (AUC): 12683.81 h·ng/ml and T _max: 6.21 h) than in the other groups. Arginine and citrulline were selected as the indices for PD, and in the analysis of parameters for PK/PD, the highest value of E _max and the lowest value of k _e0 were obtained in the ST 36 group.

CONCLUSION

Acupoint application of sinomenine at ST 36 has potential for use in patients with RA by enabling enhanced and prolonged treatment effects.

Characterization of the Therapeutic Profile of Albiflorin for the Metabolic Syndrome

Albiflorin (AF) is a small molecule (MW 481) isolated from Paeoniae radix, a plant used as a remedy for various conditions with pathogenesis shared by metabolic diseases. Reported here is our characterization of its therapeutic profiles in three mouse models with distinctive pathological features of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Our results firstly showed that AF alleviated high fat (HF) induced obesity and associated glucose intolerance, suggesting its therapeutic efficacy for MetS. In the type 2 diabetes (T2D) model induced by a combination of HF and low doses of streptozotocin, AF lowered hyperglycaemia and improved insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. In the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-like model resulting from a HF and high cholesterol (HF-HC) diet, AF reversed the increased liver triglyceride and cholesterol, plasma aspartate aminotransferase, and liver TNFα mRNA levels. Consistent with its effect in promoting glucose disposal in HF-fed mice, AF stimulated glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane in L6 myotubes. However, these effects were unlikely to be associated with activation of insulin, AMPK, ER, or cellular stress signalling cascades. Further studies revealed that AF increased the whole-body energy expenditure and physical activity. Taken together, our findings indicate that AF exerts a therapeutic potential for MetS and related diseases possibly by promoting physical activity associated whole-body energy expenditure and glucose uptake in muscle. These effects are possibly mediated by a new mechanism distinct from other therapeutics derived from Chinese medicine.

Paeoniflorin regulates GALNT2-ANGPTL3-LPL pathway to attenuate dyslipidemia in mice

N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 2-Angiopoietin-like protein 3-lipoprotein lipase (GALNT2-ANGPTL3-LPL) pathway may be a useful pharmacologic objective for dyslipidemia. The present study was conducted to test the effect of paeoniflorin, a monoterpene Glycoside, on dyslipidemia in mice. Fifty mice were randomly divided into five groups (n = 10): three groups of apolipoprotein E-null (ApoE-/-) mice treated with paeoniflorin (10 or 20 or 30 mg/kg/day), untreated ApoE-/- mice group, and C57BL/6J control group. Six weeks after treatment, expression of hepatic ANGPTL3, hepatic GALNT2 and adipose tissue LPL, lipid levels in the liver and blood were quantified. Treatment with paeoniflorin (10 or 20 or 30 mg/kg) obviously down-regulated expression of ANGPTL3 and up-regulated expressions of GALNT2 and LPL concomitantly with elevated plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, reduced plasma concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglyceride, malonaldehyde, and 8-isoprostane. The present results suggest that paeoniflorin regulates GALNT2-ANGPTL3-LPL pathway to attenuate dyslipidemia in mice.

Pharmacokinetics and disposition of monoterpene glycosides derived from Paeonia lactiflora roots (Chishao) after intravenous dosing of antiseptic XueBiJing injection in human subjects and rats

AIM

Monoterpene glycosides derived from Paeonia lactiflora roots (Chishao) are believed to be pharmacologically important for the antiseptic herbal injection XueBiJing. This study was designed to characterize the pharmacokinetics and disposition of monoterpene glycosides.

METHODS

Systemic exposure to Chishao monoterpene glycosides was assessed in human subjects receiving an intravenous infusion and multiple infusions of XueBiJing injection, followed by assessment of the pharmacokinetics of the major circulating compounds. Supportive rat studies were also performed. Membrane permeability and plasma-protein binding were assessed in vitro.

