Effects and Mechanisms of Five Psoralea Prenylflavonoids on Aging-Related Diseases

Integrated approach of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and clinical observations in evaluating the efficacy and safety of Bufei Huoxue capsules for pulmonary hypertension associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a persistent and progressive disorder characterized by airway or alveolar abnormalities, commonly leading to pulmonary hypertension (PH). This clinical observational study investigates the therapeutic mechanisms of Bufei Huoxue capsules (BHC) in treating PH in patients with COPD-linked PH (COPD-PH) using network pharmacology and molecular docking methods, and assesses the therapeutic efficacy and safety of BHCs. The active compounds and their target proteins in BHCs were sourced from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database, with additional target proteins derived from the GeneCards and OMIM databases. An active network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.7.1, and interaction networks were established. Intersecting targets underwent Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis using the Metascape database. Network pharmacology and molecular docking studies demonstrated favorable binding affinities of BHC active ingredients, such as quercetin, bavachalcone, and isobavachin, for key targets including PTGS1, ESR1, and PTGS2. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis highlighted the involvement of these targets in processes such as the positive regulation of locomotion, the transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase signaling pathway, and peptidyl-tyrosine phosphorylation. KEGG pathway analysis indicated their roles in pathways related to cancer, AGE-RAGE signaling in diabetic complications, and prostate cancer. BHCs exhibit therapeutic effects on COPD-PH through multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway interactions. This clinical observational study confirms the efficacy and safety of BHCs in improving cardiac and pulmonary functions, enhancing exercise tolerance, and elevating the quality of life in patients with COPD-PH.

4'-O-methylbavachalcone alleviates ischemic stroke injury by inhibiting parthanatos and promoting SIRT3

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) can induce massive death of ischemic penumbra neurons via oxygen burst, exacerbating brain damage. Parthanatos is a form of caspase-independent cell death involving excessive activation of PARP-1, closely associated with intense oxidative stress following CIRI. 4'-O-methylbavachalcone (MeBavaC), an isoprenylated chalcone component in Fructus Psoraleae, has potential neuroprotective effects. This study primarily investigates whether MeBavaC can act on SIRT3 to alleviate parthanatos of ischemic penumbra neurons induced by CIRI. MeBavaC was oral gavaged to the middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion (MCAO/R) rats after occlusion. The effects of MeBavaC on cerebral injury were detected by the neurological deficit score and cerebral infarct volume. In vitro, PC-12 cells were subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R), and assessed cell viability and cell injury. Also, the levels of ROS, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and intracellular Ca2+ levels were detected to reflect mitochondrial function. We conducted western blotting analyses of proteins involved in parthanatos and related signaling pathways. Finally, the exact mechanism between the neuroprotection of MeBavaC and parthanatos was explored. Our results indicate that MeBavaC reduces the cerebral infarct volume and neurological deficit scores in MCAO/R rats, and inhibits the decreased viability of PC-12 cells induced by OGD/R. MeBavaC also downregulates the expression of parthanatos-related death proteins PARP-1, PAR, and AIF. However, this inhibitory effect is weakened after the use of a SIRT3 inhibitor. In conclusion, the protective effect of MeBavaC against CIRI may be achieved by inhibiting parthanatos of ischemic penumbra neurons through the SIRT3-PARP-1 axis.

Potential Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Anti-Aging and Aging-Related Diseases: Current Evidence and Perspectives

Aging and aging-related diseases present a global public health problem. Therefore, the development of efficient anti-aging drugs has become an important area of research. Traditional Chinese medicine is an important complementary and alternative branch of aging-related diseases therapy. Recently, a growing number of studies have revealed that traditional Chinese medicine has a certain delaying effect on the progression of aging and aging-related diseases. Here, we review the progress in research into using traditional Chinese medicine for aging and aging-related diseases (including neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer). Furthermore, we summarize the potential mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicine and provide references for further studies on aging and aging-related diseases.

