Anti-inflammatory activity of the oriental herb medicine, Arisaema cum Bile, in LPS-induced PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells

Anti-rheumatoid arthritis effects of traditional Chinese medicine Fufang Xiaohuoluo pill on collagen-induced arthritis rats and MH7A cells

Background

Fufang Xiaohuoluo pill (FFXHL) is a commonly used prescription in clinical practice for treating rheumatoid arthritis in China, yet its specific mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to elucidate the pharmacological mechanisms of FFXHL using both in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Methods

The collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model was established to evaluate FFXHL's therapeutic impact. Parameters that include paw swelling, arthritis scores, and inflammatory markers were examined to assess the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of FFXHL. Human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (MH7A cells) is activated by tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were used to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism on FFXHL.

Results

Our findings indicate that FFXHL effectively reduced paw swelling, joint pain, arthritis scores, and synovial pannus hyperplasia. It also lowered serum levels of TNF-α, interleukin-1β (IL1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed decreased expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 in FFXHL-treated CIA rat joints. In vitro experiments demonstrated FFXHL's ability to decrease protein secretion of IL-1β and IL-6, suppress mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) -3, -9, and -13, reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and inhibit NF-κB p65 translocation in TNF-α stimulated MH7A cells. FFXHL also suppressed protein levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun Nterminal kinase (JNK), p38 MAP kinase (p38), protein kinase B (Akt), p65, inhibitor of kappa B kinase α/β (IKKα/β), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) induced by TNF-α in MH7A cells.

Conclusion

The findings imply that FFXHL exhibits significant anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic effects in both CIA rat models and TNF-α-induced MH7A cells. The potential mechanism involves the inactivation of TLR4/MyD88, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), NF-κB, and Akt pathways by FFXHL.

Cattle Bile Arisaema Aqueous Extracts Protect Against Febrile Seizures in Rats Through Regulating Neurotransmitters and Suppressing Neuroinflammation

Cattle bile Arisaema (CBA) is a traditional medicine used for the treatment of febrile seizures (FS) for thousands of years in China. However, its application is greatly limited due to cost reasons, and pig bile Arisaema (PBA) is the main commercial product instead. Additionally, the underlying mechanism of CBA for the treatment of FS still remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the anti-convulsant effect and potential mechanism of the CBA aqueous extract for the first time through a hot-water bath-induced FS rat model. Our results showed that pre-treatment with CBA dramatically lowered the incidence rate and generation times and prolonged the latency of FS. In addition, CBA effectively ameliorated neuronal damage and regulated neurotransmitter disorder induced by FS in the rat hippocampus. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting, immunohistochemical, and qRT-PCR results exhibited that CBA suppressed the expression of GFAP, TLR4, NF-κB, HMGB1, NLRP3, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and consequently inhibited the neuroinflammation induced by FS. Interestingly, although the CBA and PBA aqueous extracts possessed the same trend on the changes caused by FS, the improvement of FS by CBA is markedly better than that by PBA. These findings indicate that CBA exerts a protective effect on febrile seizures through regulating neurotransmitter disorder and suppressing neuroinflammation.

A comprehensive review of research progress on the genus Arisaema: Botany, uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and pharmacokinetics

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The genus Arisaema belongs to the family Araceae, which includes Chinese herbal medicines with wide-ranging pharmacological functions, including those useful for the treatment of stubborn phlegm, cough, epilepsy, tetanus, snakebite, rheumatoid arthritis, and other ailments.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The current study aimed to comprehensively review the botany, uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, quality control and pharmacokinetics of plants in the genus Arisaema and to provide novel insights to develop future research in this field.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant information on the genus Arisaema was obtained from published scientific materials (including materials from PubMed, Elsevier, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, CNKI, and Wiley) and other literature sources (e.g., the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, 2020 edition; Chinese herbal books and PhD and MSc thesis).

RESULTS

The application information complied with this review and included processing techniques, traditional uses, clinical applications and classic prescriptions. Approximately 260 compounds, including flavonoids, alkaloids, saccharides, steroids, fatty acids, amino acids and volatile oils, have been separated and identified from the genus Arisaema. The isolated compounds exhibit wide-ranging pharmacological activities such as antitumor activity, analgesic and sedative activity, antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory activity. The toxicity and irritant impacts, quality control, and pharmacokinetics are also discussed in this review.

