Study on the antiviral activity of San Huang Yi Gan Capsule against hepatitis B virus with seropharmacological method

Simiao Yong'an decoction ameliorates murine collagen-induced arthritis by modulating neutrophil activities: An in vitro and in vivo study

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common systemic autoimmune disease with high morbidity and disability rate. Currently, there is no effective allopathic treatment for RA, and most of the drugs provoke many adverse effects. Simiao Yong'an decoction (SMYAD) is a traditional Chinese prescription for the treatment of sore and gangrene caused by hot poison. With the development of pharmacology and clinical research, SMYAD has remarkable anti-inflammatory properties and has been used for RA treatments for years.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the anti-arthritic effect of SMYAD and further explore the immunopharmacological mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Arthritis was induced in DBA/1 mice by two-time immunizations. Collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis (CIA) mice were divided into 4 groups: control, model, methotrexate (MTX), and SMYAD group (n = 6). The administration groups were given MTX (0.5 mg/kg/3 d) and SMYAD (4.5 g/kg/d) by gavage from day 14. The arthritis index (AI) score was evaluated every 3 days after the second immunization. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Safranin-O fast green staining, Trap staining, and Micro-CT were used to measure the histopathology injuries and bone destruction of joints. Granulocyte changes in the spleen, bone marrow, and period blood were analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in joints were detected by qRT-PCR. SMYAD-containing serum was obtained from SD rats gavaged with SMYAD. Neutrophils were isolated from peripheral blood and bone marrow for the in vitro experiments of transwell cell assay, apoptosis assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation.

RESULTS

SMYAD significantly relieved arthritis severity in CIA mice. The AI score was significantly decreased in the SMYAD group compared with the model group. Additionally, SMYAD alleviated inflammatory infiltration, cartilage damage, osteoclast formation, and bone damage in the ankle joints. In the flow cytometry assay, SMYAD significantly reduced granulocytes number in the spleen and bone marrow, while increased in peripheral blood. Furthermore, compared with the CIA group, SMYAD suppressed the mRNA levels of inflammatory factors including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and chemokines CXCL1, CXCL2, and IL-8 in the inflamed joints. In the in vitro studies, 20% SMYAD-containing serum effectively inhibited the migration of neutrophils, promoted neutrophils apoptosis, reduced ROS production and NETs formation.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, our results demonstrated that SMYAD effectively restrained arthritis in CIA mice by modulating neutrophil activities.

Green tea protects against hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in diabetic encephalopathy by inhibiting JNK/MLCK signaling

Although diabetic encephalopathy (DE) is a major late complication of diabetes, the pathophysiology of postural instability in DE remains poorly understood. Prior studies have suggested that neuronal apoptosis is closely associated with cognitive function, but the mechanism remains to be elucidated. Green tea, which is a non-fermented tea, contains a number of tea polyphenols, alkaloids, amino acids, polysaccharides and other components. Some studies have found that drinking green tea can reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases and improve cognitive dysfunction. We previously found that myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) regulates apoptosis in high glucose-induced hippocampal neurons. In neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, activation of the JNK signaling pathway promotes neuronal apoptosis. However, the relationship between JNK and MLCK remains to be elucidated. Green tea serum was obtained using seropharmacological methods and applied to hippocampal neurons. In addition, a type 1 diabetes rat model was established and green tea extract was administered, and the Morris water maze test, Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, flow cytometry, western blotting and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labelling assays were used to examine the effects of green tea on hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in diabetic rats. The results demonstrated that green tea can protect against hippocampal neuronal apoptosis by inhibiting the JNK/MLCK pathway and ultimately improves cognitive function in diabetic rats. The present study provided novel insights into the neuroprotective effects of green tea.

Mechanisms of inhibiting human leukemia cell lines by serum of rats treated with compound banmao capsule

Compound banmao capsule (CBC) is a traditional Chinese medicinal formula composed of extracts from 11 organisms. The present study investigated the mechanism of CBC on the biological behavior of human leukemia cell lines using seropharmacological methods. CBC-containing rat serum was prepared by intragastrical administration of CBC to rats. The proliferation of human leukemia HL60 and K562 cell lines was assayed by measuring cell viability with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium method, while cell cycle distribution and the rate of apoptosis were evaluated with flow cytometry. The mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and chemotactic and inflammatory genes in human leukemia cell lines was examined using reverse transcription quantitative-polymerase chain reaction methods. It was revealed that the proliferation of K562 and HL60 cells was significantly inhibited by the CBC-containing rat serum at 72 h. The CBC-containing serum also promoted the apoptosis of K562 and HL60 cell lines. The CBC-containing serum altered the cell cycle progression of K562 and HL60, increasing the proportion of the cells in G1 phase and decreasing the proportion of the cells in S phase. Attenuated expression of VEGF-A and a decreasing trend in the expression of chemotactic and inflammatory genes were identified following treatment with CBC-containing serum in HL60 and K562 cells. In conclusion, CBC-containing serum exerted an inhibitory effect on the growth of K562 and HL60 cells by decreasing cellular proliferation, promoting apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and decreasing the expression of VEGF-A, and chemotactic and inflammatory genes.