Bavachinin Ameliorates Rheumatoid Arthritis Inflammation via PPARG/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

Bavachinin (BVC) is a natural small molecule from the Chinese herb Fructus Psoraleae. It exhibits numerous pharmacological effects, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and immunomodulatory properties. BVC may serve as a novel drug candidate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Nevertheless, the effects and mechanisms of BVC against RA are still unknown. BVC targets were selected by Swiss Target Prediction and the PharmMapper database. RA-related targets were collected from the GeneCards, OMIM, DrugBank, TTD, and DisGeNET databases. PPI network construction and enrichment analysis were conducted by taking the intersection target of BVC targets and RA-related targets. Hub targets were further screened using Cytoscape and molecular docking. MH7A cell lines and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice were used to confirm the preventive effect of BVC on RA and its potential mechanism. Fifty-six RA-related targets of BVC were identified through databases. These genes were primarily enriched in PI3K/AKT signaling pathway according to KEGG enrichment analysis. Molecular docking analysis suggested that BVC had the highest binding energy with PPARG. The qPCR and western blotting results showed that BVC promoted the expression of PPARG at both the mRNA level and protein level. Western blotting indicated that BVC might affect MH7A cell functions through the PI3K/AKT pathway. Furthermore, treatment with BVC inhibited the proliferation, migration, and production of inflammatory cytokines in MH7A cells and induced cell apoptosis to a certain extent. In vivo, BVC alleviated joint injury and inflammatory response in CIA mice. This study revealed that BVC may inhibit the proliferation, migration, and production of inflammatory cytokines in MH7A cells, as well as cell apoptosis through the PPARG/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for RA therapy.

Upregulation of A20 and TAX1BP1 contributes to the anti-neuroinflammatory and antidepressant effects of bavachalcone

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is associated with a variety of disorders, including depression. Bavachalcone is a natural ingredient extracted from Psoralea corylifolia and has various pharmacological effects. However, its anti-neuroinflammatory and antidepressant effects remain unclear. In the present study, we found that bavachalcone improved lipopolysaccharide-induced depressive-like behaviors in mice and exerted an inhibitory effect on the activation of microglia in brain tissue. Further study revealed that bavachalcone inhibited the expression of TRAF6 and the activation of the NF-κB pathway in lipopolysaccharide-induced in vitro and vivo models, while bavachalcone upregulated the expression of A20 and TAX1BP1 and enhanced their interactions. In addition, bavachalcone inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. Transfection with siRNA treatment showed that downregulation of A20 and TAX1BP1 weakened the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of bavachalcone. In conclusion, these results are the first to demonstrate that bavachalcone exerts anti-neuroinflammatory and antidepressant effects via inhibition of the NF-κB pathway mediated by upregulating A20 and TAX1BP1, and may be a potential candidate for the treatment of neuroinflammation-related diseases, including depression.

A practical method for rapid discrimination of constituents in Psoraleae Fructus by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS

Psoraleae Fructus (PF) is one of the most frequently used traditional Chinese medicine, which has good efficacy in warming kidney to activate yang, promoting inspiration to relieve asthma and warming spleen to stop diarrhea. However, the chemical composition of PF is complex, which makes it difficult to determine its active and toxic components. In order to rapidly classify and identify the chemical components of the extracts from PF, this research was processed with CNKI, PubMed, and PubChem databases and data post-processing technique basing on ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS) technique. Finally, 73 chemical components were discriminated, including 44 flavonoids, 18 coumarins, and 11 terpenoids, with the cleavage rules of each chemical component summarized. This study established a UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS method for the separation and discrimination of the chemical constituents of PF, which can lay a foundation for the further study of its medicinal substances and quality control.

