Jatrorrhizine: a review of its pharmacological effects

Piezo1 and its inhibitors: Overview and perspectives

The cation channel Piezo1, a crucial mechanotransducer found in various organs and tissues, has gained considerable attention as a therapeutic target in recent years. Following this trend, several Piezo1 inhibitors have been discovered and studied for potential pharmacological properties. This review provides an overview of the structural and functional importance of Piezo1, as well as discussing the biological activities of Piezo1 inhibitors based on their mechanism of action. The compounds addressed include the toxin GsMTx4, Aβ peptides, certain fatty acids, ruthenium red and gadolinium, Dooku1, as well as the natural products tubeimoside I, salvianolic acid B, jatrorrhzine, and escin. The findings revealed that misexpression of Piezo1 can be associated with a number of chronic diseases, including hypertension, cancer, and hemolytic anemia. Consequently, inhibiting Piezo1 and the subsequent calcium influx can have beneficial effects on various pathological processes, as shown by many in vitro and in vivo studies. However, the development of Piezo1 inhibitors is still in its beginnings, with many opportunities and challenges remaining to be explored.

Berberis vulgaris L. Root Extract as a Multi-Target Chemopreventive Agent against Colon Cancer Causing Apoptosis in Human Colon Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines

Berberis vulgaris L. (Berberidaceae) is a shrub that has been widely used in European folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. The purpose of our study was to elucidate the mechanisms of the chemopreventive action of the plant's methanolic root extract (BVR) against colon cancer cells. Studies were conducted in human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (LS180 and HT-29) and control colon epithelial CCD841 CoN cells. According to the MTT assay, after 48 h of cell exposure, the IC50 values were as follows: 4.3, 46.1, and 50.2 µg/mL for the LS180, HT-29, and CCD841 CoN cells, respectively, showing the greater sensitivity of the cancer cells to BVR. The Cell Death Detection ELISAPLUS kit demonstrated that BVR induced programmed cell death only against HT-29 cells. Nuclear double staining revealed the great proapoptotic BVR properties in HT-29 cells and subtle effect in LS180 cells. RT-qPCR with the relative quantification method showed significant changes in the expression of genes related to apoptosis in both the LS180 and HT-29 cells. The genes BCL2L1 (126.86-421.43%), BCL2L2 (240-286.02%), CASP3 (177.19-247.83%), and CASP9 (157.99-243.75%) had a significantly elevated expression, while BCL2 (25-52.03%) had a reduced expression compared to the untreated control. Furthermore, in a panel of antioxidant tests, BVR showed positive effects (63.93 ± 0.01, 122.92 ± 0.01, and 220.29 ± 0.02 mg Trolox equivalents (TE)/g in the DPPH•, ABTS•+, and ORAC assays, respectively). In the lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibition test, BVR revealed 62.60 ± 0.87% of enzyme inhibition. The chemical composition of BVR was determined using a UHPLC-UV-CAD-MS/MS analysis and confirmed the presence of several known alkaloids, including berberine, as well as other alkaloids and two derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acid (ferulic and sinapic acid hexosides). The results are very promising and encourage the use of BVR as a comprehensive chemopreventive agent (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pro-apoptotic) in colorectal cancer, and were widely discussed alongside data from the literature.

Recent Applications of Protoberberines as Privileged Starting Materials for the Development of Novel Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agents: A Concise Review (2017-2023)

