13-Methylberberine improves endothelial dysfunction by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation via autophagy induction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Phellodendron chinense C.K.Schneid: An in vitro study on its anti-Helicobacter pylori effect

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Phellodendron chinense C.K.Schneid(P. chinense Schneid) is known in TCM as Huang Bo, is traditionally used to support gastrointestinal function and alleviate stomach-related ailments, including gastric ulcer bleeding and symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is classified by the WHO as a Group 1 carcinogen. However, the specific activity and mechanism of action of P. chinense Schneid against H. pylori infection remain unclear. It has been noted that Huangjiu processing may alter the bitter and cold properties of P. chinense Schneid, but its effect on antimicrobial activity requires further investigation. Additionally, it remains uncertain whether berberine is the sole antimicrobial active component of P. chinense Schneid.

AIM OF STUDY

This study aims to elucidate the anti-H. pylori infection activity of P. chinense Schneid, along with its mechanism of action and key antimicrobial active components.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Phytochemical analysis was carried out by UPLC-MS/MS. HPLC was employed to quantify the berberine content of the extracts. Antimicrobial activity was assessed using the micro broth dilution method. Morphology was observed using SEM. The impact on urease activity was analyzed through in vitro urease enzyme kinetics. RT-qPCR was employed to detect the expression of virulence genes, including adhesin, flagellum, urease, and cytotoxin-related genes. The adhesion effect was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining and agar culture.

RESULTS

P. chinense Schneid exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against both antibiotic-sensitive and resistant H. pylori strains, with MIC ranging from 40 to 160 μg/mL. Combination with amoxicillin, metronidazole, levofloxacin, and clarithromycin did not result in antagonistic effects. P. chinense Schneid induced alterations in bacterial morphology and structure, downregulated the expression of various virulence genes, and inhibited urease enzyme activity. In co-infection systems, P. chinense Schneid significantly attenuated H. pylori adhesion and urease relative content, thereby mitigating cellular damage caused by infection. Huangjiu processing enhanced the anti-H. pylori activity of P. chinense Schneid. Besides berberine, P. chinense Schneid contained seven other components with anti-H. pylori activity, with palmatine exhibiting the strongest activity, followed by jatrorrhizine.

CONCLUSIONS

This study sheds light on the potential therapeutic mechanisms of P. chinense Schneid against H. pylori infection, demonstrating its capacity to disrupt bacterial structure, inhibit urease activity, suppress virulence gene transcription, inhibit adhesion, and protect host cells. The anti-H. pylori activity of P. chinense Schneid was potentiated by Huangjiu processing, and additional components beyond berberine were identified as possessing strong anti-H. pylori activity. Notably, jatrorrhizine, a core component of P. chinense Schneid, exhibited significant anti-H. pylori activity, marking a groundbreaking discovery.

The role and mechanism of action of miR‑92a in endothelial cell autophagy

Although microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) serve a significant role in the autophagy of vascular endothelial cells (ECs), the effect of miR‑92a on the autophagy of ECs is currently unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the impact of miR‑92a on autophagy in ECs and the underlying molecular processes that control this biological activity. Firstly, an autophagy model of EA.hy926 cells was generated via treatment with the autophagy inducer rapamycin (rapa‑EA.hy926 cells). The expression levels of miR‑92a were then detected by reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR, and the effect of miR‑92a expression on the autophagic activity of rapa‑EA.hy926 cells was studied by overexpressing or inhibiting miR‑92a. The level of autophagy was evaluated by western blot analysis, immunofluorescence staining and transmission electron microscopy. Dual‑luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the interaction between miR‑92a and FOXO3. The results demonstrated that the expression levels of miR‑92a were decreased in the rapa‑EA.hy926 cell autophagy model. Furthermore, overexpression and inhibition of miR‑92a revealed that upregulation of miR‑92a in these cells inhibited autophagy, whereas miR‑92a knockdown promoted it. It was also confirmed that miR‑92a directly bound to the 3'‑untranslated region of the autophagy‑related gene FOXO3 and reduced its expression. In conclusion, the present study suggested that miR‑92a inhibits autophagy activity in EA.hy926 cells by targeting FOXO3.

Exploring global research trends in Chinese medicine for atherosclerosis: a bibliometric study 2012-2023

Background

While Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) boasts an extensive historical lineage and abundant clinical expertise in addressing atherosclerosis, this field is yet to be penetrated adequately by bibliometric studies. This study is envisaged to evaluate the contemporary scenario of TCM in conjunction with atherosclerosis over the preceding decade while also identifying forthcoming research trends and emerging topics via the lens of bibliometric analysis.

Methods

Literature pertaining to TCM and atherosclerosis, circulated between January 1, 2012 and November 14, 2023, was garnered for the purpose of this research. The examination embraced annual publications, primary countries/regions, engaged institutions and authors, scholarly journals, references, and keywords, utilizing analytical tools like Bibliometrix, CiteSpace, ScimagoGraphica, and VOSviewer present in the R package.