In Silico and In Vitro Identification of P-Glycoprotein Inhibitors from a Library of 375 Phytochemicals

Cancer therapy with clinically established anticancer drugs is frequently hampered by the development of drug resistance of tumors and severe side effects in normal organs and tissues. The demand for powerful, but less toxic, drugs is high. Phytochemicals represent an important reservoir for drug development and frequently exert less toxicity than synthetic drugs. Bioinformatics can accelerate and simplify the highly complex, time-consuming, and expensive drug development process. Here, we analyzed 375 phytochemicals using virtual screenings, molecular docking, and in silico toxicity predictions. Based on these in silico studies, six candidate compounds were further investigated in vitro. Resazurin assays were performed to determine the growth-inhibitory effects towards wild-type CCRF-CEM leukemia cells and their multidrug-resistant, P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-overexpressing subline, CEM/ADR5000. Flow cytometry was used to measure the potential to measure P-gp-mediated doxorubicin transport. Bidwillon A, neobavaisoflavone, coptisine, and z-guggulsterone all showed growth-inhibitory effects and moderate P-gp inhibition, whereas miltirone and chamazulene strongly inhibited tumor cell growth and strongly increased intracellular doxorubicin uptake. Bidwillon A and miltirone were selected for molecular docking to wildtype and mutated P-gp forms in closed and open conformations. The P-gp homology models harbored clinically relevant mutations, i.e., six single missense mutations (F336Y, A718C, Q725A, F728A, M949C, Y953C), three double mutations (Y310A-F728A; F343C-V982C; Y953A-F978A), or one quadruple mutation (Y307C-F728A-Y953A-F978A). The mutants did not show major differences in binding energies compared to wildtypes. Closed P-gp forms generally showed higher binding affinities than open ones. Closed conformations might stabilize the binding, thereby leading to higher binding affinities, while open conformations may favor the release of compounds into the extracellular space. In conclusion, this study described the capability of selected phytochemicals to overcome multidrug resistance.

The acute oral toxicity test of ethanol extract of salt-processed Psoraleae Fructus and its acute hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity risk assessment

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Psoraleae Fructus is a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine which has long been used to warm and tonify the kidney and treat diseases such as osteoporosis and diarrhea. However, it may cause multiorgan injury, which limited its use.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to identify the components of ethanol extract of salt-processed Psoraleae Fructus (EEPF) and systematically investigate its acute oral toxicity and the mechanism underlying its acute hepatotoxicity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, the UHPLC-HRMS analysis was carried out for components identification. Followed by acute oral toxicity test in Kunming mice, which received oral gavage of EEPF from 3.85 to 78.00 g/kg. Body weight, organ indexes, biochemical analysis, morphology, histopathology, oxidative stress state, TUNEL, mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway were evaluated to study the EEPF-induced acute hepatotoxicity and its underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

The results showed that 107 compounds such as psoralen and isopsoralen were identified in EEPF. And the acute oral toxicity test demonstrated the LD₅₀ of EEPF was 15.95 g/kg in Kunming mice. The survival mice displayed non-significant difference in body weight compared with Control at the end of the observation period. And the organ indexes of heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney showed no significant difference. However, the morphological and histopathological changes of these organs in high-dose-groups mice indicated that the liver and kidney might be the main target toxic organs of EEPF, which showed hepatocyte degeneration with lipid droplets and protein cast in kidney. It could be confirmed by the significant increases of liver and kidney function parameters such as AST, ALT, LDH, BUN, and Crea. In addition, the oxidative stress markers, MDA in the liver and kidney was significantly increased while SOD, CAT, GSH-Px (only liver), and GSH were significantly decreased. Furthermore, EEPF increased the TUNEL-positive cells and the mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3, Caspase-1, ASC and GSDMD in liver with increased protein expression of IL-1β and IL-18. Notably, cell viability test showed that the specific inhibitor of Caspase-1 could reverse the Hep-G2 cell death induced by EEPF.

CONCLUSION

To summarize, this study analyzed the 107 compounds of EEPF. The acute oral toxicity test demonstrated the LD₅₀ value of EEPF was 15.95 g/kg in Kunming mice and the liver and kidney might be the main target toxic organs of EEPF. It caused liver injury through oxidative stress and pyroptotic damage via NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.

