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Ningning Y, Ying X, Xiang L, Yue S, Zhongda W, Ruoyu J, Hanwen S, Weiwei T, Yafeng Z, Junjie M, Xiaolan C. Danggui-Shaoyao San alleviates cognitive impairment via enhancing HIF-1α/EPO axis in vascular dementia rats. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 331:118306. [PMID: 38723920 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/15/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Invigorating blood circulation to remove blood stasis is a primary strategy in TCM for treating vascular dementia (VaD). Danggui-Shaoyao San (DSS), as a traditional prescription for neuroprotective activity, has been proved to be effective in VaD treatment. However, its precise molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. AIM OF THE STUDY The specific mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of DSS on VaD was explored by employing network pharmacology as well as in vivo and in viro experiment validation. MATERIALS AND METHODS We downloaded components of DSS from the BATMAN-TCM database for target prediction. The intersection between the components of DSS and targets, PPI network, as well as GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were then performed. Subsequently, the potential mechanism of DSS predicted by network pharmacology was assessed and validated through VaD rat model induced by 2VO operation and CoCl2-treated PC12 cells. Briefly, the DSS extract were first quantified by HPLC. Secondly, the effect of DSS on VaD was studied using MWM test, HE staining and TUNEL assay. Finally, the molecular mechanism of DSS against VaD was validated by Western blot and RT-QPCR experiments. RESULTS Through network analysis, 137 active ingredients were obtained from DSS, and 67 potential targets associated with DSS and VaD were identified. GO and KEGG analysis indicated that the action of DSS on VaD primarily involves hypoxic terms and HIF-1 pathway. In vivo validation, cognitive impairment and neuron mortality were markedly ameliorated by DSS. Additionally, DSS significantly reduced the expression of proteins related to synaptic plasticity and neuron apoptosis including PSD-95, SYP, Caspase-3 and BCL-2. Mechanistically, we confirmed DSS positively modulated the expression of HIF-1α and its downstream proteins including EPO, p-EPOR, STAT5, EPOR, and AKT1 in the hippocampus of VaD rats as well as CoCl2-induced PC12 cells. HIF-1 inhibitor YC-1 significantly diminished the protection of DSS on CoCl2-induced PC12 cell damage, with decreased HIF-1α, EPO, EPOR expression. CONCLUSION Our results initially demonstrated DSS could exert neuroprotective effects in VaD. The pharmacological mechanism of DSS may be related to its positive regulation on HIF-1α/EPO pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Ningning
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xu Ying
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Li Xiang
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Su Yue
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Wang Zhongda
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jiang Ruoyu
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Shi Hanwen
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Tao Weiwei
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhang Yafeng
- Jiangsu CM Clinical Innovation Center of Degenerative Bone & Joint Disease, Wuxi TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Wuxi, 214071, China.
| | - Ma Junjie
- School of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Cheng Xiaolan
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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Chen S, Kang P, Zhao Z, Zhang H, Li J, Xu K, Gong D, Jiao F, Wang H, Zhang M. Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS) ameliorates the progression of osteoarthritis via suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway: an in vitro and in vivo study combined with bioinformatics analysis. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:648-664. [PMID: 38194722 PMCID: PMC10817397 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic age-related joint disease characterized primarily by inflammation of synovial membrane and degeneration of articular cartilage. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS) exerts significant anti-inflammatory effects, suggesting that it may play an important role in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS In the present study, DSS was prepared and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Bioinformatics analyses were carried out to uncover the functions and possible molecular mechanisms by which DSS against KOA. Furthermore, the protective effects of DSS on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat chondrocytes and cartilage degeneration in a rat OA model were investigated in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS In total, 114 targets of DSS were identified, of which 60 candidate targets were related to KOA. The target enrichment analysis suggested that the NF-κB signaling pathway may be an effective mechanism of DSS. In vitro, we found that DSS significantly inhibited LPS-induced upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP3), and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP13). Meanwhile, the degradation of collagen II was also reversed by DSS. Mechanistically, DSS dramatically suppressed LPS-induced activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. In vivo, DSS treatment prevented cartilage degeneration in a rat OA model. CONCLUSIONS DSS could ameliorate the progression of OA through suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway. Our findings indicate that DSS may be a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of KOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Chen
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
- Guangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Guangzhou 510800, Guangdong, China
- Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
| | - Pan Kang
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
- Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhuanglin Zhao
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
- Guangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Guangzhou 510800, Guangdong, China
| | - Hongyi Zhang
- Guangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Guangzhou 510800, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianliang Li
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
- Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
| | - Kun Xu
- Shi’s Center of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Dawei Gong
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
- Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
| | - Feng Jiao
- Guangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Guangzhou 510800, Guangdong, China
| | - Haibin Wang
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou University People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, Henan, China
