Apigenin-7-O-β-d-(6″-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside reduces myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury in an experimental model via regulating the inflammation response

Anti-inflammatory phenolic glycosides from endemic Marrubium rotundifolium Boiss

Marrubium rotundifolium Boiss. is an endemic plant distributed in Aegean Region of Türkiye. It's traditionally used in Anatolian medicine for treatment of cold and flu, dyspepsia, costiveness and intestinal spasms. However, phytochemical studies on the plant are limited. In the present study, five phenolic glycosides 4',5,6,7-tetramethoxy scutellarein (1), apigenin-7-O-(3"-O-E-p-coumaroyl)-β-d-glucopyranoside (2), tiliroside (3), 4-(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy) benzoic acid (4), and astragalin (5) were isolated from the aerial parts of M. rotundifolium and their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods (1D and 2D NMR, and MALDI-TOF/MS). Moreover, anti--inflammatory activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated by measurements of interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels. Tiliroside exhibited the highest potency in all pathways. At concentrations of 3 and 6 µg/mL, it significantly decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β (192.53 and 175.54 pg/mL), IL-6 (925.52 and 946.81 pg/mL), and TNF- α (6465.86 and 6267.67 pg/mL). This is the first report on phenolic profile of endemic M. rotundifolium. The anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic activity potential of the plant should be investigated in further studies.

Apigenin: A Bioflavonoid with a Promising Role in Disease Prevention and Treatment

Apigenin is a powerful flavone compound found in numerous fruits and vegetables, and it offers numerous health-promoting benefits. Many studies have evidenced that this compound has a potential role as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound, making it a promising candidate for reducing the risk of pathogenesis. It has also been found to positively affect various systems in the body, such as the respiratory, digestive, immune, and reproductive systems. Apigenin is effective in treating liver, lung, heart, kidney, neurological diseases, diabetes, and maintaining good oral and skin health. Multiple studies have reported that this compound is capable of suppressing various types of cancer through the induction of apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest, suppressing cell migration and invasion, reduction of inflammation, and inhibiting angiogenesis. When used in combination with other drugs, apigenin increases their efficacy, reduces the risk of side effects, and improves the response to chemotherapy. This review broadly analyzes apigenin's potential in disease management by modulating various biological activities. In addition, this review also described apigenin's interaction with other compounds or drugs and the potential role of nanoformulation in different pathogeneses. Further extensive research is needed to explore the mechanism of action, safety, and efficacy of this compound in disease prevention and treatment.

Roles of flavonoids in ischemic heart disease: Cardioprotective effects and mechanisms against myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury

BACKGROUND

Flavonoids are extensively present in fruits, vegetables, grains, and medicinal plants. Myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (MI/R) comprise a sequence of detrimental incidents following myocardial ischemia. Research indicates that flavonoids have the potential to act as cardioprotective agents against MI/R injuries. Several specific flavonoids, e.g., luteolin, hesperidin, quercetin, kaempferol, and puerarin, have demonstrated cardioprotective activities in animal models.

PURPOSE

The objective of this review is to identify the cardioprotective flavonoids, investigate their mechanisms of action, and explore their application in myocardial ischemia.

METHODS

A search of PubMed database and Google Scholar was conducted using keywords "myocardial ischemia" and "flavonoids". Studies published within the last 10 years reporting on the cardioprotective effects of natural flavonoids on animal models were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 55 natural flavonoids were identified and discussed within this review. It can be summarized that flavonoids regulate the following main strategies: antioxidation, anti-inflammation, calcium modulation, mitochondrial protection, ER stress inhibition, anti-apoptosis, ferroptosis inhibition, autophagy modulation, and inhibition of adverse cardiac remodeling. Additionally, the number and position of OH, 3'4'-catechol, C2=C3, and C4=O may play a significant role in the cardioprotective activity of flavonoids.

CONCLUSION

This review serves as a reference for designing a daily diet to prevent or reduce damages following ischemia and screening of flavonoids for clinical application.

Effect of apigenin on dynamin-related protein 1 in type 1 diabetic rats with cardiovascular complications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Cardiovascular complications cause increased mortality rates among diabetics. The molecular mechanisms of aberrant mitochondrial dynamics in diabetes mellitus (DM) are not fully understood. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is thought to be a major regulator of mitochondrial fission. There is lack of studies that examined the relationship between apigenin and Drp1 expression in DM. Thus, the current study aimed to explore the expression of Drp1 in diabetic rats with cardiovascular complications, as well as to appraise the role of apigenin in modulating this expression.

