Effects and safety of tanreqing injection on viral pneumonia: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Tanreqing Injection Inhibits Activation of NLRP3 Inflammasome in Macrophages Infected with Influenza A Virus by Promoting Mitophagy

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the inhibitory effect of Tanreqing Injection (TRQ) on the activation of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in macrophages infected with influenza A virus and the underlying mechanism based on mitophagy pathway.

METHODS

The inflammatory model of murine macrophage J774A.1 induced by influenza A virus [strain A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (H1N1), PR8] was constructed and treated by TRQ, while the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant Mito-TEMPO and autophagy specific inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) were used as controls to intensively study the anti-inflammatory mechanism of TRQ based on mitophagy-mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS)-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. The levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1 p20, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 II (LC3II) and P62 proteins were measured by Western blot. The release of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) was tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, the mtROS level was detected by flow cytometry, and the immunofluorescence and co-localization of LC3 and mitochondria were observed under confocal laser scanning microscopy.

RESULTS

Similar to the effect of Mito-TEMPO and contrary to the results of 3-MA treatment, TRQ could significantly reduce the expressions of NLRP3, Caspase-1 p20, and autophagy adaptor P62, promote the expression of autophagy marker LC3II, enhance the mitochondrial fluorescence intensity, and inhibit the release of mtROS and IL-1β (all P<0.01). Moreover, LC3 was co-localized with mitochondria, confirming the type of mitophagy.

CONCLUSION

TRQ could reduce the level of mtROS by promoting mitophagy in macrophages infected with influenza A virus, thus inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and the release of IL-1β, and attenuating the inflammatory response.

Tanreqing suppresses the proliferation and migration of non-small cell lung cancer cells by mediating the inactivation of the HIF1α signaling pathway via exosomal circ-WDR78

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as regulators of cancer progression, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tanreqing (TRQ), a traditional Chinese medicine, is used clinically for respiratory diseases. RT-qPCR quantified circ-WDR78 expression in NSCLC cells. Cell growth, apoptosis, invasion, and migration were assessed by functional assays. RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP), luciferase reporter, and RNA pull-down assays determined the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of circ-WDR78. The interaction between HIF1α and CD274 (PD-L1) promoter was analyzed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Circ-WDR78 expression was up-regulated in TRQ-treated NSCLC cells. Functionally, circ-WDR78 exhibited anti-tumor effects in these cells. Additionally, circ-WDR78 could also induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation by down-regulating HIF1α expression, promoting autophagy. Mechanistically, circ-WDR78 destabilizes HIF1α via the miR-1265/FBXW8 axis. TRQ-induced exosome secretion from NSCLC cells inhibits PD-L1 expression, preventing immune escape. We found that TRQ-treated NSCLC cells secrete exosomes to transmit circ-WDR78 to untreated NSCLC cells, inhibiting the malignancy of recipient tumor cells. In conclusion, TRQ inhibits NSCLC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration through exosomal circ-WDR78-mediated inactivation of the HIF1α signaling pathway, providing potential insight into TRQ injection for NSCLC treatment.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Pharmacokinetics of baicalin and oroxyloside in plasma and different tissues of rats after transnasal aerosol inhalation and intravenous injection of Tanreqing

To avoid adverse drug reactions associated with injection, off-label nebulization of Tanreqing (TRQ) injection is often used in China to treat respiratory diseases. However, the aerodynamic properties and lung availability of TRQ aerosols remain largely uninvestigated. This study aimed to investigate the size distribution of TRQ aerosols and to compare the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of two compounds from TRQ (baicalin and oroxyloside) after transnasal aerosol inhalation and intravenous administration. Furthermore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of TRQ against lipopolysaccharide-induced lung inflammation. The Dv(50) and transmission of TRQ aerosols were 2.512 μm and 74.867%, respectively. The Cmax of baicalin and oroxyloside in rat plasma after inhalation was lower than that after intravenous injection. After inhalation, the area under the curve (AUC) of baicalin and oroxyloside in tissues (lung, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and trachea) was 7.9–115.3 and 9.5–16.0 times that observed after intravenous administration, respectively. Baicalin and oroxyloside maintained high concentrations 4 h after inhalation, but only 1 h after intravenous injection. The mean lung-to-plasma concentration ratios of baicalin and oroxyloside were 287.6 and 49.9 times higher than with intravenous administration. Inhaled TRQ achieved the same effect against lipopolysaccharide-induced lung inflammation in mice at doses of only 1/16–1/8 of those administered intravenously. The results indicate that TRQ inhalation is a promising alternative to intravenous injections for the treatment of respiratory infection.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is an Alternative Therapeutic Option for Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen causing life-threatening infections in cystic fibrosis patients and immunocompromised individuals, and it is a leading cause of nosocomial infections associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Treatment of P. aeruginosa infections is challenging due to the antibiotic resistance to most of the conventional antibiotics. Development of alternative therapeutic options is urgently demanded for the patients who have antibiotic-resistant infections. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a clinical history of thousands of years for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in China, taking advantages of improving clinical outcomes, producing less side effects, inhibiting pathogen, and modulating host immunity. Recent research has revealed a variety of natural products derived from TCM showing significant antimicrobial effects on antibiotic-resistant strains of P. aeruginosa alone or combined with antibiotics in vitro or in animal models, suggesting that TCM is a promising complementary and alternative therapeutic approach for treatment of chronic P. aeruginosa infections. This review summarizes the recent findings attempting to dissect the mechanisms of TCM combating P. aeruginosa infections and highlights the molecular targets of TCM on P. aeruginosa and host.