Cynarin attenuates LPS-induced endothelial inflammation via upregulation of the negative regulator MKP-3

Fatsia japonica extract exerts antioxidant and anti-neuroinflammatory effects on neuronal cells and a zebrafish model

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Fatsia japonica is a traditional medicine used to treat various diseases, including inflammation-related disorders. However, its antineuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effects remain unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We aimed to evaluate the anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effects of F. japonica extract to identify the underlying mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The components of F. japonica extract were profiled using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The effects of F. japonica extract were investigated in BV2 microglia and HT22 hippocampal cells. Furthermore, in vivo effects of F. japonica extract were assessed using zebrafish models treated with H2O2 and LPS to evaluate the effects of in vivo.

RESULTS

We identified 27 compounds in the F. japonica extract. F. japonica extract demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties by suppressing LPS-induced inflammatory responses in both BV2 cells and zebrafish, along with inhibiting the activation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB (p65) pathway. The protective effects of this extract were also observed on glutamate-treated HT22 cells and in H2O2-induced zebrafish. Furthermore, F. japonica extract upregulated nuclear factor E2-related (Nrf) 2/heme oxygenase (HO)-1 expression in BV2 and HT22 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

F. japonica extract exerted anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effects through Nrf2/HO-1 and the NF-κB pathway.

Nrf-2/ROS/NF-κB pathway is modulated by cynarin in human mesenchymal stem cells in vitro from ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an immune chronic inflammatory disease, resulting in back pain, stiffness, and thoracolumbar kyphotic deformity. Based on the reported anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities of cynarin (Cyn), this study explored its protective role and molecular mechanisms in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from AS. The target pathways and genes were verified using Western blotting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and immunofluorescent staining, while molecular docking analysis was conducted. In AS-MSCs, we found that the expression levels of p-NF-κB, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were higher and IκB-α, Nrf-2, and HO-1 were lower compared with healthy control (HC)-MSCs. With molecular docking analysis, the biding affinities between Cyn and Keap1-Nrf-2 and p65-IκB-α were predicted. The mRNA and protein expression of p-NF-κB, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were downregulated following Cyn administration. Meanwhile, the expression level of IκB-α, Nrf-2, and HO-1 were significantly increased after Cyn pretreatment. The results suggested that the protective mechanisms of Cyn in AS-MSCs were based on enhancing the antioxidation and suppression of excessive inflammatory responses via Nrf-2/ROS/NF-κB axis. Our findings demonstrate that Cyn is a potential candidate for alleviating inflammation in AS.

Scoparone attenuates PD-L1 expression in human breast cancer cells by MKP-3 upregulation

Breast cancer is a frequently occurring malignant tumor that is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. Monoclonal antibodies that block programed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) - a typical immune checkpoint - are currently the recommended standard therapies for many advanced and metastatic tumors such as triple-negative breast cancer. However, some patients develop drug resistance, leading to unfavorable treatment outcomes. Therefore, other approaches are required for anticancer treatments, such as downregulation of PD-L1 expression and promotion of degradation of PD-L1. Scoparone (SCO) is a bioactive compound isolated from Artemisia capillaris that exhibits antitumor activity. However, the effect of SCO on PD-L1 expression in cancer has not been confirmed yet. This study aimed to evaluate the role of SCO in PD-L1 expression in breast cancer cells in vitro. Our results show that SCO downregulated PD-L1 expression in a dose-dependent manner, via AKT inhibition. Interestingly, SCO treatment did not alter PTEN expression, but increased the expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-3 (MKP-3). In addition, the SCO-induced decrease in PD-L1 expression was reversed by siRNA-mediated MKP-3 knockdown. Collectively, these findings suggest that SCO inhibited the expression of PD-L1 in breast cancer cells by upregulating MKP-3 expression. Therefore, SCO may serve as an innovative combinatorial agent for cancer immunotherapy.