CONCLUSIONS

Plants in the genus Arisaema are valuable resources with therapeutic potential for a broad spectrum of ailments. Based on the limited literature, this review comprehensively and systematically summarizes current knowledge regarding the genus Arisaema for the first time. However, there have been insufficient studies on the active ingredients and germplasm and insufficient in-depth mechanistic studies. Therefore, isolation and identification of additional effective components and through research on the germplasm, pharmacodynamic mechanisms, and toxicology should be conducted to assess effectiveness and safety and to ensure the quality of the related drugs.

Xinglou Chengqi Decoction improves neurological function in experimental stroke mice as evidenced by gut microbiota analysis and network pharmacology

The current study was designed to explore the brain protection mechanism of Xinglou Chengqi Decoction (XCD) based on gut microbiota analysis and network pharmacology. A transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of mice was established, followed by behavioral evaluation, TTC and TUNEL staining. Additionally, to investigate the effects of gut microbiota on neurological function after stroke, C57BL/6 mice were treated with anti-biotic cocktails 14 days prior to ischemic stroke (IS) to deplete the gut microbiota. High-throughput 16S rDNA gene sequencing, metabonomics technique, and flow multifactor technology were used to analyze bacterial communities, SCFAs and inflammatory cytokines respectively. Finally, as a supplement, network pharmacology and molecular docking were applied to fully explore the multicomponent-multitarget-multichannel mechanism of XCD in treating IS, implicated in ADME screening, target identification, network analysis, functional annotation, and pathway enrichment analysis. We found that XCD effectively improved neurological function, relieved cerebral infarction and decreased the neuronal apoptosis. Moreover, XCD promoted the release of anti-inflammatory factor like IL-10, while down-regulating pro-inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-17A, and IL-22. Furthermore, XCD significantly increased the levels of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially butyric acid. The mechanism might be related to the regulation of SCFAs-producing bacteria like Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia, and bacteria that regulate inflammation like Paraprevotella, Roseburia, Streptophyta and Enterococcu. Finally, in the network pharmacological analysis, 51 active compounds in XCD and 44 intersection targets of IS and XCD were selected. As a validation, components in XCD docked well with key targets. It was obviously that biological processes were mainly involved in the regulation of apoptotic process, inflammatory response, response to fatty acid, and regulation of establishment of endothelial barrier in GO enrichment. XCD can improve neurological function in experimental stroke mice, partly due to the regulation of gut microbiota. Besises, XCD has the characteristic of "multi-component, multi-target and multi-channel" in the treatment of IS revealed by network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Enhancement of anti-inflammatory effect of cattle bile by fermentation and its inhibition of neuroinflammation on microglia by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome

As a kind of animal medicine, cattle bile has anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and cholagogic effects. The fermentation process of cattle bile is included in the application of many traditional Chinese medicines. In this study, we fermented cattle bile singly and investigated the impact of fermentation on the anti-inflammatory effect of cattle bile, as well as the mechanism of fermented cattle bile on microglia cells. After high temperature sterilization, cattle bile was fermented with Massa Medicata Fermentata (medicated leaven, Shen Qu). We used ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) to analyze the bile acids of cattle bile and fermented cattle bile. The results showed that 3-dehydrocholic acid, 7-ketolithocholic acid, 12-dehydrocholic acid, 12-Ketolithocholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid and dehydrolithocholic acid increased more significantly than others; glycocholic acid and glycochenodeoxycholic acid decreased more significantly than others. After fermentation, cattle bile significantly reduced the release of NO and inflammatory factors (TNF-α and IL-1β). Furthermore, the protein expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and iNOS were decreased. In addition, we found that fermented cattle bile could have an anti-inflammatory effect through attenuating the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. Thus, fermentation can enhance the anti-inflammatory effect of cattle bile. Fermented cattle bile has an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway, which can expand the clinical application of cattle bile and provide new thoughts and methods for the application of cattle bile.

Xi-Xian-Tong-Shuan capsule alleviates vascular cognitive impairment in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion rats by promoting white matter repair, reducing neuronal loss, and inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory factors

BACKGROUND

While the number of cases of vascular cognitive impairment caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) has been increasing every year, there are currently no clinically effective treatment methods. At present, Xi-Xian-Tong-Shuan capsule is predominantly used in patients with acute cerebral ischemia; however, its protective effect on CCH has rarely been reported.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the underlying mechanisms by which Xi-Xian-Tong-Shuan capsule alleviates cognitive impairment caused by CCH.