RESULTS

A total of 18 monoterpene glycosides were detected in XueBiJing injection (content levels, 0.001-2.47 mmol/L), and paeoniflorin accounted for 85.5% of the total dose of monoterpene glycosides detected. In human subjects, unchanged paeoniflorin exhibited considerable levels of systemic exposure with elimination half-lives of 1.2-1.3 h; no significant metabolite was detected. Oxypaeoniflorin and albiflorin exhibited low exposure levels, and the remaining minor monoterpene glycosides were negligible or undetected. Glomerular-filtration-based renal excretion was the major elimination pathway of paeoniflorin, which was poorly bound to plasma protein. In rats, the systemic exposure level of paeoniflorin increased proportionally as the dose was increased. Rat lung, heart, and liver exposure levels of paeoniflorin were lower than the plasma level, with the exception of the kidney level, which was 4.3-fold greater than the plasma level; brain penetration was limited by the poor membrane permeability.

CONCLUSION

Due to its significant systemic exposure and appropriate pharmacokinetic profile, as well as previously reported antiseptic properties, paeoniflorin is a promising XueBiJing constituent of therapeutic importance.

Antihypertensive effect of radix paeoniae alba in spontaneously hypertensive rats and excessive alcohol intake and high fat diet induced hypertensive rats

Radix Paeoniae Alba (Baishao, RPA) has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine formulation to treat hypertension by repression the hyperfunction of liver. However, whether the RPA itself has the antihypertensive effect or not is seldom studied. This study was to evaluate the protective effect of RPA on hypertensive rats. Alcohol in conjunction with a high fat diet- (ACHFD-) induced hypertensive rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) was constantly received either RPA extract (25 or 75 mg/kg) or captopril (15 mg/kg) all along the experiments. As a result, RPA extract (75 mg/kg) could significantly reduce systolic blood pressure of both ACHFD-induced hypertensive rats and SHR after 9-week or 4-week treatment. In ACHFD-induced hypertensive rats, the blood pressure was significantly increased and the lipid profiles in serum including triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol were significantly deteriorated. Also, hepatic damage was manifested by a significant increase in alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) in serum. The RPA extract significantly reversed these parameters, which revealed that it could alleviate the liver damage of rats. In SHR, our result suggested that the antihypertensive active of RPA extract may be related to its effect on regulating serum nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin (ET) levels.

Comparative pharmacokinetics study of sinomenine in rats after oral administration of sinomenine monomer and Sinomenium acutum extract

Various products containing sinomenine monomer and extracts of Sinomenium acutum have been widely applied in clinical treatments. The goal of the present study was to compare the pharmacokinetics of sinomenine in rats after oral administration of sinomenine monomer and Sinomenium acutum extract, and to attempt to explore potential component-component interactions between the constituents of this traditional Chinese herbal medicine. A reliable and specific reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography method was developed to analyze sinomenine in rat plasma. Pharmacokinetic parameters for sinomenine were processed by non-compartmental analysis. The results showed that the maximum concentration, the area under the concentration-time curve, clearance and the apparent volume of distribution of sinomenine in the Sinomenium acutum extract statistically differed from those of sinomenine monomer (p < 0.05); however, the mean residence time, time of peak concentration, and half-life did not show significant differences between the two groups. These findings suggested that some additional components in the Sinomenium acutum extract may decrease the absorption of sinomenine. The complex interactions between sinomenine and other components of the herbal extract could result in the altered pharmacokinetic behavior of sinomenine, which may subsequently cause different therapeutic and detoxification effects.

Pharmacokinetic comparisons by UPLC-MS/MS of isomer paeoniflorin and albiflorin after oral administration decoctions of single-herb Radix Paeoniae Alba and Zengmian Yiliu prescription to rats

Zengmian Yiliu (ZMYL), a traditional Chinese formula, is designed to improve clinical efficacy and reduce adverse effects in combination with cisplatin in ovarian cancer chemotherapy. In ZMYL, Radix Paeoniae Alba (RPA, made from root of Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) acts as an adjunctive drug in cancer treatment by ameliorating side effects induced by radio- and chemotherapy. The pharmacokinetics differences between isomer albiflorin and paeoniflorin, the main components of RPA, after oral administration decoction of single-herb RPA and ZMYL were compared using a sensitive and accurate UPLC-MS/MS. The results indicate that there are statistically significant differences between the pharmacokinetic parameters: decreasing area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC), maximum concentration (Cmax ), elimination rate constant (Ke ) and increasing apparent volume of distribution (Vd ) and clearance (CL) for albiflorin, increasing distribution half-life (T1/2d ) and decreasing elimination half-life (T1/2e ), distribution rate constant (Kd ) and absorption rate constant (Ka ) for paeoniflorin in the ZMYL group compared with the single-herb RPA group. In comparison with albiflorin, the pharmacokinetic parameters of paeoniflorin included significantly increasing mean residence time (MRT) and Vd , decreasing CL and Ke in the single-herb RPA group and increasing MRT and T1/2d and decreasing CL, Ke and Kd in the ZMYL group. Both paeoniflorin and albiflorin are more likely, as the main active ingredients in RPA and ZMYL, to play a variety of pharmacological effects, and herb-herb interactions occur, resulting in different pharmacokinetics of albiflorin and paeoniflorin in RPA and ZMYL.