Exploring effect of herbal monomers in treating gouty arthritis based on nuclear factor-kappa B signaling: A review

Gouty arthritis (GA) is an inflammatory disease caused by disorders of the purine metabolism. Although increasing number of drugs have been used to treat GA with the deepening of relevant research, GA still cannot be cured by simple drug therapy. The nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway plays a key role in the pathogenesis of GA. A considerable number of Chinese herbal medicines have emerged as new drugs for the treatment of GA. This article collected relevant research on traditional Chinese medicine monomers in the treatment of GA using NF-κB, GA, etc. as keywords; and conducted a systematic search of relevant published articles using the PubMed database. In this study, we analyzed the therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine monomers on GA in the existing literature through in vivo and in vitro experiments using animal and cell models. Based on this review, we believe that traditional Chinese medicine monomers that can treat GA through the NF-κB signaling pathway are potential new drug development targets. This study provides research ideas for the development and application of new drugs for GA.

Herbal Metabolites as Potential Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors: Promising Compounds for Cancer and Metabolic Disorders

Background

Human carbonic anhydrases (CAs) play a role in various pathological mechanisms by controlling intracellular and extracellular pH balance. Irregular expression and function of CAs have been associated with multiple human diseases, such as obesity, cancer, glaucoma, and epilepsy. In this work, we identify herbal compounds that are potential inhibitors of CA VI.

Methods

We used the AutoDock tool to evaluate binding affinity between the CA VI active site and 79 metabolites derived from flavonoids, anthraquinones, or cinnamic acids. Compounds ranked at the top were chosen for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Interactions between the best CA VI inhibitors and residues within the CA VI active site were examined before and after MD analysis. Additionally, the effects of the most potent CA VI inhibitor on cell viability were ascertained in vitro through the 2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.

Results

Kaempferol 3-rutinoside-4-glucoside, orientin, kaempferol 3-rutinoside-7-sophoroside, cynarin, and chlorogenic acid were estimated to establish binding with the CA VI catalytic domain at the picomolar scale. The range of root mean square deviations for CA VI complexes with kaempferol 3-rutinoside-4-glucoside, aloe-emodin 8-glucoside, and cynarin was 1.37 to 2.05, 1.25 to 1.85, and 1.07 to 1.54 Å, respectively. The MTT assay results demonstrated that cynarin had a substantial effect on HCT-116 cell viability.

Conclusion

This study identified several herbal compounds that could be potential drug candidates for inhibiting CA VI.

Cinnamic acids as promising bioactive compounds for cancer therapy by targeting MAPK3: a computational simulation study

OBJECTIVES

Mitogen-activated protein kinase-3 (MAPK3) is the upstream regulator in the MAPK cascade and is involved in many critical signaling pathways and biological processes, such as cell proliferation, survival, and apoptosis. MAPK3 overexpression is linked to onset, development, metastasis, and drug resistance in several human cancers. Thus, identifying novel and effective MAPK3 inhibitors is highly demanded. Herein, we aimed to discover organic compounds from cinnamic acid derivatives as potential MAPK3 inhibitors.

METHODS

The binding affinity of 20 cinnamic acids to the MAPK3 active site was tested using the AutoDock 4.0 software. Top-ranked cinnamic acids were ranked based on the ΔG binding values between the ligands and the receptor's active site. Interaction modes between top-ranked cinnamic acids and MAPK3 catalytic site were indicated using the Discovery Studio Visualizer tool. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was carried out to study the stability of the docked pose for the most potent MAPK3 inhibitor in this study.

RESULTS

Cynarin, chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid 3-glucoside, and cinnamyl caffeate exhibited a salient binding affinity to the MAPK3 active site with the criteria of ΔG binding <-10 k cal/mol. Further, the inhibition constant value for cynarin was calculated at the picomolar concentration. The docked pose of cynarin within the MAPK3 catalytic domain was stable in 100 ns simulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Cynarin, chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid 3-glucoside, and cinnamyl caffeate might be helpful in cancer therapy by inhibiting MAPK3.

Cynarin alleviates intervertebral disc degeneration via protecting nucleus pulposus cells from ferroptosis

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) leads to a series of degenerative spine diseases. Clinical treatment of IVDD is mainly surgery, lacking effective drugs to alleviate intervertebral disc degeneration. In this study, we analysed the mRNA sequencing dataset of human degenerative intervertebral disc tissues and revealed the participation of ferroptosis in IVDD. Furthermore, we confirmed that TNF-α, an important cytokine in IVDD, induces ferroptosis in nucleus pulposus cells. Subsequently, a ferroptosis inhibitors screening strategy using multiple ferroptosis indicators was developed. Through the screen of various natural compounds, cynarin, a natural product enriched in Artichoke, was discovered to inhibit ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells. Cynarin can dose-dependently inhibit the catabolism of nucleus pulposus cells, increase the expression of key ferroptosis-inhibiting genes (GPX4 and NRF2), inhibit the increment of cellular Fe2+, lipid peroxides, and reactive oxygen species. It can also prevent mitochondria shrinkage, reduce mitochondria cristae density in ferroptosis, and prevent IVDD in the rat model. In conclusion, cynarin is a potential candidate for the drug development for IVDD.