Berberine is a well-known phytochemical with significant antiviral activity against a wide range of viruses. Due to having a unique backbone consisting of four interconnected rings, it can be used as a platform for the design and development of novel semisynthetic antiviral agents. The question here is whether novel broad-spectrum antiviral drugs with enhanced activity and toxicity potential can be obtained by attempting to modify the structure of this privileged lead compound. The present study aims to review the results of recent studies in which berberine and its close analogues (protoberberine alkaloids) have been used as starting materials for the production of new semisynthetic antiviral structures. For this purpose, relevant studies published in high-quality journals indexed in databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, etc. in the time frame of 2017 to 2023 were collected. Our selection criterion in the current review focuses on the studies in which protoberberines were used as starting materials for the production of semisynthetic agents with antiviral activity during the indicated time period. Correspondingly, studies were identified in which semisynthetic derivatives with significant inhibitory activity against a wide range of viruses including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), enterovirus 71 (EV71), zika virus (ZIKV), influenza A/B, cytomegalovirus (CMV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and coxsackieviruses were designed and synthesized. Our conclusion is that, despite the introduction of diverse semisynthetic derivatives of berberine with improved activity profiles compared to the parent natural leads, sufficient derivatization has not been done yet and more studies are needed.

Effects of Jatrorrhizine on inflammatory response induced by H2O2 in microglia by regulating the MAPK/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway

Microglia-induced neuroinflammation is a contributing factor to neurodegenerative diseases. Jatrorrhizine (JAT), an alkaloid isolated from Huanglian, has been shown to have neuroprotective effects against various neurodegenerative diseases, but its impact on microglia-induced neuroinflammation remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of JAT in MAPK/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway in an H2O2-induced oxidative stress model using microglia (N9 cells). We divided cells into six groups, including control, JAT, H2O2, H2O2 + 5 μmol/L JAT, H2O2 + 10 μmol/L JAT, and H2O2 + 20 μmol/L minocycline groups. Cell viability was measured using MTT assay and TNF-α levels were detected with an ELISA Kit. Western blot was used to detect NLRP3, HMGB1, NF-κB, p-NF-κB, ERK, p-ERK, p38, p-p38, p-JNK, JNK, IL-1β, and IL-18 expressions. Our results showed that JAT intervention improved H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in N9 cells and reduced the elevated expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-18, p-ERK/ERK, p-p38/p38, p-JNK/JNK, p-p65/p65, NLRP3, and HMGB1 in H2O2 group. Furthermore, treatment with ERK inhibitor SCH772984 specifically blocked ERK phosphorylation, resulting in decreased protein levels of p-NF-κB, NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18 in H2O2 group. These results suggest that the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway may regulate the protein levels of NLRP3. Overall, our study indicates that JAT may have a protective effect on H2O2-treated microglia via inhibition the MAPK/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway and could be a potential therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases.

Interaction between Changan Granule and its main components in the plasma and CYP450 enzymes

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Changan Granule (CAG) is a Chinese patent drug developed based on an empirical prescription in accordance with the formulation theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The prescription is composed of eight herbal drugs which have been traditionally used by Chinese people for a long history. It has effects of invigorating spleen and supplementing qi, as well as regulating liver and ceasing diarrhea, and is indicated for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study was aimed to investigate the interaction between CAG and its main components and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes so as to characterize the major metabolites and metabolic enzymes and evaluate the safety concerns to its clinical use.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Both in vivo and in vitro experiments using such as diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) rat model, HepG2 cells, and human liver microsomes (HLM) were carried out to investigate the interaction between CAG and its main components and CYP450 enzymes. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and cocktail probes were employed to qualitatively or quantitatively measure the metabolites and metabolic enzymes.

RESULTS

CAG inhibited the enzyme activities of CYP1A2, CYP2E1, CYP2D6, CYP2C9, and CYP3A4 and the mRNA expressions of CYP2E1, CYP2C9, CYP3A4, and CYP2D6 in vitro. CAG down-regulated the increased expression of CYP1A2 and up-regulated the decreased expression of CYP3A1 in vivo. Twenty-two metabolites were characterized from the main components of CAG after incubation with HLM in vitro. CYP2D6, CYP2E1, CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 were identified as the characteristic metabolic enzymes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a reference for clinical application of CAG in safety. CAG and CYP450 enzymes are interacted. CAG is mainly metabolized by CYP2E1 and CYP2D6. The expression of CYP2E1 and CYP2D6 are more susceptible to be influenced by CAG in comparison with that of CYP3A4, CYP2C9 and CYP1A2. It implies the potential risk of interaction when CAG is taken together with the drugs metabolized by CYP2E1 and CYP2D6.

