Six Alkaloids Inhibit Secretion of IL-1α, TXB2, ET-1 and E-selectin in LPS-induced Endothelial Cells

Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid metabolites affected by WenDanTang based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry

WenDanTang (WDT) is a Chinese herbal formula used to treat various diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. However, the neuroprotective metabolic pathways and the components involved in this process are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective metabolic pathways of WDT in rat brains using cerebrospinal fluid metabolomics and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. Twelve rats were randomly divided into a WDT (administrated with WDT solution) and a control group. The ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography technique was used to explore the components of the WDT solution and cerebrospinal fluid, and secondary mass spectra of cerebrospinal fluid were used to identify possible brain-incorporating components after WDT. The results of the differential metabolism analysis showed that eight metabolites were typically altered (all p < 0.05). By comparing the secondary mass spectra of the cerebrospinal fluid of rats and WDT solution, two possible brain-incorporating components of WDT, stachydrine and α-methoxyphenylacetic acid, were identified. The data also suggested that WDT affects nucleotide metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and B-vitamin metabolic pathways, the central differential metabolic pathways. These data suggest that WDT protects neurons through its active components, such as stachydrine, and regulates biochemical metabolism to affect the brain's energy metabolism and antioxidant capacity.

Evodiamine alleviates DEHP-induced hepatocyte pyroptosis, necroptosis and immunosuppression in grass carp through ROS-regulated TLR4 / MyD88 / NF-κB pathway

Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a neuroendocrine disruptor that can cause multi-tissue organ damage by inducing oxidative stress. Evodiamine (EVO) is an indole alkaloid with anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antioxidant pharmacological activity. In this manuscript, the effects of DEHP and EVO on the pyroptosis, necroptosis and immunology of grass carp hepatocytes (L8824) were investigated using DCFH-DA staining, PI staining, IF staining, AO/EB staining, LDH kit, qRT-PCR and protein Western blot. The results showed that DEHP exposure upregulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, promoted the expression of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway, increased the expression of genes involved in cell pyroptosis pathway (LDH, NLRP3, ASC, caspase1, IL-1β, IL-18 and GSDMD) and necroptosis-related genes (RIPK1, RIPK3 and MLKL). The expression of DEHP can also affect immune function, which can be demonstrated by variationsin the activation of antimicrobial peptides (LEAP2, HEPC, and β-defensin) and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10). EVO regulates cellular antioxidant capacity by inhibiting ROS burst, reduces DEHP-induced cell pyroptosis and necroptosis to some extent, and restores cellular immune function, after co-exposure with EVO. The TLR4 pathway was inhibited by the co-treatment of TLR4 inhibitor TLR-IN-C34 and DEHP, which attenuated the expression of cell pyroptosis, necroptosis, and immunosuppression. Thus, DEHP induced pyroptosis, necroptosis and abnormal immune function in L8824 cells by activating TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. In addition, EVO has a therapeutic effect on DEHP-induced toxic injury. This study further provides a theoretical basis for the risk assessment of plasticizer DEHP on aquatic organisms.

Stachydrine, a potential drug for the treatment of cardiovascular system and central nervous system diseases

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally and poses at significant challenge in terms of effective medical treatment. Leonurus japonicus Houtt, a traditional Chinese herb, is widely used in China for the treatment of obstetrical and gynecological disorders, including menstrual disorders, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, blood stasis, postpartum bleeding, and blood-related diseases such as CVD. Stachydrine, the main alkaloid component of Leonurus, has been shown to exhibit a wide range of biological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-coagulant, anti-apoptotic, vasodilator, angiogenic promoter. Additionally, it has been demonstrated to have unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of CVD through regulation of various disease-related signaling pathways and molecular targets. In this comprehensive review, we examine the latest pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of Stachydrine in treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Our aim is to solid scientific basis for the development of new CVD drug formulations.

Stachydrine exhibits a novel antiplatelet property and ameliorates platelet-mediated thrombo-inflammation

BACKGROUND

Platelets are versatile anucleate cells involved in thrombosis as well as inflammation. Stachydrine (STA), a major bioactive compound extracted from Motherwort, has multiple pharmacological properties. Nevertheless, the significance of STA in platelet regulation and whether STA could ameliorate platelet-mediated thrombo-inflammation still remain elusive.

