Eleutheroside E attenuates isoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction by regulating the α7-nAChR-NMDAR pathway

Protective effects of Eleutheroside E against high-altitude pulmonary edema by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis

Eleutheroside E (EE) is a primary active component of Acanthopanax senticosus, which has been reported to inhibit the expression of inflammatory genes, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a severe complication of high-altitude exposure occurring after ascent above 2500 m. However, effective and safe preventative measures for HAPE still need to be improved. This study aimed to elucidate the preventative potential and underlying mechanism of EE in HAPE. Rat models of HAPE were established through hypobaric hypoxia. Mechanistically, hypobaric hypoxia aggravates oxidative stress and upregulates (pro)-inflammatory cytokines, activating NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis, eventually leading to HAPE. EE suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa-Β (NF-κB), thereby protecting the lung from HAPE. However, nigericin (Nig), an NLRP3 activator, partially abolished the protective effects of EE. These findings suggest EE is a promising agent for preventing HAPE induced by NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis.

Eleutheroside E from pre-treatment of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr.etMaxim.) Harms ameliorates high-altitude-induced heart injury by regulating NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis via NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway

Eleutheroside E, a major natural bioactive compound in Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr.etMaxim.) Harms, possesses anti-oxidative, anti-fatigue, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and immunoregulatory effects. High-altitude hypobaric hypoxia affects blood flow and oxygen utilisation, resulting in severe heart injury that cannot be reversed, thereby eventually causing or exacerbating high-altitude heart disease and heart failure. The purpose of this study was to determine the cardioprotective effects of eleutheroside E against high-altitude-induced heart injury (HAHI), and to study the mechanisms by which this happens. A hypobaric hypoxia chamber was used in the study to simulate hypobaric hypoxia at the high altitude of 6000 m. 42 male rats were randomly assigned to 6 equal groups and pre-treated with saline, eleutheroside E 100 mg/kg, eleutheroside E 50 mg/kg, or nigericin 4 mg/kg. Eleutheroside E exhibited significant dose-dependent effects on a rat model of HAHI by suppressing inflammation and pyroptosis. Eleutheroside E downregulated the expressions of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). Moreover, The ECG also showed eleutheroside E improved the changes in QT interval, corrected QT interval, QRS interval and heart rate. Eleutheroside E remarkably suppressed the expressions of NLRP3/caspase-1-related proteins and pro-inflammatory factors in heart tissue of the model rats. Nigericin, known as an agonist of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis, reversed the effects of eleutheroside E. Eleutheroside E prevented HAHI and inhibited inflammation and pyroptosis via the NLRP3/caspase-1 signalling pathway. Taken together, eleutheroside E is a prospective, effective, safe and inexpensive agent that can be used to treat HAHI.

Eleutheroside E supplementation prevents radiation-induced cognitive impairment and activates PKA signaling via gut microbiota

Radiation affects not only cognitive function but also gut microbiota. Eleutheroside E (EE), a principal active compound of Acanthopanax senticosus, has a certain protective effect on the nervous system. Here, we find a four-week EE supplementation to the ⁶⁰Co-γ ray irradiated mice improves the cognition and spatial memory impairments along with the protection of hippocampal neurons, remodels the gut microbiota, especially changes of Lactobacillus and Helicobacter, and altered the microbial metabolites including neurotransmitters (GABA, NE, ACH, 5-HT) as well as their precursors. Furthermore, the fecal transplantation of EE donors verifies that EE alleviated cognition and spatial memory impairments, and activates the PKA/CREB/BDNF signaling via gut microbiota. Our findings provide insight into the mechanism of EE effect on the gut-brain axis and underpin a proposed therapeutic value of EE in cognitive and memory impairments induced by radiation.

Eleutheroside E functions as anti-cervical cancer drug by inhibiting the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway and reprogramming the metabolic responses

OBJECTIVES

Cervical cancer (CC) is the common female malignant tumour with non-negligible morbidity and mortality. Eleutheroside E (EE) has anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferation effects in diverse disease models. However, its anti-tumour role remains unclear.

METHODS

The cell viability, apoptosis rate and protein expressions were detected by CCK-8, flow cytometry and western blot assays, respectively. The metabolic profile was performed by GC/MS analysis. Furthermore, the effect of EE on CC was verified in nude mice.

KEY FINDINGS

EE notably decreased the viability and increased the cell apoptosis, which could be reversed with 740Y-P treatment. EE treatment changed the metabolic categories of SiHa cells. The fatty acids signalling pathway was the most outstanding differential pathway. Myo-inositol prominently enhanced the level of phosphorylated Akt in a dose-dependent way. Moreover, EE declined the tumour volume and weight and the proliferation, but promoted the apoptosis in vivo. EE reduced the relative expression of phosphorylated PI3K and Akt. However, all these in-vivo results were observably antagonized with myo-inositol treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

EE plays an anti-tumour role in CC via inhibiting the PI3K pathway and reprogramming the metabolic responses.