Jatrorrhizine inhibits Piezo1 activation and reduces vascular inflammation in endothelial cells

Vascular inflammation is a common pathological basis underlying many cardiovascular diseases. As such, the treatment of vascular inflammation has attracted increasing attention. The Piezo1 pathway has long been shown to play an important role in the development of vascular inflammation. Jatrorrhizine (Jat) is an effective component of Rhizoma Coptidis. It is commonly used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and is a potential drug for the treatment of vascular inflammation. However, its mechanism of action on vascular inflammation remains unclear, as is the effect of Jat on Piezo1. Therefore, we conducted a series of studies on the effect of jatrorrhizine on vascular inflammation in vivo and in vitro. In this study, the effect of Jat treatment on H₂O₂-induced endothelial cell inflammation was investigated in vitro, and the potential mechanism of Jat was explored. In in vivo experiments, we investigated the effect of jatrorrhizine on vascular inflammation induced by carotid artery ligation and its effect on the Piezo1 signaling pathway. We found that Jat could reduce the severity of carotid intimal hyperplasia and local vascular inflammation in mice. In the H₂O₂-induced inflammation model, cell proliferation and migration were significantly inhibited, and the expression of pro-inflammatory factors was reduced. Importantly, the addition of Jat to endothelial Piezo1 knockout did not produce further significant inhibition. We believe that the role of Jat in the treatment of vascular inflammation may be related to Piezo1. And we believe that Jat has great potential in the treatment of vascular inflammation and cardiovascular diseases.

The combined analgesic, sedative, and anti-gastric cancer mechanisms of Tinospora sagittata var. yunnanensis (S. Y. Hu) H. S. Lo based on integrated ethnopharmacological data

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE

As a Yi medicine for eliminating wind to relieve pain, Tinospora sagittata var. yunnanensis (S. Y. Hu) H. S. Lo (TSY) is widely used to treat sore throat, stomach pain, bone and muscle injuries, and tumors; however, the material basis and mechanism of action remain unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to investigate the potential active compounds of TSY and related pharmacological mechanisms against gastric cancer using a multitarget strategy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The main chemical components of TSY were collected through a literature review and database searches. The components were further screened for ADMET properties, and their targets were predicted using network pharmacology (admetSAR) and substructure-drug-target network-based inference (SDTNBI) approaches in silico. The pharmacological mechanism of action of TSY extract for pain relief, sedation, and anti-gastric cancer activities were identified via in vivo and in vitro biochemical analyses.

RESULTS

Here, 28 chemical components were identified, 7 active compounds were selected, and 75 targets of TSY extract were predicted. A compound-target-disease network topological approach revealed that the predicted targets are highly related to the digestive system and nervous system. Network pharmacology results suggested that the anti-gastric cancer activity of TSY was highly correlated with its analgesic and sedative targets and MAPK. In vivo experiments confirmed that TSY extract not only reduced the number of voluntary activities in the mouse model but also exhibited a synergistic effect on sodium pentobarbital-induced sleep, reduced the number of mice exhibiting writhing responses to acetic acid, and increased the hot plate pain threshold of mice. Thus, TSY extract exhibits good analgesic and sedative effects. The TSY extract inhibited HGC-27 cell proliferation and induced apoptosis by regulating apoptotic proteins (BAX, BCL-2 and BCL-XL) in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

TSY exhibits combined analgesic, sedative, and anti-gastric cancer activities.

