Sinomenine ameliorates cardiac hypertrophy by activating Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway

Lipoamide Attenuates Hypertensive Myocardial Hypertrophy Through PI3K/Akt-Mediated Nrf2 Signaling Pathway

The process of myocardial hypertrophy in hypertension can lead to excessive activation of oxidative stress. Lipoamide (ALM) has significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ALM on hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy, as well as explore its underlying mechanisms. We evaluated the effects of ALM on spontaneously hypertensive rats and rat cardiomyocytes treated with Ang II. We found that ALM was not effective in lowering blood pressure in SHR, but it attenuated hypertension-mediated cardiac fibrosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and hypertrophy in rats. After that, in cultured H9C2 cells stimulated with Ang II, ALM increased the expression of antioxidant proteins that were decreased in the Ang II group. ALM also alleviated cell hypertrophy and the accumulation of ROS, while LY294002 partially abrogated these effects. Collectively, these results demonstrate that ALM could alleviate oxidative stress in cardiac hypertrophy, potentially through the activation of the PI3K/Akt-mediated Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Development and Evaluation of a Water-Free In Situ Depot Gel Formulation for Long-Acting and Stable Delivery of Peptide Drug ACTY116

In situ depot gel is a type of polymeric long-acting injectable (pLAI) drug delivery system; compared to microsphere technology, its preparation process is simpler and more conducive to industrialization. To ensure the chemical stability of peptide ACTY116, we avoided the use of harsh conditions such as high temperatures, high shear mixing, or homogenization; maintaining a water-free and oxygen-free environment was also critical to prevent hydrolysis and oxidation. Molecular dynamics (MDs) simulations were employed to assess the stability mechanism between ACTY116 and the pLAI system. The initial structure of ACTY116 with an alpha helix conformation was constructed using SYBYL-X, and the copolymer PLGA was generated by AMBER 16; results showed that PLGA-based in situ depot gel improved conformational stability of ACTY116 through hydrogen bonds formed between peptide ACTY116 and the components of the pLAI formulation, while PLGA (Poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide)) also created steric hindrance and shielding effects to prevent conformational changes. As a result, the chemical and conformational stability and in vivo long-acting characteristics of ACTY116 ensure its enhanced efficacy. In summary, we successfully achieved our objective of developing a highly stable peptide-loaded long-acting injectable (LAI) in situ depot gel formulation that is stable for at least 3 months under harsh conditions (40 °C, above body temperature), elucidating the underlying stabilisation mechanism, and the high stability of the ACTY116 pLAI formulation creates favourable conditions for its in vivo pharmacological activity lasting for weeks or even months.

Identification and characterization of the metabolites of sinomenine using liquid chromatography combined with benchtop Orbitrap mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

RATIONALE

Sinomenine, a major bioactive compound isolated from Sinomenium acutum, has been used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other cardio-cerebrovacular diseases. However, the metabolism of this drug has not been fully investigated. The current work was carried out to investigate the in vitro metabolism of sinomenine in liver microsomes.

METHODS

The metabolites were generated by incubating sinomenine (3 μM) with the liver microsomes in the presence of NADPH at 37°C. The structure of the metabolites was characterized using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Two major metabolites synthesized and their structures were further confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

RESULTS

Under the current conditions, 12 metabolites were found and structurally identified using high resolution MS and MS2 spectra. Among these metabolites, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M9, M11, and M12 were first reported. The metabolites M8 and M10 were synthesized and unambiguously identified as N-desmethyl-sinomenine and sinomenine N-oxide, respectively. The phenotyping study revealed that the formation of M8 was catalyzed by CYP2C8, 2C19, 2D6, and 3A4, whereas the formation of M3, M6, and M10 were exclusively catalyzed by CYP3A4. The metabolic pathways of sinomenine include N-demethylation, O-demethylation, dehydrogenation, oxygenation, and N-oxygenation.

CONCLUSIONS

N-Demethylation and N-oxygenation were the primary metabolic pathways of sinomenine. This study provides new insight into the in vitro metabolism of sinomenine, which would help prospects of sinomenine disposition and safety assessments.