Result

This field boasts a total of 1,623 scholarly articles, the majority of which have been contributed by China in this field, with significant contributions stemming from the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Moreover, this field has received financial support from both the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National Key Basic Research Development Program. Wang Yong tops the list in terms of publication count, while Xu Hao's articles take the lead for the total number of citations, positioning them at the core of the authors' collaborative network. The Journal of Ethnopharmacology leads with the most publications and boasts the greatest total number of citations. Principal research foci within the intersection of Chinese Medicine and Atherosclerosis encompass disease characteristics and pathogenic mechanisms, theoretical underpinnings and syndrome-specific treatments in Chinese medicine, potentialities of herbal interventions, and modulation exerted by Chinese medicines on gut microbiota.

Conclusion

This analysis offers a sweeping survey of the contemporary condition, principal foci, and progressive trends in worldwide research related to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and atherosclerosis. It further delves into an in-depth dissection of prominent countries, research institutions, and scholars that have made noteworthy strides in this discipline. Additionally, the report analyzes the most cited articles, research developments, and hotspots in the field, providing a reference for future research directions for clinical researchers and practitioners.

Traditional Chinese medicine and mitophagy: A novel approach for cardiovascular disease management

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, imposing an enormous economic burden on individuals and human society. Laboratory studies have identified several drugs that target mitophagy for the prevention and treatment of CVD. Only a few of these drugs have been successful in clinical trials, and most studies have been limited to animal and cellular models. Furthermore, conventional drugs used to treat CVD, such as antiplatelet agents, statins, and diuretics, often result in adverse effects on patients' cardiovascular, metabolic, and respiratory systems. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has gained significant attention for its unique theoretical basis and clinical efficacy in treating CVD.

PURPOSE

This paper systematically summarizes all the herbal compounds, extracts, and active monomers used to target mitophagy for the treatment of CVD in the last five years. It provides valuable information for researchers in the field of basic cardiovascular research, pharmacologists, and clinicians developing herbal medicines with fewer side effects, as well as a useful reference for future mitophagy research.

METHODS

The search terms "cardiovascular disease," "mitophagy," "herbal preparations," "active monomers," and "cardiac disease pathogenesis" in combination with "natural products" and "diseases" were used to search for studies published in the past five years until January 2024.

RESULTS

Studies have shown that mitophagy plays a significant role in the progression and development of CVD, such as atherosclerosis (AS), heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI), cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmia. Herbal compound preparations, crude extracts, and active monomers have shown potential as effective treatments for these conditions. These substances protect cardiomyocytes by inducing mitophagy, scavenging damaged mitochondria, and maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. They display notable efficacy in combating CVD.

CONCLUSION

TCM (including herbal compound preparations, extracts, and active monomers) can treat CVD through various pharmacological mechanisms and signaling pathways by inducing mitophagy. They represent a hotspot for future cardiovascular basic research and a promising candidate for the development of future cardiovascular drugs with fewer side effects and better therapeutic efficacy.

Mitophagy in atherosclerosis: from mechanism to therapy

Mitophagy is a type of autophagy that can selectively eliminate damaged and depolarized mitochondria to maintain mitochondrial activity and cellular homeostasis. Several pathways have been found to participate in different steps of mitophagy. Mitophagy plays a significant role in the homeostasis and physiological function of vascular endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and macrophages, and is involved in the development of atherosclerosis (AS). At present, many medications and natural chemicals have been shown to alter mitophagy and slow the progression of AS. This review serves as an introduction to the field of mitophagy for researchers interested in targeting this pathway as part of a potential AS management strategy.

DBDPE upregulates NOD-like receptor signaling to induce NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated HAECs pyroptosis

Decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), a typical new brominated flame retardant (BFR), is a widespread new pollutant in the environment. Several studies and our previous studies have found that DBDPE can cause aortic endothelial injury and aortic endothelial cell pyroptosis, whereas the molecular mechanism involved has not been elucidated. In this study, we exposed human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) to 25 μmol/L of DBDPE and analyzed the gene expression profiles by Affymetrix PrimeView™ Human Gene Expression Chip. The results showed that 886 genes were differentially expressed in the DBDPE exposure group. Enrichment analyses revealed that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the inflammatory response and NOD-like receptor signal pathway. Gene-gene functional interaction analyses and crossover genes and pathways analyses found that the NOD-like receptor signal pathway may be involved in regulating NLRP3 and IL-18. We found that NOD2 cannot interact with NLRP3 directly through an immunoprecipitation experiment. Thus, we construct the RIPK2 knockdown HAECs cell line to repress the NOD-like receptor signaling and further study the mechanism of DBDPE-activated NLRP3 inflammasome to induce HAECs pyroptosis. The results showed that RIPK2 knockdown could repress DBDPE-induced NOD-like receptor signaling pathway upregulation, inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and decrease HAECs pyroptosis. In addition, RIPK2 knockdown decreased the ROS generation in HAECs induced by DBDPE. And NAC pretreated HAECs inhibited DBDPE-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and HAECs pyroptosis. These results demonstrated that DBDPE upregulated NOD-like receptor signaling to induce ROS generation and, in turn, activated NLRP3 inflammasome, leading to HAECs pyroptosis.