Cepharanthine Alleviates DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis via Regulating Aconitate Decarboxylase 1 Expression and Macrophage Infiltration

Cepharanthine (CEP), a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid from tubers of Stephania, protects against some inflammatory diseases. Aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1) is also known as immune-responsive gene 1 (IRG1), which plays an important immunometabolism role in inflammatory diseases by mediating the production of itaconic acid. ACOD1 exhibits abnormal expression in ulcerative colitis (UC). However, whether CEP can combat UC by affecting ACOD1 expression remains unanswered. This study was designed to explore the protective effects and mechanisms of CEP in treating colitis through in vitro and in vivo experiments. In vitro assays indicated that CEP inhibited LPS-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and ACOD1 expression in RAW264.7 macrophages. Additionally, in the mouse model of DSS-induced colitis, CEP decreased macrophage infiltration and ACOD1 expression in colon tissue. After treatment with antibiotics (Abx), the expression of ACOD1 changed with the composition of gut microbiota. Correlation analysis also revealed that Family-XIII-AD3011-group and Rumini-clostridium-6 were positively correlated with ACOD1 expression level. Additionally, data of the integrative Human Microbiome Project (iHMP) showed that ACOD1 was highly expressed in the colon tissue of UC patients and this expression was positively correlated with the severity of intestinal inflammation. Collectively, CEP can counter UC by modulating gut microbiota and inhibiting the expression of ACOD1. CEP may serve as a potential pharmaceutical candidate in the treatment of UC.

Advances in anticancer alkaloid-derived metallo-chemotherapeutic agents in the last decade: Mechanism of action and future prospects

Metal-based complexes have occupied a pioneering niche in the treatment of many chronic diseases, including various types of cancers. Despite the phenomenal success of cisplatin for the treatment of many solid malignancies, a limited number of metallo-drugs are in clinical use against cancer chemotherapy till date. While many other prominent platinum and non‑platinum- based metallo-drugs (e.g. NAMI-A, KP1019, carboplatin, oxaliplatin, titanocene dichloride, casiopeinas® etc) have entered clinical trials, many have failed at later stages of R&D due to deleterious toxic effects, intrinsic resistance and poor pharmacokinetic response and low therapeutic efficacy. Nonetheless, research in the area of medicinal inorganic chemistry has been increasing exponentially over the years, employing novel target based drug design strategies aimed at improving pharmacological outcomes and at the same time mitigating the side-effects of these drug entities. Over the last few decades, natural products became one of the key structural motifs in the anticancer drug development. Many eminent researchers in the area of medicinal chemistry are devoted to develop new 3d-transition metal-based anticancer drugs/repurpose the existing bioactive compounds derived from myriad pharmacophores such as coumarins, flavonoids, chromones, alkaloids etc. Metal complexes of natural alkaloids and their analogs such as luotonin A, jatrorrhizine, berberine, oxoaporphine, 8-oxychinoline etc. have gained prominence in the anticancer drug development process as the naturally occurring alkaloids can be anti-proliferative, induce apoptosis and exhibit inhibition of angiogenesis with better healing effect. While some of them are inhibitors of ERK signal-regulated kinases, others show activity based on cyclooxygenases-2 (COX-2) and telomerase inhibition. However, the targets of these alkaloid complexes are still unclear, though it is well-established that they demonstrate anticancer potency by interfering with multiple pathways of tumorigenesis and tumor progression both in vitro and in vivo. Over the last decade, many significant advances have been made towards the development of natural alkaloid-based metallo-drug therapeutics for intervention in cancer chemotherapy that have been summarized below and reviewed in this article.

Jatrorrhizine Alleviates DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis by Regulating the Intestinal Barrier Function and Inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Background

Ulcerative colitis (UC), a kind of autoimmune disease with unknown etiology, has been troubling human physical and mental health. Jatrorrhizine (Jat) is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Coptis Chinensis, which has been proved to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects.

Purpose

The purpose is to explore the therapeutic effect of Jat on DSS-induced UC and the mechanism of action. Study Design. The UC mice model was induced by 3% DSS in drinking water. The mice were orally administered with Jat (40, 80, 160 mg/kg) for 10 days.