The Role of Natural Products as Inhibitors of JAK/STAT Signaling Pathways in Glioblastoma Treatment

The permeability of glioblastoma, as well as its escaping the immune system, makes them one of the most deadly human malignancies. By avoiding programmed cell death (apoptosis), unlimited cell growth and metastatic ability could dramatically affect the immune system. Genetic mutations, epigenetic changes, and overexpression of oncogenes can cause this process. On the other hand, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and intratumor heterogeneity are important factors causing resistance to therapy. Several signaling pathways have been identified in this field, including the Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK) converter and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) activator pathways, which are closely related. In addition, the JAK/STAT signaling pathway contributes to a wide array of tumorigenesis functions, including replication, anti-apoptosis, angiogenesis, and immune suppression. Introducing this pathway as the main tumorigenesis and treatment resistance center can give a better understanding of how it operates. In light of this, it is an important goal in treating many disorders, particularly cancer. The inhibition of this signaling pathway is being considered an approach to the treatment of glioblastoma. The use of natural products alternatively to conventional therapies is another area of research interest among researchers. Some natural products that originate from plants or natural sources can interfere with JAK/STAT signaling in human malignant cells, also by stopping the progression and phosphorylation of JAK/STAT, inducing apoptosis, and stopping the cell cycle. Natural products are a viable alternative to conventional chemotherapy because of their cost-effectiveness, wide availability, and almost no side effects.

Isobavachalcone disrupts mitochondrial respiration and induces cytotoxicity through ROS accumulation and Akt suppression

Isobavachalcone (IBC) is one of the flavonoid components in Fructus Psoraleae, and has been found multiple pharmacological effects. However, the hepatotoxicity of IBC has been overlooked and not been carefully studied. We aim to find out the cytotoxicity of IBC on HepG2 cells, and explore the underlying mechanisms. HepG2 cells were treated with IBC for 24 h, then MTT assay and LDH assay were used to detect the cell viability. The apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were reflected by the flow cytometry. Using Seahorse Analyzer, we measured the mitochondrial respiratory capacity. The expression of oxidative stress and mitochondrial apoptosis-related proteins were determined by Western blot. The results showed that IBC induced the cell death and apoptosis of HepG2 cells. IBC initiated the accumulation of ROS in cells and impaired the mitochondrial function, triggered apoptosis and suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt. Additionally, scavenging ROS by the antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) reduced IBC-induced mitochondria damage and increased Akt phosphorylation. Taken together, IBC caused mitochondrial damage and induced hepatotoxicity by ROS accumulation and Akt suppression. Targeting oxidative stress and depressing mitochondrial damage may provide a theoretical basis for the treatment and prevention of IBC-induced hepatotoxicity in clinic.

Antibacterial activities of plant-derived xanthones

The increasing threat to global health posed by antibiotic resistance remains a serious concern. This troublesome scenario has steered a need for the discovery and evaluation of novel antibacterial agents. Natural products are the main sources of antimicrobials used in clinical practice, serving as a rich reservoir for the discovery of new antibiotics. Pharmaceutical phenolics especially xanthones widely exist in the plant kingdom, and are important plant metabolites. They possess versatile biological activities, including antiviral, antibacterial, neurotrophic, and anticancer. In the present study, we focus on the antibacterial activities of phytoxanthones and summarize their structures and sources, categories and drug-likeness evaluations, and antibacterial activities. A total of 226 different plant xanthones are identified through the NETs screening, and most of them are distributed in Clusiaceae family. These phytoxanthones are divided into four groups according to the intrinsic structural properties, including the most common simple xanthones and the majority of biprenylated ones. Moreover, their physicochemical parameters are calculated and the structure-activity relationships are discussed as well. These results indicate that the biprenylated xanthone derivatives may be promising antibacterial candidates and that the natural products of plants may be a poorly understood repository for the discovery of novel antibacterial agents.