Bioactivities and Mechanisms of Action of Sinomenine and Its Derivatives: A Comprehensive Review

Sinomenine, an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from the roots and stems of Sinomenium acutum, has been extensively studied for its derivatives as bioactive agents. This review concentrates on the research advancements in the biological activities and action mechanisms of sinomenine-related compounds until November 2023. The findings indicate a broad spectrum of pharmacological effects, including antitumor, anti-inflammation, neuroprotection, and immunosuppressive properties. These compounds are notably effective against breast, lung, liver, and prostate cancers, exhibiting IC50 values of approximately 121.4 nM against PC-3 and DU-145 cells, primarily through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR, NF-κB, MAPK, and JAK/STAT signaling pathways. Additionally, they manifest anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects predominantly via the NF-κB, MAPK, and Nrf2 signaling pathways. Utilized in treating rheumatic arthritis, these alkaloids also play a significant role in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protection, as well as organ protection through the NF-κB, Nrf2, MAPK, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways. This review concludes with perspectives and insights on this topic, highlighting the potential of sinomenine-related compounds in clinical applications and the development of medications derived from natural products.

Sinomenine accelerate wound healing in rats by augmentation of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunuhistochemical pathways

Sinomenine (SN) is a well-documented unique plant alkaloid extracted from many herbal medicines. The present study evaluates the wound healing potentials of SN on dorsal neck injury in rats. A uniform cut was created on Sprague Dawley rats (24) which were arbitrarily aligned into 4 groups receiving two daily topical treatments for 14 days as follows: A, rats had gum acacia; B, rats addressed with intrasite gel; C and D, rats had 30 and 60 mg/ml of SN, respectively. The acute toxicity trial revealed the absence of any toxic signs in rats after two weeks of ingestion of 30 and 300 mg/kg of SN. SN-treated rats showed smaller wound areas and higher wound closure percentages compared to vehicle rats after 5, 10, and 15 days of skin excision. Histological evaluation of recovered wound tissues showed increased collagen deposition, fibroblast content, and decreased inflammatory cells in granulated tissues in SN-addressed rats, which were statistically different from that of gum acacia-treated rats. SN treatment caused positive augmentation of Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 (angiogenetic factor) in wound tissues, denoting a higher conversion rate of fibroblast into myofibroblast (angiogenesis) that results in faster wound healing action. Increased antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT), as well as decreased MDA contents in recovered wound tissues of SN-treated rats, suggest the antioxidant potentials of SN that aid in faster wound recovery. Wound tissue homogenates showed higher hydroxyproline amino acid (collagen content) values in SN-treated rats than in vehicle rats. SN treatment suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines in the serum of wounded rats. The outcomes present SN as a viable pharmaceutical agent for wound healing evidenced by its positive modulation of the antioxidant, immunohistochemically proteins, hydroxyproline, and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Ivabradine Alleviates Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis-Mediated Myocardial Injury

Ivabradine (IVA) reduces heart rate by inhibiting hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (HCNs), which play a role in the promotion of pacemaker activity in cardiac sinoatrial node cells. HCNs are highly expressed in neural and myocardial tissues and are involved in the modulation of inflammatory neuropathic pain. However, whether IVA exerts any effect on myocardial inflammation in the pathogenesis of heart failure is unclear. We employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in porcine cardiac myosin-induced experimental autoimmune myocarditis rat model to determine the effects and mechanisms of IVA. Lewis rats (n = 32) were randomly divided into the normal, control, high-dose-IVA, and low-dose-IVA groups. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured on days 0 and 21, respectively. Echocardiography was performed on day 22, and inflammation of the myocardium was evaluated via histopathological examination. Western blot was employed to detect the expression of HCN1-4, MinK-related protein 1 (MiRP1), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to measure serum IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α. The relative mRNA levels of collagen I, collagen III, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were determined via qRT-PCR. We found that IVA reduced the total number of cells infiltrated into the myocardium, particularly in the subset of fibroblasts, endocardia, and monocytes. IVA administration ameliorated cardiac inflammation and reduced collagen production. Results of the echocardiography indicated that left ventricular internal diameter at end-systole LVIDs increased whereas left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular fractional shortening decreased in the control group. IVA improved cardiac performance. The expression of HCN4 and MiRP1 protein and the level of serum IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α were decreased by IVA treatment. In conclusion, HCNs and the helper proteins were increased in the profile of myocardial inflammation. HCNs may be involved in the regulation of myocardial inflammation by inhibiting immune cell infiltration. Our findings can contribute to the development of IVA-based combination therapies for the future treatment of cardiac inflammation and heart failure.