Methods

The changes in body weight, colon length, spleen wet weight index, disease activity index (DAI), colonic histopathology, and inflammatory factors of serum and colon tissue were analyzed to evaluate the severity of colitis mice. The colon mucus secretion capacity was analyzed by Alcian blue periodic acid Schiff (AB-PAS) staining. Furthermore, protein expressions such as TLR4, MyD88, p–NF–κB-p65, NF-κB-p65, COX-2, ZO-1, and Occludin were detected to elucidate the molecular mechanism of Jat on DSS-induced colitis model.

Results

The results showed that Jat could significantly alleviate the symptoms, colon shortening, spleen index, and histological damage and restore the body weight in DSS-induced colitis mice. Jat also suppressed the levels of inflammatory cytokines and upregulated the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, Jat repaired the intestinal barrier function by upregulating the level of colonic tight junction (TJ) proteins and enhancing the secretion of mucin produced by goblet cells. Furthermore, Jat could significantly suppress the expression of TLR4, MyD88, p–NF–κB-p65/NF-κB-p65, and COX-2 in colon tissue.

Conclusion

The results suggested that Jat plays a protective role in DSS-induced colitis by regulating the intestinal barrier function and inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. This study, for the first time, demonstrates the therapeutic and protective effects of Jat on UC.

A Web-Based Pharmacological Approach to the Mechanism of Action of Rhizoma Phragmitis and Rhizoma Curcumae in the Treatment of Chronic Atrophic Gastritis

Objective. To analyze and test the effect of Rhizoma phragmitis and Rhizoma curcumae on the network pharmacology of MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and TNF (tumor necrosis factor) signaling channels and inflammatory factor target gene regulation in successful modeling of chronic atrophic gastritis rats. Methods. Rats with chronic atrophic gastritis that were modeled successfully were randomly divided into control and study groups and were treated with conventional western medicine or Rhizoma phragmitis and Rhizoma curcumae, respectively. The pharmacological mechanism of action and efficacy were evaluated. Results. The treatment efficiency was 76.32% and 97.37% in the control and study group, respectively. After treatment, the serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the study group were lower than those in the control group and the serum epidermal growth factor (EGF) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in the study group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05); the pain behavioral scores in the study group were lower than those in the control group, and the free acid quantity and total acid quantity in the study group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05); the serum MTL index in the study group was higher than that in the control group, and the serum gastrin (GAS) and pepsinogen I (PG I) indices in the study group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05); the number of 24-hour reflux in the study group was less than that in the control group (P < 0.05), and the longest reflux time in the study group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Based on the network pharmacological results, Rhizoma phragmitis and Rhizoma curcumae will modulate MAPK, TNF signaling circuits, and inflammatory factor target genes in the chronic atrophic gastritis rat model. This treatment protocol is efficient and beneficial to enhance the gastric function of the chronic atrophic gastritis rat model, while it can alleviate the inflammatory response and significantly reduce the number and duration of reflux, which is a safe and reliable treatment modality.

Determination of multiple active constituents in Da-Huang-Xiao-Shi decoction using HPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry: Application in comparing the differences in the formula and its constituent herbs

Da-Huang-Xiao-Shi decoction (DHXSD) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula and is used to treat cholestasis. In this study, we developed a reliable and comprehensive HPLC coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry method for the separation and determination of 21 components including six alkaloids, five anthraquinones, three tannins, three terpenes, two iridoid glycosides, one organic acid, and one flavonoid in DHXSD. A C₁₈ column was eluted by a gradient mobile phase containing at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Detection was operated with electrospray ionization source in positive and negative ion modes using selective ion monitoring (SIM). The calibration curves for all analytes showed good linearity (r >0.9901), and the inter- and intra-day precision did not exceed 4.98%. The recoveries, repeatability, and stability were also within the acceptable limits. The method was successfully applied to determine multiple active constituents in DHXSD and its constituent herbs. Compared to Da Huang, the total contents of the five anthraquinones were significantly higher in DHXSD. However, the changes of components from Zhi Zi/Huang Bo were complicated in DHXSD. The study could serve as a fundamental reference for establishing comprehensive DHXSD quality control measures and be helpful to understand some compatibility laws of DHXSD.