Guizhi Fuling Wan, a Traditional Chinese Herbal Formula, Sensitizes Cisplatin-Resistant Human Ovarian Cancer Cells through Inactivation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway

The aim of the study was to explore the possible mechanisms that Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW) enhances the sensitivity of the SKOV3/DDP ovarian cancer cells and the resistant xenograft tumours to cisplatin. Rat medicated sera containing GFW were prepared by administering GFW to rats, and the primary bioactive constituents of the sera were gallic acid, paeonol, and paeoniflorin analysed by HPLC/QqQ MS. Cell counting kit-8 analysis was shown that coincubation of the sera with cisplatin/paclitaxel enhanced significantly the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin or paclitaxel in SKOV3/DDP cells. The presence of the rat medicated sera containing GFW resulted in an increase in rhodamine 123 accumulation by flow cytometric assays and a decrease in the protein levels of P-gp, phosphorylation of AKT at Ser473, and mTOR in a dose-dependent manner in SKOV3/DDP cells by western blot analysis, but the sera had no effect on the protein levels of PI3K p110α and total AKT. The low dose of GFW enhanced the anticancer efficacy of cisplatin and paclitaxel treatment in resistant SKOV3/DDP xenograft tumours. GFW could sensitize cisplatin-resistant SKOV3/DDP cells by inhibiting the protein level and function of P-gp, which may be medicated through inactivation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Wenyang Huazhuo Tongluo formula, a Chinese herbal decoction, improves skin fibrosis by promoting apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation through down-regulation of survivin and cyclin D1 in systemic sclerosis

Background

Fibrosis is a major contributor to systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related morbidity, and rapid, progressive skin involvement predicts later mortality. Western medicine therapies for SSc cannot produce satisfactory effects currently, while Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), such as the Wenyang Huazhuo Tongluo (WYHZTL) formula, a Chinese herbal decoction, has shown amazing anti-fibrosis efficacy on SSc in clinical applications. This study is aiming to investigate the anti-fibrotic mechanism of WYHZTL formula for the treatment of SSc.

Methods

Fibroblasts from primary culture of skin lesions of SSc patients were exposed to rat medicated sera containing WYHZTL or XAV939, a small-molecule inhibitor of both tankyrase 1/2 and Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Cell counting kit-8 assay and Annexin V FITC/PI apoptosis kit were used to analyze cell proliferation and apoptosis in fibroblasts, respectively. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels of cyclin D1 and survivin.

Results

After 28, 48 and 72 h of incubation, the proliferative ability of the fibroblasts cells was obviously reduced by the sera containing WYHZTL compared with that in the control group; the percentage of apoptotic cell population in the sera containing WYHZTL treated fibroblasts cells was significantly higher than that in those treated with the control sera, and was about similar to that in those treated with XAV939. The sera containing WYHZTL could down-regulate both mRNA and protein levels of cyclin D1 and survivin, compared with the control group.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic actions of WYHZTL formula against fibroblasts and the effect may be related to the down-regulation of mRNA and protein levels of cyclin D1 and survivin in SSc.

Anti-metastatic effect and mechanisms of Wenshen Zhuanggu Formula in human breast cancer cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Wenshen Zhuanggu Formula (WSZG), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) empirical prescription, has been used to treat the patients with breast cancer bone metastasis as an adjuvant in clinical practice. To explore the anti-metastatic activity and potential mechanisms of WSZG-containing serum (WSZG-CS) on highly bone-metastatic human breast cancer MDA-MB-231BO cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MDA-MB-231BO cells were cultured alone or co-cultured with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Invasion assays were carried out in Matrigel-coated Transwell chambers. CC chemokine 5 (CCL5) and interleukin (IL)-17B secretion levels were detected by ELISA. CCR5 and IL-17BR protein expression levels were determined by immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Compared with control serum, WSZG-CS significantly inhibited BMSC induced MDA-MB-231BO breast cancer cell invasion, reduced CCL5 and IL-17B levels in co-culture supernatants, and downregulated CCR5 and IL-17BR protein expression in breast cancer cells co-cultured with BMSCs.

CONCLUSIONS

WSZG-CS exerts an anti-metastatic activity against MDA-MB-231BO breast cancer cells, due to its ability to mitigate the interaction between BMSCs and breast cancer cells mediated via the CCL5/CCR5 and IL-17B/IL-17BR signaling pathways.

Rabbit sera containing compound danshen dripping pill attenuate leukocytes adhesion to TNF-alpha--activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells by suppressing endothelial ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression through NF-kappaB signaling pathway

The adherence to circulating leukocytes, such as monocytes and neutrophils, to vascular endothelial cells is of central importance to the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including atherosclerosis and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Compound danshen dripping pill (CDDP; Fufang Danshen Diwan in Chinese), namely cardiotonic pill, is extensively used for CVDs medication in China and some other countries. Here, we sought to investigate the effect of CDDP on leukocytes binding to vascular endothelial cells and elaborate the possibly underlying mechanism. Using seropharmacological method, rabbit sera containing CDDP were shown to mitigate the adhesiveness of monocytes and neutrophils to tumor necrosis factor alpha-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells in dose and time-dependent manners, alleviate the levels of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 messenger RNA and protein dose dependently and also encumber IκBα degradation, p65 nuclear translocation, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) DNA-binding activity, and NF-κB-responsive gene transcription in tumor necrosis factor alpha-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells. This study suggests that CDDP protects against CVDs potentially by attenuation of leukocytes-endothelium adhesion cascade via lessening endothelial cell adhesion molecules expression and NF-κB signaling pathway activity.