Simultaneous determination of sinomenine and its metabolites desmethyl-sinomenine and sinomenine N-oxide in rat plasma by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Sinomenine is an active ingredient extracted from herb medicine, which has been prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis in clinics. The present work was to develop a simple method to simultaneously determine sinomenine and its metabolites desmethyl sinomenine and sinomenine N-oxide in rat plasma by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Precursor-to-product transitions for detection were m/z 330.2 > 239.1 for sinomenine, m/z 316.2 > 239.1 for desmethyl-sinomenine, m/z 346.2 > 314.1 for sinomenine N-oxide and m/z 286.2 > 153.2 for morphine (internal standard), respectively. During the validation and sample quantification, an excellent linear calibration range was observed for all the analytes with correlation coefficients more than 0.999 (r > 0.99). The extraction recovery was more than 85%. No significant matrix effect and carryover were observed. The precision was less than 6.45%, whereas accuracy ranged from -4.10% to 7.23%. The validated method has been successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of sinomenine, desmethyl sinomenine, and sinomenine N-oxide in rat plasma after oral administration of sinomenine at a single dose of 5 mg/kg. The results suggested that sinomenine was rapidly metabolized into its metabolite desmethyl sinomenine and sinomenine N-oxide.

Sesamin suppresses angiotensin-II-enhanced oxidative stress and hypertrophic markers in H9c2 cells

Myocardial hypertrophy plays a crucial role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. Myocardial hypertrophy is an adaptive response by myocardial cells to stress after cardiac injury to maintain cardiac output and function. Angiotensin II (Ang-II) regulates CVD through the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and its signaling in cardiac myocytes leads to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Sesamin (SA), a natural compound in sesame seeds, has anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects. This study investigated whether SA could attenuate hypertrophic damage and oxidative injuries in H9c2 cells under Ang-II stimulation. We found that SA decreased the cell surface area. Furthermore, Ang-II treatment reduced Ang-II-increased ANP, BNP, and β-MHC expression. Ang-II enhanced NADPH oxidase activity, ROS formation, and decreased Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity. SA treatment reduces Ang-II-caused oxidative injuries. We also found that SA mitigates Ang-II-induced apoptosis and pro-inflammatory responses. In conclusion, SA could attenuate Ang-II-induced cardiac hypertrophic injuries by inhibiting oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation in H9c2 cells. Therefore, SA might be a potential supplement for CVD management.

Targeting oxidative stress as a preventive and therapeutic approach for cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to exert a significant impact on global mortality rates, encompassing conditions like pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), atherosclerosis (AS), and myocardial infarction (MI). Oxidative stress (OS) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis and advancement of CVDs, highlighting its significance as a contributing factor. Maintaining an equilibrium between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant systems not only aids in mitigating oxidative stress but also confers protective benefits on cardiac health. Herbal monomers can inhibit OS in CVDs by activating multiple signaling pathways, such as increasing the activity of endogenous antioxidant systems and decreasing the level of ROS expression. Given the actions of herbal monomers to significantly protect the normal function of the heart and reduce the damage caused by OS to the organism. Hence, it is imperative to recognize the significance of herbal monomers as prospective therapeutic interventions for mitigating oxidative damage in CVDs. This paper aims to comprehensively review the origins and mechanisms underlying OS, elucidate the intricate association between CVDs and OS, and explore the therapeutic potential of antioxidant treatment utilizing herbal monomers. Furthermore, particular emphasis will be placed on examining the cardioprotective effects of herbal monomers by evaluating their impact on cardiac signaling pathways subsequent to treatment.