Exploring Potential Chemical Transformation by Chemical Profiling Approach for Rapidly Evaluating Chemical Consistency between Sun-Dried and Sulfur-Fumigated Radix Paeoniae Alba Using Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) based on a chemical profiling method was applied to rapidly evaluate the chemical consistency between sun-dried and sulfur-fumigated Radix Paeoniae Alba. By virtue of the high resolution, high speed of UPLC, and the accurate mass measurement of TOFMS coupled with reliable MarkerLynx software, five newly assigned monoterpene glycoside sulfonates were found and identified in sulfur-fumigated Radix Paeoniae Alba samples. This method could be applied for rapid quality evaluation of different kinds of sulfur-fumigated Radix Paeoniae Alba among commercial samples.

Screening for the efficacy on lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells is an effective tool for the identification of new anti-diabetic compounds

Reducing lipid accumulation in insulin target tissues is critical for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to develop a biochemical assay in cells for high throughput (HTP) screening of anti-diabetic drugs by reducing lipid accumulation via different mechanisms. We designed a new method to extract triglyceride (TG) with KOH to allow biochemical quantification of TGs for HTP screening in 3T3-L1 cells. This new method was validated for its biochemical properties with identical results of TG obtained with or without KOH (r(2) = 0.9978, p < 0.001) and a fourfold improvement in TG extraction recovery rate (88-95%, p < 0.001) as compared to the conventional chloroform/methanol extraction (12-18%). The ability of this phenotype screening to capture potential anti-diabetic drugs was verified by pharmacological agents well known to alter lipid accumulation by different mechanisms including AMPK activators, fatty acid synthesis inhibitors, PPARγ activator and several lipogenic substrates. To further demonstrate the application of this screening tool for discovery of new anti-diabetic drugs, we screened >200 new candidates selected from Chinese medicine and identified 49 compounds from different classes which reduced TG content by >50% at 1 μM or >75% at 10 μM. Finally, we tested two selected leads (albiflorin and oxymatrine) in vivo and confirmed their efficacy in reducing visceral adiposity, glucose intolerance and hepatic steatosis in high fat-fed or high fructose-fed mice. Our results indicate that screening for the efficacy on lipid accumulation in cells by biochemical quantification of TGs with KOH extraction is an effective tool for the identification of new anti-diabetic compounds.

The membrane permeability of Astragali Radix-derived formononetin and calycosin is increased by Angelicae Sinensis Radix in Caco-2 cells: a synergistic action of an ancient herbal decoction Danggui Buxue Tang

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), a herbal decoction contains Astragali Radix (AR) and Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR), has been used as a health food supplement in treating menopausal irregularity in women for more than 800 years in China. Several lines of evidence indicate that the synergistic actions of AR and ASR in this herbal decoction leading to a better pharmacological effect of DBT. Here, the role of different herbs in directing the transport of active ingredients of DBT was determined. A validated RRLC-QQQ-MS/MS method was applied to determinate the permeability of ingredients across the Caco-2 cell monolayer. AR-derived chemicals, including astragaloside IV, calycosin and formononetin, as well as ASR-derived chemicals, including ferulic acid and ligustilide, were determined by RRLC-QQQ-MS/MS. The pharmacokinetic results showed that the membrane permeabilities of calycosin and formononetin, two of the major flavonoids in AR, could be markedly increased in the presence of ASR extract: this induction effect could be mediated by ferulic acid deriving from ASR. In contrast, the extract of AR showed no effect on the chemical permeability. The current results suggested that the ingredients of ASR (such as ferulic acid) could enhance the membrane permeability of AR-derived formononetin and calycosin in cultured Caco-2 cells. The possibility of herb-drug synergy within DBT was proposed here.