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Gong M, Jia J. Contribution of blood-brain barrier-related blood-borne factors for Alzheimer’s disease vs. vascular dementia diagnosis: A pilot study. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:949129. [PMID: 36003963 PMCID: PMC9393528 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.949129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) are the two most common types of neurodegenerative dementia among the elderly with similar symptoms of cognitive decline and overlapping neuropsychological profiles. Biological markers to distinguish patients with VaD from AD would be very useful. We aimed to investigate the expression of blood-brain barrier (BBB)-related blood-borne factors of soluble low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (sLRP1), cyclophilin A (CyPA), and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and its correlation with cognitive function between patients with AD and VaD. Materials and methods Plasma levels of sLRP1, CyPA, and MMP9 were analyzed in 26 patients with AD, 27 patients with VaD, and 27 normal controls (NCs). Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was used to explore the relationships among biomarker levels, cognitive function, and imaging references. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to discriminate the diagnosis of AD and VaD. Results Among these BBB-related factors, plasma CyPA levels in the VaD group were significantly higher than that in the AD group (p < 0.05). Plasma sLRP1 levels presented an increasing trend in VaD while maintaining slightly low levels in patients with AD (p > 0.05). Plasma MMP9 in different diagnostic groups displayed the following trend: VaD group > AD group > NC group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Furthermore, plasma sLRP1 levels were positively related to MoCA scores, and plasma CyPA levels were significantly correlated with MTA scores (p < 0.05) in the AD group. Plasma MMP9 levels were negatively correlated with MoCA scores (p < 0.05) in the VaD groups. No significant correlation was detected between the other factors and different cognitive scores (p > 0.05). ROC analysis showed a good preference of plasma CyPA [AUC = 0.725, 95% CI (0.586–0.865); p = 0.0064] in diagnosis. Conclusion The plasma CyPA level is a reference index when distinguishing between an AD and subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVD) diagnosis. Blood-derived factors associated with the BBB may provide new insights into the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative dementia and warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Gong
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Jianping Jia
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, Beijing, China
- Clinical Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Memory Impairment, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Center of Alzheimer’s Disease, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jianping Jia,
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Berberine protects against chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced cognitive impairment and hippocampal damage via regulation of the ERK/Nrf2 pathway. J Chem Neuroanat 2022; 123:102119. [PMID: 35697268 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2022.102119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Vascular cognitive impairment caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) seriously affects the quality of life of elderly patients and places a great burden on society and family. With the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), TCM approaches to the prevention and treatment of senile ischemic cerebrovascular disease has received increasing attention. In this study, rats with bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) were treated with berberine (BBR). Their learning and memory function, neuronal injury and repair, the extracellular regulatory protein kinase (ERK)/nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway, and impairment and improvement of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) were evaluated. This study found that BBR can alleviate the pathological injury to the brain, reduce neuronal loss and promote neuronal cell survival after CCH by interfering with the ERK/Nrf2 signaling pathway. BBR can reduce BBB injury in CCH rats by inhibiting the expression of VEGF-A and MMP-9 in plasma, which reveals a protective effect of BBR on vascular cognitive impairment. This study provides a new research direction for BBR in the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease.
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Bi Y, Han X, Lai Y, Fu Y, Li K, Zhang W, Wang Q, Jiang X, Zhou Y, Liang H, Fan H. Systems pharmacological study based on UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS, network pharmacology and experimental validation to explore the potential mechanisms of Danggui-Shaoyao-San against atherosclerosis. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 278:114278. [PMID: 34087397 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Atherosclerosis (AS) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS) is not only a representative Chinese formula to treat gynecological disorder, but also found its use in AS-related diseases. However, the active ingredients and the anti-AS effects are vague yet. AIM OF THE STUDY An integrated strategy combined ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS), network pharmacology and experiments was carried out to investigate the potential materials and pharmacological mechanisms of DSS for AS. MATERIALS AND METHODS First, UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS was applied to identify the active compositions of DSS. Then, the putative targets of DSS relevant to AS were predicted from TCMSP and BATMAN, which were further determined through bioinformatic analyses, including protein-protein interactions (PPI), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Finally, Western blot, qPCR and ELISA were carried out for target validation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). RESULTS A total of 37 active ingredients of DSS, connecting 47 key targets were identified. The functional enrichment showed that DSS may treat AS through regulating a series of signaling pathways which involving inflammatory responses, immune systems and metabolism. The in vitro experiment revealed that DSS ameliorated AS mainly through anti-inflammatory effects, by reducing the levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1), IL-6, TNF-α, cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and IL-1β. DSS also inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB-α, NF-κB (p65), p38 and JNK in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced HUVEC injury model. Moreover, as the main bioactive compounds of DSS, paeoniflorin (PF), ferulic acid (FA) and pachymic acid (PA) inhibited IL-6 and TNF-α secretion as well as IκB-α, NF-κB (p65), p38 and JNK activation. All these findings were consistent with the predicted targets and pathways. CONCLUSION Collectively, the basic pharmacological effects and relevant mechanisms of DSS in the treatment of AS were revealed. The results suggest that DSS is a potential drug for AS treatment, and PF, FA, PA may be the core compositions contributing to the pharmacological function of this formula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Bi
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Xin Han
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yigui Lai
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Hospital of Yangjiang, Yangjiang, 529500, China
| | - Yingchang Fu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Hospital of Yangjiang, Yangjiang, 529500, China
| | - Kongzheng Li
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Hospital of Yangjiang, Yangjiang, 529500, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Hospital of Yangjiang, Yangjiang, 529500, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Hospital of Yangjiang, Yangjiang, 529500, China
| | - Xuefeng Jiang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Hospital of Yangjiang, Yangjiang, 529500, China; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yingchun Zhou
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
| | - Hongfeng Liang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Hospital of Yangjiang, Yangjiang, 529500, China.
| | - Huijie Fan
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Hospital of Yangjiang, Yangjiang, 529500, China; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for TCM Viscera-State Theory and Applications, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, 110032, China.
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