METHODS

A model of CCH was established in specific-pathogen-free (SPF)-grade male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats using bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO). Xi-Xian-Tong-Shuan capsules were intragastrically administered for 42 days after the BCCAO surgery. We then assessed for changes in cognitive function, expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors, and coagulation function as well as for the presence of white matter lesions and neuronal loss. One-way ANOVA and Tukey's test were used to analyze the experimental data.

RESULTS

The rats showed significant cognitive dysfunction after the BCCAO surgery along with white matter lesions, a loss of neurons, and elevated levels of inflammatory factors, all of which were significantly reversed after intervention with Xi-Xian-Tong-Shuan capsules.

CONCLUSION

Xi-Xian-Tong-Shuan capsules can ameliorate vascular cognitive impairment in CCH rats by preventing damage of white matter, reducing neuronal loss, and inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory factors. Our study provides a new reference for the clinical treatment of chronic cerebral ischemia with Xi-Xian-Tong-Shuan capsules.

Genus Arisaema: A Review of Traditional Importance, Chemistry and Biological Activities

BACKGROUND

The Arisaema (Araceae) is a genus of approximately 180 perennial herbs widely distributed in the evergreen and deciduous forests. This genus (Arisaema) has been used as a medicinal agent since ancient times. Experimental investigations have shown a promising positive correlation with its folklore claim and this encourages us to report updated medicinal review (genus Arisaema) for future research.

OBJECTIVE

This review aimed to summarize the ethnobotany, folklore uses, chemistry and biological activities.

CONCLUSION

The comprehensive literature on genus Arisaema indicates the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, and glycosphingolipids as the principal chemical constituents. Additionally, phytosterols, alkaloids, carboline derivatives and miscellaneous compounds were documented in plants of genus Arisaema. Biological investigations led to the credentials of antioxidant, anticancer, insecticidal, antimicrobial, anthelmintic and hepatoprotective activities. Following, several plant species are promising candidates for the treatment of cancer, parasitic diseases and microbial infection complications. Though, a lot of facets of this genus like phytoconstituents identification, mechanistic profile, adverse effects and clinical studies are still quite limited. Thus, this systematic review may act as a powerful tool in future studies for promoting health benefits against various health hazards.

Meta-Analysis on the Chinese Herbal Formula Xiaoer-Feike Granules as a Complementary Therapy for Children With Acute Lower Respiratory Infections

Background

Over the past five years the Chinese herbal formula (CHF) medicine, Xiaoer-Feike granules (XFG), has become a widely used adjuvant therapy for acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI). Considering the rapid popularization and application of XFG, and the lack of systematic evidence evaluating its effectiveness and safety in treating ALRI, it is necessary to conduct a meta-analysis to determine its benefits for patients.

Methods

This study systematically identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of XFG treatments for ALRI through July 2019 using four English-databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid, and Web of Science) and four Chinese-databases (Sino-med database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP database, and the WANFANG database). We then performed a quality assessment and data analysis with Review Manager 5.3.5 and Stata 15.1.

Results

Twenty-one RCTs involving 3425 patients were randomly divided into an XFG group and a conventional medicine (CM) group. The results showed that the clinical efficacy rate (CER) of the XFG group was significantly higher than that of the CM group (RR=1.17, 95% CI =1.13-1.22, P< 0.00001). In comparison with the CM group, the XFG group had strikingly shortened: resolution time of cough (RTC) (MD = -1.92; 95% CI =-2.33, -1.51, P<0.00001); resolution time of rale (RTR) (MD = -1.68; 95% CI =-2.27, -1.10, P<0.00001); resolution time of fever (RTF) (MD = -1.46; 95% CI =-1.92, -1.00, P<0.00001); resolution time of inflammatory lesions (RTIL) (MD = -2.43, 95% CI =-2.94, -1.93, P< 0.00001); and hospital stays (HS) (MD = -2.26, 95% CI =-3.03, -1.49, P< 0.00001). At the cellular and molecular level, the CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8, IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP levels were significantly improved when CM was complemented with XFG. In addition, no significant difference was observed between the XFG and CM groups in terms of the adverse events (AE) (RR =0.97, 95% CI= 0.61-1.54, P= 0.89).

Conclusions

The findings of this meta-analysis support the use of XFG in the treatment of ALRI. However, these results should be treated with caution due to the significant heterogeneity and publication bias of existing data. Further well-designed and high-quality RCTs are needed to interrogate the efficacy and safety of XFG.