Sinomenine promotes flap survival by upregulating eNOS and eNOS-mediated autophagy via PI3K/AKT pathway

Large skin defects and surgical tissue reconstructions are frequently covered utilizing random flaps. The flap has the advantage of being designed according to the size and shape of a surgical wound. However, the necrosis of the distal part of the flap restricts the clinical application of flaps. Sinomenine (SIN) is the major active component of sinomenium acutum. SIN has been demonstrated to inhibit oxidative stress and stimulate autophagy in a cell, animal, and clinical studies. The protective and proliferative effects of sinomenium on HUVECs were evaluated by scratched test, CCK-8, and EDU assays. For the flap survival, we established a mouse random pattern flap model and observed the effects of SIN injected intraperitoneally. The survival area and blood flow intensity of the flap in sinomenium group were significantly increased compared to the control group. Our results demonstrate that SIN promotes flap survival. Sinomenium enhances eNOS expression in the flap and reduces the level of oxidative stress, promotes autophagy flux increase, reduces apoptosis, and promotes angiogenesis. Having a therapeutic benefit of SIN, Autophagy inhibitor 3-MA shows its critical role by reversing the beneficial effects of SIN, and the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor l-NAME both stimulated HUVECs that explore the relationship between autophagy flux and nitric oxide synthase. Furthermore, the mechanism in our study reveals the changes in the signal pathway of PI3K/AKT, the protective effect of SIN during antioxidant activity, the activation of eNOS through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway affects autophagy through the eNOS system, and promote the random flap survival.

Full-length transcriptome and metabolite analysis reveal reticuline epimerase-independent pathways for benzylisoquinoline alkaloids biosynthesis in Sinomenium acutum

Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a large family of plant natural products with important pharmaceutical applications. Sinomenium acutum is a medicinal plant from the Menispermaceae family and has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis for hundreds of years. Sinomenium acutum contains more than 50 BIAs, and sinomenine is a representative BIA from this plant. Sinomenine was found to have preventive and curative effects on opioid dependence. Despite the broad applications of S. acutum, investigation on the biosynthetic pathways of BIAs from S. acutum is limited. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the transcriptome data and BIAs in the root, stem, leaf, and seed of S. acutum. Metabolic analysis showed a noticeable difference in BIA contents in different tissues. Based on the study of the full-length transcriptome, differentially expressed genes, and weighted gene co-expression network, we proposed the biosynthetic pathways for a few BIAs from S. acutum, such as sinomenine, magnoflorine, and tetrahydropalmatine, and screened candidate genes involved in these biosynthesis processes. Notably, the reticuline epimerase (REPI/STORR), which converts (S)-reticuline to (R)-reticuline and plays an essential role in morphine and codeine biosynthesis, was not found in the transcriptome data of S. acutum. Our results shed light on the biogenesis of the BIAs in S. acutum and may pave the way for the future development of this important medicinal plant.

Recent Advancements in Drug Delivery of Sinomenine, A Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug

Sinomenine (SIN) is a benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline-type alkaloid isolated from the dried plant root and stem of Sinomenium acutum (Thumb.) Rehd.et Wils, which shows potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. As a transforming disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug, SIN has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis over twenty-five years in China. In recent years, SIN is also in development for use against other disorders, including colitis, pain, traumatic brain injury, and uveitis. However, its commercial hydrochloride (SIN-HCl) shows low oral bioavailability and certain allergic reactions in patients, due to the release of histamine. Therefore, a large number of pharmaceutical strategies have been explored to address these liabilities, such as prolonging release behaviors, enhancing skin permeation and adsorption for transdermal delivery, targeted SIN delivery using new material or conjugates, and co-amorphous technology. This review discusses these different delivery strategies and approaches employed to overcome the limitations of SIN for its efficient delivery, in order to achieve improved bioavailability and reduced side effects. The potential advantages and limitations of SIN delivery strategies are elaborated along with discussions of potential future SIN drug development strategies.