METHODS

Twenty-eight adult male albino Wister rats were randomly and equally allocated into four groups: naive, streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic control and two apigenin-injected diabetic groups (early and late). Body weight, heart weight, blood pressure and ECG were recorded. Evaluation of blood glucose level, lipid profile and cardiac functions were measured. Determination of Drp1 mRNA expression, and histological examination of cardiac tissues from the four groups were performed.

RESULTS

Diabetic control rats developed decrease of body weight, increase of blood pressure, deterioration of the normal ECG pattern and upregulation of Drp1 mRNA expression in cardiac tissues. There was a significant correlation between the relative expression of Drp1 and all examined parameters. Apigenin-injection improved fasting blood glucose, lipid profile and cardiac function indicators (i.e., ECG parameters, CK-MB and troponin) as well as the cardiac histological structure. The decrease of Drp1 expression was more evident with early than with late apigenin-injection, however, without statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased level of Drp1 expression in diabetic rats may be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiovascular complications. The changes that occurred in response to apigenin injection highlight its potential ameliorative effect on the diabetic cardiovascular complications and pave the route for further investigations.

Pharmacological and Molecular Insight on the Cardioprotective Role of Apigenin

Apigenin is a naturally occurring dietary flavonoid found abundantly in fruits and vegetables. It possesses a wide range of biological properties that exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antibacterial effects. These effects have been reported to be beneficial in the treatment of atherosclerosis, stroke, hypertension, ischemia/reperfusion-induced myocardial injury, and diabetic cardiomyopathy, and provide protection against drug-induced cardiotoxicity. These potential therapeutic effects advocate the exploration of the cardioprotective actions of apigenin. This review focuses on apigenin, and the possible pharmacological mechanisms involved in the protection against cardiovascular diseases. We further discuss its therapeutic uses and highlight its potential applications in the treatment of various cardiovascular disorders. Apigenin displays encouraging results, which may have implications in the development of novel strategies for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. With the commercial availability of apigenin as a dietary supplement, the outcomes of preclinical studies may provide the investigational basis for future translational strategies evaluating the potential of apigenin in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders. Further preclinical and clinical investigations are required to characterize the safety and efficacy of apigenin and establish it as a nutraceutical as well as a therapeutic agent to be used alone or as an adjuvant with current drugs.

Old targets, new strategy: Apigenin-7-O-β-d-(-6″-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside prevents endothelial ferroptosis and alleviates intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury through HO-1 and MAO-B inhibition

With the increasing morbidity and mortality, intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IIRI) has attracted more and more attention, but there is no efficient therapeutics at present. Apigenin-7-O-β-D-(-6″-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside (APG) is a new flavonoid glycoside isolated from Clematis tangutica that has strong antioxidant abilities in previous studies. However, the pharmacodynamic function and mechanism of APG on IIRI remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of APG on IIRI both in vivo and in vitro and identify the potential molecular mechanism. We found that APG could significantly improve intestinal edema and increase Chiu's score. MST analysis suggested that APG could specifically bind to heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and monoamine oxidase b (MAO-B). Simultaneously, APG could attenuate ROS generation and Fe²⁺ accumulation, maintain mitochondria function thus inhibit ferroptosis with a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, we used siRNA silencing technology to confirm that knocking down both HO-1 and MAO-B had a positive effect on intestine. In addition, we found the HO-1 and MAO-B inhibitors also could reduce endothelial cell loss and protect vascular endothelial after reperfusion. We demonstrate that APG plays a protective role on decreasing activation of HO-1 and MAO-B, attenuating IIRI-induced ROS generation and Fe²⁺ accumulation, maintaining mitochondria function thus inhibiting ferroptosis.

The Role of Flavonoids as a Cardioprotective Strategy against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity: A Review

Doxorubicin is a widely used and promising anticancer drug; however, a severe dose-dependent cardiotoxicity hampers its therapeutic value. Doxorubicin may cause acute and chronic issues, depending on the duration of toxicity. In clinical practice, the accumulative toxic dose is up to 400 mg/m² and increasing the dose will increase the probability of cardiac toxicity. Several molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity have been proposed, including oxidative stress, topoisomerase beta II inhibition, mitochondrial dysfunction, Ca²⁺ homeostasis dysregulation, intracellular iron accumulation, ensuing cell death (apoptosis and necrosis), autophagy, and myofibrillar disarray and loss. Natural products including flavonoids have been widely studied both in cell, animal, and human models which proves that flavonoids alleviate cardiac toxicity caused by doxorubicin. This review comprehensively summarizes cardioprotective activity flavonoids including quercetin, luteolin, rutin, apigenin, naringenin, and hesperidin against doxorubicin, both in in vitro and in vivo models.

