Calcitriol inhibits COX-1 and COX-2 expressions of renal vasculature in hypertension: Reactive oxygen species involved?

Confronting the global obesity epidemic: investigating the role and underlying mechanisms of vitamin D in metabolic syndrome management

The escalating prevalence of MetS, driven by global obesity trends, underscores the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies. To gain a deeper understanding of the therapeutic potential of vitamin D in addressing MetS, we embarked on a targeted literature review that thoroughly examines the scientific underpinnings and pivotal discoveries derived from pertinent studies, aiming to unravel the intricate mechanisms through which vitamin D exerts its effects on MetS and its components. This article explores the multifunctional role of vitamin D in the management of MetS, focusing on its regulatory effects on insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and immune response. Through an extensive review of current research, we unveil the complex mechanisms by which vitamin D influences MetS components, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent. Our analysis reveals that vitamin D's efficacy extends beyond bone health to include significant impacts on cellular and molecular pathways critical to MetS. We advocate for further research to optimize vitamin D supplementation as a component of precision medicine for MetS, considering the safety concerns related to dosage and long-term use.

Study on the mechanism of stir-fried Fructus Tribuli in enhancing the essential hypertension treatment by an integrated "spectrum-effect relationship-network pharmacology-metabolomics" strategy

Essential hypertension (EH) is a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Fructus Tribuli (FT), as a traditional medicine, has been frequently used for thousands of years. The crude Fructus Tribuli (CFT), decoction pieces being processed to remove impurities, have been listed as an important medicine for the treatment of hypertension in the elderly. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, the CFT can enhance the EH treatment after being stir-fried into stir-fried Fructus Tribuli (SFT). At present, whether the SFT can enhance the EH treatment and its potential pharmacodynamic substances and mechanism are unknown. In this study, an integrated "spectrum-effect relationship-network pharmacology-metabolomics" strategy was used. Using male spontaneously hypertensive rats as an experimental model, we compared the therapeutic effects of CFT and SFT on EH. Subsequently, to define the pharmacodynamic material basis of SFT in enhancing the EH treatment, the steroidal saponins (main active components of FT) were selected for spectrum-effect relationship analysis. Furthermore, we applied the joint pathway analysis of network pharmacology and metabolomics to explore the underlying mechanism of SFT in enhancing the EH treatment. Results showed that SFT was better than CFT in the EH treatment. The steroidal saponins transformed by stir-frying were the potential pharmacodynamic substances that SFT could enhance the EH treatment. And the mechanism of action might be associated with regulating glycerophospholipid metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism, especially arachidonic acid metabolism. This study provided a scientific basis for the clinical use of SFT as an important medicine for the EH treatment.

An Insight of Co-Encapsulation Nigella sativa and Cosmos caudatus Kunth Extracts as Anti-Inflammatory Agent Through In Silico Study

This study analyzes anti-inflammatory activity from extracts of Nigella sativa and Cosmos caudatus Kunth co-encapsulated through in silico molecular docking. The LC-MS results revealed that extracts of N. sativa mostly contained thymoquinone and alpha-hederin, whereas quercetin and kaempferol were the major compounds in C. caudatus K. Nevertheless, the bioactive compounds are usually susceptible to degradation by exposure to light, heat, oxygen, which may limit its biological activity. Therefore, encapsulation is one of the promising techniques to protect bioactive compounds. Ligands were encapsulated with chitosan and sodium tripolyphosphate as wall materials. Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) as the target enzymes were docked with a combination of these active compounds (non-encapsulated and encapsulated), using the HEX 8.0 program, and visualized using the Discovery studio visualizer software v16.1.0.15350. Interestingly, docking results of the combination of encapsulated ligands showed no interactions to COX-1 but interacted with COX-2. Therefore, co-encapsulation of extracts combinations has been suggested to act as anti-inflammatory agents targeted specifically to the COX-2 enzyme. The total energy of the encapsulated of combination of extract compounds to COX-2 were -1425.88 (mol/cal) for thymoquinone + quercetin; -1435.87 (mol/cal) for thymoquinone + kaempferol; 1175.97 (mol/cal) for quercetin + alpha hederin; -957.74 (mol/cal) for kaempferol + alpha hederin; and -283.3 (mol/cal) for diclofenac sodium, as a control NSAID drug. These suggest that encapsulated active compounds in N. sativa and C. caudatus K. have potency as a drug candidate for the selective NSAIDs category, which can be subjected to further in vitro and in vivo studies.