METHODS

Human platelets were used to assess the regulatory effects of STA on platelet activation and interactions with neutrophils in vitro. FeCl₃ injury-induced carotid/mesenteric thrombosis and collagen/epinephrine-induced pulmonary thromboembolism model were used to explore whether STA could regulate thrombosis in vivo. Furthermore, a cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis model was employed to investigate the role of STA in thrombo-inflammatory diseases.

RESULTS

STA markedly suppressed platelet activation represented by aggregation, secretion, αIIbβ3-mediated signaling events and calcium mobilization, etc. by inhibiting agonists-induced activation signaling and potentiating cGMP-dependent inhibitory signaling. Mice receiving STA-treated platelets were less susceptible to thrombosis in vivo. In addition, decreased platelet-neutrophil interactions including platelet-neutrophil aggregates and neutrophil extracellular traps, and alleviative sepsis-induced multiorgan damage were observed due to STA-mediated platelet inhibition.

CONCLUSION

This study suggested the potential therapeutic role of STA in thrombotic and thrombo-inflammatory disorders.

Sinomenine in Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases: Potential Therapeutic Effects and Pharmacological Evidences

Cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, as a major cause of health loss all over the world, contribute to an important part of the global burden of disease. A large number of traditional Chinese medicines have been proved effective both clinically and in pharmacological investigations, with the acceleration of the modernization of Chinese medicine. Sinomenine is the main active constituent of sinomenium acutum and has been generally used in therapies of rheumatoid arthritis and neuralgia. Varieties of pharmacological effects of sinomenine in cardio-cerebrovascular system have been discovered recently, suggesting an inspiring application prospect of sinomenine in cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Sinomenine may retard the progression of atherosclerosis by attenuating endothelial inflammation, regulating immune cells function, and inhibiting the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. Sinomenine also alleviates chronic cardiac allograft rejection relying on its anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperplastic activities and suppresses autoimmune myocarditis by immunosuppression. Prevention of myocardial or cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by sinomenine is associated with its modulation of cardiomyocyte death, inflammation, calcium overload, and oxidative stress. The regulatory effects on vasodilation and electrophysiology make sinomenine a promising drug to treat hypertension and arrhythmia. Here, in this review, we will illustrate the pharmacological activities of sinomenine in cardio-cerebrovascular system and elaborate the underlying mechanisms, as well as give an overview of the potential therapeutic roles of sinomenine in cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, trying to provide clues and bases for its clinical usage.

A review of pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of stachydrine

Stachydrine is extracted from the leaves of Leonurus japonicus Houtt (or Motherwort, "Yi Mu Cao" in Traditional Chinese Medicine) and is the major bioactive ingredient. So far, stachydrine has demonstrated various bioactivities for the treatment of fibrosis, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, uterine diseases, brain injuries, and inflammation. The pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of stachydrine up to 2019 have been comprehensively searched and summarized. This review provides an updated summary of recent studies on the pharmacological activities of stachydrine. Many studies have demonstrated that stachydrine has strong anti-fibrotic properties (on various types of fibrosis) by inhibiting ECM deposition and decreasing inflammatory and oxidative stress through multiple molecular mechanisms (including TGF-β, ERS-mediated apoptosis, MMPs/TIMPs, NF-κB, and JAK/STAT). The cardioprotective and vasoprotective activities of stachydrine are related to its inhibition of β-MHC, excessive autophagy, SIRT1, eNOS uncoupling and TF, promotion of SERCA, and angiogenesis. In addition to its anticancer action, regulation of the uterus, neuroprotective effects, etc. the pharmacokinetic properties of stachydrine are also discussed.

Evodiamine attenuates adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats by inhibiting synovial inflammation and restoring the Th17/Treg balance

OBJECTIVES

Evodiamine (Evo) possesses strong anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we determine the antiarthritic effect of Evo.

METHODS

Evo was administered to rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA). We evaluated arthritis symptoms & histopathological changes and measured inflammatory cell infiltration, pro-inflammatory cytokine production and Th17 & Treg percentages in arthritic rats.