Cynarin, a caffeoylquinic acid derivative in artichoke, inhibits exocytotic glutamate release from rat cortical nerve terminals (synaptosomes)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cynarin, a caffeoylquinic acid derivative in artichoke, on glutamate release elicited by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) in rat cortical nerve terminals (synaptosomes). We observed that cynarin decreased 4-aminopyridine-elicited glutamate release, which was prevented by the removal of external free Ca²⁺ with ethylene glycol bis (β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) or the blockade of P/Q-type calcium channels with ω-agatoxin IVA. Molecular docking also revealed that cynarin formed a hydrogen bond with the P/Q-type Ca²⁺ channel, indicating a mechanism of action involving Ca²⁺ influx inhibition. Additionally, the inhibitory effect of cynarin on glutamate release is associated with a change in the available synaptic vesicles, as cynarin decreased 4-AP-elicited FM1-43 release or hypertonic sucrose-evoked glutamate release from synaptosomes. Furthermore, the suppression of protein kinase A (PKA) prevented the effect of cynarin on 4-AP-elicited glutamate release. 4-AP-elicited PKA and synapsin I or synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25) phosphorylation at PKA-specific residues were also attenuated by cynarin. Our data indicate that cynarin, through the suppression of P/Q-type Ca²⁺ channels, inhibits PKA activation and attenuates synapsin I and SNAP-25 phosphorylation at PKA-specific residues, thus decreasing synaptic vesicle availability and contributing to glutamate release inhibition in cerebral cortex terminals.

Biological Activities of the Fruit Essential Oil, Fruit, and Root Extracts of Ferula drudeana Korovin, the Putative Anatolian Ecotype of the Silphion Plant

In the present study, preliminary phytochemical investigations were performed on the fruit essential oil and antioxidant-rich methanolic extracts of the fruits and roots of Ferula drudeana, the putative Anatolian ecotype of the Silphion plant, to corroborate its medicinal plant potential and identify its unique characteristics amongst other Ferula species. The essential oil from the fruits of the endemic species Ferula drudeana collected from Aksaray was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The main components of the oil were determined as shyobunone (44.2%) and 6-epishyobunone (12.6%). The essential oil of the fruits and various solvent extracts of the fruits and roots of F. drudeana were evaluated for their antibacterial and anticandidal activity using microbroth dilution methods. The essential oil of the fruits, methanol, and methylene chloride extracts of the fruits and roots showed weak to moderate inhibitory activity against all tested microorganisms with MIC values of 78-2000 µg/mL. However, the petroleum ether extract of the roots showed remarkable inhibitory activity against Candida krusei and Candida utilis with MIC values of 19.5 and 9.75 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, all the samples were tested for their antioxidant activities using DPPH^• TLC spot testing, online HPLC-ABTS screening, and DPPH/ABTS radical scavenging activity assessment assays. Methanolic extracts of the fruits and roots showed strong antioxidant activity in both systems.

Drug discovery inspired by bioactive small molecules from nature

Natural products (NPs) have greatly contributed to the development of novel treatments for human diseases such as cancer, metabolic disorders, and infections. Compared to synthetic chemical compounds, primary and secondary metabolites from medicinal plants, fungi, microorganisms, and our bodies are promising resources with immense chemical diversity and favorable properties for drug development. In addition to the well-validated significance of secondary metabolites, endogenous small molecules derived from central metabolism and signaling events have shown great potential as drug candidates due to their unique metabolite-protein interactions. In this short review, we highlight the values of NPs, discuss recent scientific and technological advances including metabolomics tools, chemoproteomics approaches, and artificial intelligence-based computation platforms, and explore potential strategies to overcome the current challenges in NP-driven drug discovery.