Autophagy in Atherosclerotic Plaque Cells: Targeting NLRP3 Inflammasome for Self-Rescue

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a lipid-driven disorder of the artery intima characterized by the equilibrium between inflammatory and regressive processes. A protein complex called NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in the release of mature interleukin-1β (IL-1β), which is connected to the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Autophagy, which includes macroautophagy, chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), and microautophagy, is generally recognized as the process by which cells transfer their constituents to lysosomes for digestion. Recent studies have suggested a connection between vascular inflammation and autophagy. This review summarizes the most recent studies and the underlying mechanisms associated with different autophagic pathways and NLRP3 inflammasomes in vascular inflammation, aiming to provide additional evidence for atherosclerosis research.

Recent advance in treatment of atherosclerosis: Key targets and plaque-positioned delivery strategies

Atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease of vascular wall, is a progressive pathophysiological process with lipids oxidation/depositing initiation and innate/adaptive immune responses. The coordination of multi systems covering oxidative stress, dysfunctional endothelium, diseased lipid uptake, cell apoptosis, thrombotic and pro-inflammatory responding as well as switched SMCs contributes to plaque growth. In this circumstance, inevitably, targeting these processes is considered to be effective for treating atherosclerosis. Arriving, retention and working of payload candidates mediated by targets in lesion direct ultimate therapeutic outcomes. Accumulating a series of scientific studies and clinical practice in the past decades, lesion homing delivery strategies including stent/balloon/nanoparticle-based transportation worked as the potent promotor to ensure a therapeutic effect. The objective of this review is to achieve a very brief summary about the effective therapeutic methods cooperating specifical targets and positioning-delivery strategies in atherosclerosis for better outcomes.

Targeting Reactive Oxygen Species in Atherosclerosis via Chinese Herbal Medicines

Cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCVD) has become the leading cause of human mortality with the coming acceleration of global population aging. Atherosclerosis is among the most common pathological changes in CCVDs. It is also a multifactorial disorder; oxidative stress caused by excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has become an important mechanism of atherosclerosis. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is a major type of natural medicine that has made great contributions to human health. CHMs are increasingly used in the auxiliary clinical treatment of atherosclerosis. Although their mechanism of action is unclear, CHMs can exert a variety of antiatherosclerosis effects by regulating intracellular ROS. In this review, we discussed the mechanism of ROS regulation in atherosclerosis and analyzed the role of CHMs in the treatment of atherosclerosis via ROS.

Role of pyroptosis in atherosclerosis and its therapeutic implications

Atherosclerosis is a significant cardiovascular burden and a leading cause of death worldwide, recognized as a chronic sterile inflammatory disease. Pyroptosis is a novel proinflammatory regulated cell death, characterized by cell swelling, plasma membrane bubbling, and robust release of proinflammatory cytokines (such as interleukin IL-1β and IL-18). Mounting studies have addressed the crucial contribution of pyroptosis to atherosclerosis and clarified the candidate therapeutic agents targeting pyroptosis for atherosclerosis. Herein, we review the initial characterization of pyroptosis, the detailed mechanisms of pyroptosis, current evidence about pyroptosis and atherosclerosis, and potential therapeutic strategies that target pyroptosis in the development of atherosclerosis.

PM2.5-induced pulmonary inflammation via activating of the NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5)-induced pulmonary inflammation has become a public concern in recent years. In which, the activation of the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway was closely related to the inflammatory response of various diseases. However, the promotion effect of the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway on PM2.5-induced pulmonary inflammation remains largely unclear. Here, our data showed that PM2.5 exposure caused lung injury in the mice by which inflammatory cell infiltration occurred in lung and alveolar structure disorder. Meanwhile, the exposure of human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE) to PM2.5 resulted in suppressed cell viability, as well as elevated cell apoptosis. Moreover, a higher level of inflammatory cytokine and activation of the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway in PM2.5-induced inflammation mice models and 16HBE cells. Mechanistically, pretreatment with MCC950, a NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway inhibitor, prevented PM2.5-induced lung injury, inflammatory response, and the number of inflammatory cells in BALFs, as well as promoted cell viability and decreased inflammatory cytokine secretion. Collectively, our findings indicated that the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway serves a vital role in the pathological changes of pulmonary inflammation caused by PM2.5 exposure. MCC950 was expected to be the therapeutic target of PM2.5 inhalation mediated inflammatory diseases.