KEY FINDINGS

Evo significantly improved the clinical signs of AA in rats, including decreases in paw swelling, the polyarthritis index and the number of swollen paw joints. Based on the histopathological analysis, Evo improved synovial inflammation and bone injury by inhibiting inflammatory cell infiltration, synoviocyte proliferation, pannus formation and cartilage erosion. Furthermore, the numbers of synovial CD3+ or CD68+ inflammatory cells were reduced, and the elevated levels of tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-6 were restored to control levels by the Evo treatment. In addition, Evo therapy regulated the abnormal differentiation of Treg and Th17 cells, decreasing IL-17 production and increasing IL-10 levels. Finally, Evo inhibited Stat3 phosphorylation and induced Stat5 phosphorylation in rats with AA.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our results, Evo is a promising antiarthritic agent, potentially due to its inhibitory effect on synovial inflammation and regulatory effects on Treg and Th17 differentiation.

A critical review: traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore (Fen Fang Ji)

ABSTRACT

Stephania tetrandra S. Moore (S. tetrandra) is distributed widely in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. The root of this plant is known in Chinese as "Fen Fang Ji". It is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat arthralgia caused by rheumatism, wet beriberi, dysuria, eczema and inflamed sores. Although promising reports have been published on the various chemical constituents and activities of S. tetrandra, no review comprehensively summarizes its traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology. Therefore, the review aims to provide a critical and comprehensive evaluation of the traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacological properties, pharmacokinetics and toxicology of S. tetrandra in China, and meaningful guidelines for future investigations.

Stachydrine Mediates Rapid Vascular Relaxation: Activation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Involving AMP-Activated Protein Kinase and Akt Phosphorylation in Vascular Endothelial Cells

Stachydrine (STA) is a constituent of citrus fruits and Leonurus heterophyllus Sweet. In the present study, we established that STA caused acute endothelium-dependent relaxation. The vascular action of STA was mediated by nitric oxide (NO) via cyclic guanosine monophosphate. Mechanistically, STA activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), protein kinase B/Akt, and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) in vascular endothelial cells (ECs). AMPK inhibition by compound C blocked STA-induced Akt/eNOS phosphorylation, suggesting that AMPK is the upstream of Akt and eNOS. Inhibition of Akt by MK2206 blocked STA-stimulated eNOS phosphorylation without altering AMPK phosphorylation. Furthermore, we showed that STA activated AMPK via the induction of liver kinase B1 phosphorylation. These results indicated that STA can induce eNOS phosphorylation and vasorelaxation by regulating the interplay between AMPK and Akt pathways in ECs. These findings further highlighted the potential of STA as a nutritional factor in the beneficial effects of fruit intake in preventing the endothelial dysfunction-related metabolic cardiovascular diseases.

Stachydrine protects eNOS uncoupling and ameliorates endothelial dysfunction induced by homocysteine

BACKGROUND

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Stachydrine (STA) is an active component in Chinese motherwort Leonurus heterophyllus sweet, which has been widely used for gynecological and cardiovascular disorders. This study is aimed to examine the effects of STA on homocysteine (Hcy)-induced endothelial dysfunction.

METHODS

The effects of STA on vascular relaxation in rat thoracic aortas (TA), mesenteric arteries (MA) and renal arteries (RA) were measured by using Multi Myograph System. The levels of nitric oxide (NO), tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) and guanosine 3', 5' cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) were determined. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) dimers and monomers were assayed by using Western blotting. GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GTPCH1) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) expressions were measured by using quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting.

RESULTS

STA effectively blocked Hcy-induced impairment of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in rat TA, MA and RA. STA-elicited arterial relaxations were reduced by NOS inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or the NO-sensitive guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H- [1, 2, 4] Oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), but not by inducible iNOS inhibitor 1400 W nor the nonselective COX inhibitor indomethacin. Hcy caused eNOS uncoupling and decreases in NO, cGMP and BH4, which were attenuated by STA. Moreover, STA prevented decreases of GTPCH1 and DHFR levels in Hcy-treated BAECs.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that STA effectively reversed the Hcy-induced endothelial dysfunction and prevented eNOS uncoupling by increasing the expression of GTPCH1 and DHFR. These results revealed a novel mechanism by which STA exerts its beneficial vascular effects.