Activation of Nrf2 signaling: A key molecular mechanism of protection against cardiovascular diseases by natural products

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a group of cardiac and vascular disorders including myocardial ischemia, congenital heart disease, heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis, peripheral artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, and cardiomyopathies. Despite considerable progress in prophylaxis and treatment options, CVDs remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and impose an extremely high socioeconomic burden. Oxidative stress (OS) caused by disequilibrium in the generation of reactive oxygen species plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of CVDs. Nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor of endogenous antioxidant defense systems against OS, is considered an ideal therapeutic target for management of CVDs. Increasingly, natural products have emerged as a potential source of Nrf2 activators with cardioprotective properties and may therefore provide a novel therapeutic tool for CVD. Here, we present an updated comprehensive summary of naturally occurring products with cardioprotective properties that exert their effects by suppression of OS through activation of Nrf2 signaling, with the aim of providing useful insights for the development of therapeutic strategies exploiting natural products.

Secreted frizzled-related protein 3 alleviated cardiac remodeling induced by angiotensin II via inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis in mice

Increased expression of secreted frizzled related protein 3 (SFRP3) is associated with adverse outcomes of heart failure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of SFRP3 on cardiac remodeling and its mechanism. Cardiac remodeling was induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion in the mice, and in the neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCM) treated with Ang II. The expression decreased in the heart of mice, and NRCM and HL-1 cells with Ang II treatment. Ang II-induced hypertrophy and fibrosis of heart in mice were attenuated by upregulation of SFRP3, and were further deteriorated by downregulation of SFRP3. Ang II-induced hypertrophy of NRCM and HL-1 cells were improved by SFRP3 overexpression, and were further deteriorated by SFRP3 knockdown. The oxidative stress increased in the heart of Ang II-treated mice, and this enhancement was inhibited by overexpressing of SFPR3, and was worsened by downregulation of SFPR3. These outcomes suggested that upregulation of SFPR3 could improve cardiac remodeling via inhibition of oxidative stress.

Natural medicines of targeted rheumatoid arthritis and its action mechanism

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease involving joints, with clinical manifestations of joint inflammation, bone damage and cartilage destruction, joint dysfunction and deformity, and extra-articular organ damage. As an important source of new drug molecules, natural medicines have many advantages, such as a wide range of biological effects and small toxic and side effects. They have become a hot spot for the vast number of researchers to study various diseases and develop therapeutic drugs. In recent years, the research of natural medicines in the treatment of RA has made remarkable achievements. These natural medicines mainly include flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, glycosides and terpenes. Among them, resveratrol, icariin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, ginsenoside, sinomenine, paeoniflorin, triptolide and paeoniflorin are star natural medicines for the treatment of RA. Its mechanism of treating RA mainly involves these aspects: anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, immune regulation, pro-apoptosis, inhibition of angiogenesis, inhibition of osteoclastogenesis, inhibition of fibroblast-like synovial cell proliferation, migration and invasion. This review summarizes natural medicines with potential therapeutic effects on RA and briefly discusses their mechanisms of action against RA.

Tanshinone IIA alleviates cardiac hypertrophy through m6A modification of galectin-3

Cardiac hypertrophy results from the adaptive response of the myocardium to pressure overload on the heart. Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is the major active compound extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, which possesses various pharmacological benefits. In the present study, the effect and mechanism of action of Tan IIA on cardiac hypertrophy were studied. Ang II–induced and transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy models were used to evaluate the effect of Tan IIA. An adenoviral vector system was utilized to overexpress galectin-3. The results revealed that Tan IIA significantly inhibited Ang II–induced hypertrophy in vitro and TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. Furthermore, Tan IIA notably inhibited the expression of galectin-3. Rescue experiments indicated that galectin-3 overexpression reversed the effects of Tan IIA, which further validated the interaction between Tan IIA and galectin-3. Additionally, Tan IIA suppressed alkB homolog 5, RNA demethylase (ALKBH5)-mediated N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of galectin-3. In summary, the results of the present study indicated that Tan IIA attenuates cardiac hypertrophy by targeting galectin-3, suggesting that galectin-3 plays a critical role in cardiac hypertrophy and represents a new therapeutic target.