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Li M, Qin Z, Yu Q, Huang Z, Cheng J, Zhong L, Liu Y, Xie J, Li Y, Chen J, Zhan R, Su Z. Anti-Inflammatory Activation of Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex is Mediated by Berberine Erythrocytes Self-Assembly Targeted Delivery System. Drug Des Devel Ther 2022; 16:4365-4383. [PMID: 36583113 PMCID: PMC9793729 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s385301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Berberine (BBR) is the primary active component of Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex (PCC), which has been traditionally used to treat inflammatory diseases. However, the discrepancy between its low bioavailability and significant therapeutic effect remains obscure. The purpose of this study was to explore the previously unsolved enigma of the low bioavailability of BBR and its appreciable anti-inflammatory effect to reveal the action mechanism of BBR and PCC. Methods The quantitative analysis of BBR and its metabolite oxyberberine (OBB) in blood and tissues was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography to investigate the conversion and distribution of BBR/OBB mediated by erythrocytes. Routine blood tests and immunohistochemical staining were used to explore the potential relationship between the amounts of monocyte/macrophage and the drug concentration in erythrocytes and tissues (liver, heart, spleen, lung, kidney, intestine, muscle, brain and pancreas). To comparatively explore the anti-inflammatory effects of BBR and OBB, the acetic acid-induced vascular permeability mice model and lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages were employed. Results Nearly 92% of BBR existed in the erythrocytes in rats. The partition coefficient of BBR between plasma and erythrocytes (Kp/b) decreased with time. OBB was found to be the oxidative metabolite of BBR in erythrocytes. Proportion of BBR/OBB in erythrocytes changed from 9.38% to 16.30% and from 13.50% to 46.24%, respectively. There was a significant relationship between the BBR/OBB concentration in blood and monocyte depletion after a single administration of BBR. BBR/OBB was transported via erythrocytes to various tissues (liver, kidney, spleen, lung, and heart, etc), with the liver achieving the highest concentration. OBB exhibited similar anti-inflammatory effect in vitro and in vivo as BBR with much smaller dosage. Conclusion BBR was prodominantly found in erythrocytes, which was critically participated in the biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, metabolism and target delivery of BBR and its metabolite. The anti-inflammatory activity of BBR and PCC was intimately associated with the metabolism into the active congener OBB and the targeted delivery to monocytes/macrophages mediated by the erythrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minhua Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zehui Qin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiuxia Yu
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ziwei Huang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese Medicine Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, People’s Republic of China
| | - Juanjuan Cheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Linjiang Zhong
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuhong Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianhui Xie
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, People’s Republic of China,State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, People’s Republic of China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangzhou, 510120, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yucui Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiannan Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ruoting Zhan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China,Correspondence: Ruoting Zhan; Ziren Su, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, no. 232, Waihuandong Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China, Email ;
| | - Ziren Su
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China
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Zhou B, Ye J, Yang N, Chen L, Zhuo Z, Mao L, Liu Q, Lan G, Ning J, Ge G, Yang L, Shen Y, Wang S, Zhang W. Metabolism and pharmacokinetics of alantolactone and isoalantolactone in rats: Thiol conjugation as a potential metabolic pathway. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2017; 1072:370-378. [PMID: 29223921 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2017.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Alantolactone (AL) and isoalantolactone (IAL), two major active sesquiterpene lactones isolated from Radix Inulae extract, have a wide range of pharmacological activities. The predominant metabolic pathway of AL and IAL observed was glutathione (GSH) conjugation in vitro, which could occur in the absence of metabolic enzymes. Non-enzymatic conjugation with cysteine (Cys) couldalso be observed. Four metabolites (AL-GSH, AL-Cys, IAL-GSH, IAL-Cys) were subsequently isolated and confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results indicated that the thiol of GSH or Cys can be reacted with the exomethylene carbon atoms of α, β-unsaturated carbonyl of AL and IAL. After intravenous administration in rats, AL and IAL were extensively metabolized, and the exposure, as measured by area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), for AL-GSH, AL-Cys, IAL-GSH, and IAL-Cys was approximately 1.54-, 0.96-, 1.50-, and 0.91-fold that of the parent drug, respectively. The AUC ratio of metabolites to parent compounds of oral administration was 3.66-, 9.19-, 12.97-, and 9.92-fold that of the parent drug for the above metabolites, respectively. The bioavailability of AL-total (AL, AL-GSH, AL-Cys) and IAL-total (IAL, IAL-GSH, IAL-Cys) was, respectively, 8.39% and 13.07%, which was 3.62- and 6.95- fold that of AL (2.32%) and IAL (1.88%), respectively. The oral exposure will be underestimated if the parent drugs are tested alone. These findings provide useful information for preclinical safety evaluation, and for predicting AL and IAL metabolism in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailun Zhou
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ji Ye
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Niao Yang
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liping Chen
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiguo Zhuo
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Mao
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qun Liu
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gongcai Lan
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Ning
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Resource Discovery, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Guangbo Ge
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Resource Discovery, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Resource Discovery, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Yunheng Shen
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shumei Wang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Weidong Zhang
- Department of Natural Product Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China; Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, China.
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