Tea saponin additive to extract eleutheroside B and E from Eleutherococcus senticosus by ultrasonic mediation and its application in a semi-pilot scale

The safety of ethanol in operations and its effects on human health are gradually being questioned. Under this premise, we attempted to use the natural surfactant tea saponin, which originates from the processing residues of camellia oil, as the additive of the extraction solvent and to extract eleutheroside B and eleutheroside E in the roots and rhizomes of E. senticosus by ultrasonic mediation. After a single-factor experiment, extraction kinetics at different powers and reaction temperatures, and Box-Behnken design optimization, the optimal conditions obtained were 0.3% tea saponin solution as the extraction solvent, 20 mL/g liquid-solid ratio, 250 W ultrasonic irradiation power (43.4 mW/g ultrasonic power density) and 40 min ultrasonic irradiation time. Under optimal conditions, satisfactory yields of eleutheroside B (1.06 ± 0.04 mg/g) and eleutheroside E (2.65 ± 0.12 mg/g) were obtained with semi pilot scale ultrasonic extraction equipment. The experiments showed that compared with the traditional thermal extraction process, the extraction time is significantly reduced at lower operating temperatures.

The Therapeutic Effect of Acanthopanax senticosus Components on Radiation-Induced Brain Injury Based on the Pharmacokinetics and Neurotransmitters

Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) is a medicinal and food homologous plant with many biological activities. In this research, we generated a brain injury model by ⁶⁰Co -γ ray radiation at 4 Gy, and gavaged adult mice with the extract with AS, Acanthopanax senticocus polysaccharides (ASPS), flavones, syringin and eleutheroside E (EE) to explore the therapeutic effect and metabolic characteristics of AS on the brain injury. Behavioral tests and pathological experiments showed that the AS prevented the irradiated mice from learning and memory ability impairment and protected the neurons of irradiated mice. Meanwhile, the functional components of AS increased the antioxidant activity of irradiated mice. Furthermore, we found the changes of neurotransmitters, especially in the EE and syringin groups. Finally, distribution and pharmacokinetic analysis of AS showed that the functional components, especially EE, could exert their therapeutic effects in brain of irradiated mice. This lays a theoretical foundation for the further research on the treatment of radiation-induced brain injury by AS.

Intranasal levosimendan prevents cognitive dysfunction and apoptotic response induced by repeated isoflurane exposure in newborn rats

Anesthetic-induced toxicity in early life may lead to risk of cognitive decline at later ages. Notably, multiple exposures to isoflurane (ISO) cause acute apoptotic cell death in the developing brain and long-term cognitive dysfunction. This study is the first to investigate whether levosimendan (LVS), known for its protective myocardial properties, can prevent anesthesia-induced apoptotic response in brain cells and learning and memory impairment. Postnatal day (P)7 Wistar albino pups were randomly assigned to groups consisting of an equal number of males and females in this laboratory investigation. We treated rats with LVS (0.8 mg/kg/day) intranasally 30 min before each ISO exposure (1.5%, 3 h) at P7+9+11. We selected DMSO as the drug vehicle. Also, the control group at P7+9+11 received 50% O2 for 3 h instead of ISO. Neuroprotective activity of LVS against ISO-induced cognitive dysfunction was evaluated by Morris water maze. Expression of apoptotic-related proteins was detected in the whole brain using western blot. LVS pretreatment significantly prevented anesthesia-induced deficit in spatial learning (at P28-32) and memory (at P33, P60, and P90). No sex-dependent difference occurred on any day of the training and probe trial. Intranasal LVS was also found to significantly prevent the ISO-induced apoptosis by reducing Bax and cleaved caspase-3, and by increasing Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Our findings support pretreatment with intranasal LVS application as a simple strategy in daily clinical practice in pediatric anesthesia to protect infants and children from the risk of general anesthesia-induced cell death and cognitive declines.

A review on the immunomodulatory activity of Acanthopanax senticosus and its active components

Acanthopanacis Senticosi Radix et Rhizoma seu Caulis, the dried root and rhizome or stem of Acanthopanax senticosus, is commonly known as Siberian ginseng or Ciwujia in Chinese. It is used all over the world as an adaptogen to enhance physical and mental performance for the sake of normal physiological functioning of human bodies under stress. In the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, Ciwujia can strengthen the spleen that is an essential organ for immunological response. Its traditional applications include inflammation, fatigue and cancer in which the immune-regulating function is always involved. In this article, the immunomodulatory activities of Ciwujia extracts, fractions and pure compounds were extensively reviewed first. Then, the possibility of upgrading the chemical markers to bioactive markers was explored. Finally, the potency of aqueous extract and ethanol extract in regulating cytokines production from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells was compared. We conclude that although various phytochemicals such as isofraxidin, syringin and eleutheroside E from Ciwujia have been shown to modulate immunological functions, the aqueous extract of Ciwujia as a whole possesses the most potent efficacy. Therefore, aqueous (rather than ethanol) extract of Ciwujia should be used in order to benefit from its immunomodulatory properties.