Study on the anti-endotoxin effect of sinomenine using an Agilent genome array

BACKGROUND

Endotoxin is a significant contributing factor underlying the occurrence of fever, diarrhea, inflammation, edema, coagulation, shock and other syndromes associated with gram-negative bacterial infections. To date, there is no effective treatment for endotoxemia.

AIM

The aim of this study was to characterize differentially expressed genes in sinomenine-treated and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endothelial cells by microarray analysis and to determine the potential pharmacological activity of sinomenine.

DESIGN

The cultured cells of five treatment groups (n = 3) were collected. Participants: total RNA was extracted and subjected to Agilent Porcine 4 × 44 K whole genome microarray.

METHODS

Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes and gene ontology software were applied to screen and analyze differentially regulated genes.

RESULTS

The results showed that 723 differentially regulated genes were identified including 410 up-regulated genes and 313 down-regulated genes in therapy group vs. LPS group. Ten genes may be key controlled genes in the pathogenesis of LPS, including five up-regulated genes (ARG1, TLR2, IL1A, VCAM1, DKK3) and five down-regulated genes (HABP2, ID1, CHDH, GPX3, PTGFR), which primarily contribute to biological processes such as inflammatory response, vascular lesion, metabolic process and cell cycle. IL1A and FMO3 were considered as potent target genes.

CONCLUSION

Global gene expression profile analysis showed that sinomenine might effectively be useful to regulate inflammatory responses as part of future anti-endotoxin therapies.

Oxymatrine and cancer therapy

Oxymatrine is a kind of alkaloid extracted from traditional Chinese herb Sophora flavescens Ait. It has been proved to exert various biological activities such as anti-angiogenesis, proliferation-inhibiting, apoptosis-promoting, analgesic-strengthening, and anti-metastasis. The biological activities are related with inhibition of angiogenesis-associated factors, regulation of related signaling pathway and protein expression, synergistic effects with chemotherapy drug, cell cycle arrest and inhibition of voltage-activated K+ channel. In this review, we summarize the recent investigations of oxymatrine in cancer therapy so as to provide references for further study and clinical therapy.

Ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Stephania rotunda Lour

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Stephania rotunda Lour. (Menispermaceae) is an important traditional medicinal plant that is grown in Southeast Asia. The stems, leaves, and tubers have been used in the Cambodian, Lao, Indian and Vietnamese folk medicine systems for years to treat a wide range of ailments, including asthma, headache, fever, and diarrhoea.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

To provide an up-to-date, comprehensive overview and analysis of the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Stephania rotunda for its potential benefits in human health, as well as to assess the scientific evidence of traditional use and provide a basis for future research directions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Peer-reviewed articles on Stephania rotunda were acquired via an electronic search of the major scientific databases (Pubmed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect). Data were collected from scientific journals, theses, and books.

RESULTS

The traditional uses of Stephania rotunda were recorded in countries throughout Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and India). Different parts of Stephania rotunda were used in traditional medicine to treat about twenty health disorders. Phytochemical analyses identified forty alkaloids. The roots primarily contain l-tetrahydropalmatine (l-THP), whereas the tubers contain cepharanthine and xylopinine. Furthermore, the chemical composition differs from one region to another and according to the harvest period. The alkaloids exhibited approximately ten different pharmacological activities. The main pharmacological activities of Stephania rotunda alkaloids are antiplasmodial, anticancer, and immunomodulatory effects. Sinomenine, cepharanthine, and l-stepholidine are the most promising components and have been tested in humans. The pharmacokinetic parameters have been studied for seven compounds, including the three most promising compounds. The toxicity has been evaluated for liriodenine, roemerine, cycleanine, l-tetrahydropalmatine, and oxostephanine.

CONCLUSION

Stephania rotunda is traditionally used for the treatment of a wide range of ailments. Pharmacological investigations have validated different uses of Stephania rotunda in folk medicine. The present review highlights the three most promising compounds of Stephania rotunda, which could constitute potential leads in various medicinal fields, including malaria and cancer.