Study on the protective effects of danshen-honghua herb pair (DHHP) on myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) and potential mechanisms based on apoptosis and mitochondria

CONTEXT

Danshen, the dried root and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Labiatae) and honghua, the dried flower of Carthamus tinctorius L. (Compositae) as the herb pair was used to treat cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

OBJECTIVE

To study the effects of DHHP on MIRI and mechanisms based on apoptosis and mitochondria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

36 SD rats (n = 6) were randomly divided into control group (Con), the ischaemia-reperfusion group (IR), positive control (Xinning tablets, XNT, 1 g/kg/d) and DHHP (1.2, 2.4, and 4.8 g/kg/d). Except for Con, the other groups were intragastrically administrated for 5 d, the rat hearts were isolated to establish the MIRI model in vitro for evaluating the effects of DHHP on MIRI. 24 SD rats (n = 6) were randomly divided into Con, IR, DPPH2.4 (2.4 g/kg/d) and DPPH 2.4 + Atractyloside (ATR) (2.4 + 5 mg/kg/d), administered intragastrically for 5 d, then treated with ATR (5 mg/kg/d) by intraperitoneal injection in DPPH2.4 + ATR group, took rat hearts to establish MIRI model in vitro for revealing mechanism.

RESULTS

Myocardial infarct sizes were, respectively, 0.35%, 40.09%, 15.84%, 30.13%, concentrations of NAD⁺ (nmol/gw/w) were 144, 83, 119, and 88, respectively, in Con, IR, DHHP2.4, DHHP2.4 + ATR group. Cleaved caspase-3 were 0.3, 1.6, 0.5 and 1.3% and cleaved caspase-9 were 0.2, 1.1, 0.4 and 0.8%, respectively, in Con, IR, DHHP2.4 and DHHP2.4 + ATR group. The beneficial effects of DHHP on MIRI were reversed by ATR.

CONCLUSIONS

The improvement of MIRI by DHHP may be involved in inhibiting MPTP opening, decreasing oxidative damage, alleviating ischaemic injury and inhibiting cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Predicting multi-enzyme inhibition in the arachidonic acid metabolic network by Heritiera fomes extracts

Heritiera fomes is a mangrove plant with a rich history of ethnomedicinal usage against chronic inflammation. Biochemical analyses of H. fomes have exposed a plethora of bioactive phytochemicals that contribute to this therapeutic effect by perturbing enzymes of a complex inflammatory network mediated by arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism. This study is the first instance of utilizing cheminformatic approaches to elucidate a molecular linkage between these phytochemical interventions and the multi-enzyme AA metabolic network regulation. Analysis of the simulations reflects H. fomes as a functional reservoir of multiple safe and potent natural anti-inflammatory compounds. The investigation suggests two phytocompounds extracted from the plant: a sesquiterpene lactone and a flavone glycoside, as candidate inhibitors of multiple catalytic checkpoints of the inflammatory network. The outcomes of this research act as a primary guideline for future laboratory and clinical testing of anti-inflammatory potentials of H. fomes as an exploitable source of safe and potent drug-like molecules.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Therapeutic effects of KANK2 in myocardial infarction rats might be associated with the NF-κB p65 inhibition

OBJECTIVE

KN motif and ankyrin repeat domains 2 (KANK2) may inhibit the activation of (NF-kappaB) p65, which plays a role in myocardial injury. Thus, our study aims to discover the effect of KANK2 on myocardial infarction (MI) induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) through regulating NF-κB p65 in vivo.

METHODS

MI rats underwent LAD ligation were administered with intramyocardial injections of KANK2/Control activation plasmids. Six weeks after MI, pressure-volume (P/V) loops was used to investigate the cardiac function of rats, then the following detections were performed, including TTC staining, HE staining, immunofluorescence, Masson' s trichrome staining, ELISA assay, TUNEL staining, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR and Western blotting.

RESULTS

MI rats decreased in maximum pressure (p_max), ejection fraction (EF%), peak rate of pressure rise (dpdt_max) and decline (-dpdt_max) with increased end diastolic pressure (EDP), which was partially reversed by KANK2 overexpression. Besides, KANK2 CRISPR activation plasmids reduced infarct size with less collagen fiber proliferation and neutrophil infiltration in infarct tissues, as well as suppressed pro-inflammatory factors expressions in MI rats. Moreover, injection of KANK2 activation plasmid decreased collagen deposition, aggravated cardiomyocyte apoptosis, enhanced the capillary density, and increased the expressions of VEGF and bFGF in the infarct and peri-infarct regions of MI rats. KANK2 lowered myocardial NF-κB p65 expression in MI rats.

CONCLUSION

KANK2 may play its therapeutic role in MI through improving cardiac function, decreasing myocardial collagen deposition, reducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and increasing angiogenesis, which might be associated with the reduction of NF-κB p65 expression.