Microarray analysis reveals the molecular basis of antiarthritic activity of huo-luo-xiao-ling dan

Huoluo Xiaoling Pellet promotes microglia M2 polarization through increasing MCPIP1 expression for ischemia stroke alleviation

Huoluo Xiaoling Pellet (HXP), a Chinese patent medicine, is commonly administered for the treatment of treat ischemic strokes. MCPIP1, an inducible suppressor of the inflammatory response, is a regulator of microglial M2 polarization. This study aimed to explore whether HXP can promote microglial M2 polarization by upregulating MCPIP1 expression, consequently mitigating cerebral ischemic injury. Our study involved 85 Sprague-Dawley rats (weighing 250-280 g). We established middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and oxygen-glucose deprivation-reoxygenation (OGD/R) models with MCPIP1 knockdown to assess the effects of HXP on ischemic strokes. Our findings show that HXP reduced brain water content, improved neurological function, and inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors in the brain tissues of MCAO rats. The neuroprotective effects of HXP on cerebral ischemic injuries were compromised by MCPIP1 knockdown. Immunofluorescence results indicated that the expression of microglia marker Iba1 and M2 phenotypic marker CD206 was upregulated in MCAO rats and OGD/R-treated microglia. Administration of HXP significantly reduced Iba1 expression and facilitated CD206 expression, an effect that was counteracted by sh-MCPIP1 transfection. Western blotting revealed that HXP treatment augmented the expression of MCPIP1, microglial M2 marker proteins (CD206 and Arg1), and PPARγ, while reducing the expression of microglial M1 marker proteins (CD16 and iNOS) in MCAO rats and OGD/R-induced microglia. MCPIP1 knockdown suppressed HXP-mediated upregulation of MCPIP1, CD206, Arg1, and PPARγ, as well as the downregulation of CD16 and iNOS. Our findings suggest that HXP primarily ameliorates ischemic stroke through the upregulation of MCPIP1, which in turn induces microglial M2 polarization.

Natural medicine HLXL targets multiple pathways of amyloid-mediated neuroinflammation and immune response in treating alzheimer's disease

BACKGROUND

Based on the complex pathology of AD, a single chemical approach may not be sufficient to deal simultaneously with multiple pathways of amyloid-tau neuroinflammation. A polydrug approach which contains multiple bioactive components targeting multiple pathways in AD would be more appropriate. Here we focused on a Chinese medicine (HLXL), which contains 56 bioactive natural products identified in 11 medicinal plants and displays potent anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory activity.

HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE

We investigated the neuroimmune and neuroinflammation mechanisms by which HLXL may attenuate AD neuropathology. Specifically, we investigated the effects of HLXL on the neuropathology of AD using both transgenic mouse models as well as microglial cell-based models.

STUDY DESIGN

The 5XFAD transgenic animals and microglial cell models were respectively treated with HLXL and Aβ42, and/or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and then analyzed focusing on microglia mediated Aβ uptake and clearance, as well as pathway changes.

METHODS

We showed that HLXL significantly reduced amyloid neuropathology by upregulation of microglia-mediated phagocytosis of Aβ both in vivo and in vitro. HLXL displayed multi-modal mechanisms regulating pathways of phagocytosis and energy metabolism.

RESULTS

Our results may not only open a new avenue to support pharmacologic modulation of neuroinflammation and the neuroimmune system for AD intervention, but also identify HLXL as a promising natural medicine for AD.

CONCLUSION

It is conceivable that the traditional wisdom of natural medicine in combination with modern science and technology would be the best strategy in developing effective therapeutics for AD.

Systems Pharmacology Dissection of Multiscale Mechanisms of Action for Herbal Medicines in Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

As a chronic inflammatory and angiogenic disease with increased morbidity and mortality, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by the proliferation of synovial tissue and the accumulation of excessive mononuclear infiltration, which always results in the joint deformity, disability, and eventually the destruction of the bone and cartilage. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), with rich history of proper effectiveness in treating the inflammatory joint disease containing RA, has long combated such illness from, actually, an integrative and holistic point of view. However, its "multi-components" and "multi-targets" features make it very difficult to decipher the molecular mechanisms of RA from a systematic perspective if employing only routine methods. Presently, an innovative systems-pharmacology approach was introduced, which combined the ADME screening model, drug targeting, and network pharmacology, to explore the action mechanisms of botanic herbs for the treatment of RA. As a result, we uncovered 117 active compounds and 85 key molecular targets from seven RA-related herbs, which are mainly implicated in four signaling pathways, that is, vascular endothelial growth factor, PI3K-Akt, Toll-like receptor, and T-cell-receptor pathways. Additionally, the network relationships among the active components, target proteins, and pathways were further built to uncover the pharmacological characters of these herbs. Besides, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and molecular mechanics-Poisson-Boltzmann surface area calculations were carried out to explore the binding interactions between the compounds and their receptors as well as to investigate the binding affinity of the ligand to their protein targets. In vitro experiments by ligand binding assays validate the reliability of the drug-target interactions as well as the MD results. The high binding affinities and good inhibitions of the active compounds indicate that the potential therapeutic effects of these herbal medicines for treating RA are exerted probably through the modulation of these relevant proteins, which further validates the rationality and reliability of the drug-target interactions as well as our the network-based analytical methods. This work may be of help for not only understanding the action mechanisms of TCM and for discovering new drugs from plants for the treatment of RA, but also providing a novel potential method for modern medicine in treating complex diseases.

Corals and their potential applications to integrative medicine

Over the last few years, we have pursued the use and exploitation of invertebrate immune systems, most notably their humoral products, to determine what effects their complex molecules might exert on humans, specifically their potential for therapeutic applications. This endeavor, called “bioprospecting,” is an emerging necessity for biomedical research. In order to treat the currently “untreatable,” or to discover more efficient treatment modalities, all options and potential sources must be exhausted so that we can provide the best care to patients, that is, proceed from forest and ocean ecosystems through the laboratory to the bedside. Here, we review current research findings that have yielded therapeutic benefits, particularly as derived from soft and hard corals. Several applications have already been demonstrated, including anti-inflammatory properties, anticancer properties, bone repair, and neurological benefits.