Simultaneous Analysis of Twelve Bile Acids by UPLC-MS and Exploration of the Processing Mechanism of Bile Arisaema by Fermentation

Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (Q/TOF-MS) in the MS/MS mode and UPLC coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (QqQ-MS) using the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode were used to make a qualitative and quantitative analysis of twelve bile acids in Bile Arisaema. The fragmentation pathway of twelve bile acids was proposed. The quantification method showed a good linearity over a wide concentration range (R ² > 0.99), repeatability (RSD < 4.12%), stability (RSD < 4.25%), precision (RSD < 4.06%), and recovery (95.36-102.15%). Content of twelve compounds in Bile Arisaema varied significantly depending on region. Chemometric methods, hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and principal components analysis (PCA) were successfully used to optimize the fermentation time of the Bile Arisaema. The results suggested that the Bile Arisaema could complete fermentation in 15 days. The possible processing mechanism of Bile Arisaema promoted the transformation of conjugated bile acids into free bile acids in fermentation.

Sanhuang Xiexin decoction promotes good functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVES

To explore the efficiency and safety of Sanhuang Xiexin decoction in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients after endovascular intervention examination.

METHODS

In this prospective observational study, 121 AIS patients admitted in our hospital were enrolled from January 2012 to December 2015. They were randomly divided into two groups, 61 patients received Sanhuang Xiexin decoction + basic treatment (SX group) and 60 patients received basic treatment (control group). The prescription of Sanhuang Xiexin decoction was taken in the SX group, with one dose (100 ml), twice a day for 7 days orally. For all patients, blood samples were drawn on the first morning and sixth morning after endovascular intervention examination under fasting state for Fib (fibrinogen), PAgT (platelet aggregation test), CRP (C-reactive protein), and TMAO (trimethylamine oxide) tested. Estimate the changes in plasma Fib, PAgT, CRP, and TMAO levels and the syndrome of fire-heat scores.

RESULTS

The plasma Fib, PAgT, CRP, and TMAO levels in the SX group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P_Fib  < 0.01, P_PAgT  < 0.01, P_CRP  = 0.02, P_TMAO  < 0.01). The syndrome of fire-heat scores in the SX group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.01). The incidences of ischemic cerebrovascular events within 3 and 6 months after endovascular intervention treatment in the SX group were lower than those in the control group (P_3 month  = 0.04, P_6month  = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

The prescription of Sanhuang Xiexin is efficient and safe in the treatment of AIS patients after endovascular intervention examination through reducing the inflammatory factors.

Inhibitory effects of Chikusetsusaponin IVa on lipopolysaccharide-induced pro-inflammatory responses in THP-1 cells

This study investigated anti-inflammatory effects and possible mechanisms of Chikusetsusaponin IVa (Chi IVa), one of the main bioactive components in saponins from Panacis japonica (SPJ), which is used in traditional Tujia and Hmong Chinese medicine. To this end, changes in the inflammatory profiles of lipopolysacchride (LPS)-stimulated phrobol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA)-differented THP-1 macrophages were evaluated following Chi IVa treatment. The results showed that Chi IVa markedly decreased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) at both the mRNA and protein level, which proved to be dose-dependent. Further studies revealed that Chi IVa strongly suppressed NF-κB activation and downregulated the phosphorylation of ERK, p38, and JNK. Our present study demonstrates that Chi IVa suppresses the production of iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells likely by inhibiting NF-κB activation and ERK, JNK, and p38 signal pathway phosphorylation.

Orostachys japonicus Inhibits Expression of the TLR4, NOD2, iNOS, and COX-2 Genes in LPS-Stimulated Human PMA-Differentiated THP-1 Cells by Inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK Activation

Orostachys japonicus is traditionally used as an inflammatory agent. In this report, we investigated the effects of O. japonicus extract on the expression of genes encoding pathogen-recognition receptors (TLR2, TLR4, NOD1, and NOD2) and proinflammatory factors (iNOS, COX-2, and cytokines) in LPS-stimulated PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells and the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. O. japonicus induced toxicity at high concentrations but had no effect at concentrations lower than 25 μg/mL. O. japonicus inhibited LPS-induced TLR4 and NOD2 mRNA levels, suppressed LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 transcription and translocation, and downregulated LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) mRNA levels. In addition, O. japonicus inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB activation and IκBα degradation and suppressed LPS-induced JNK, p38 MAPK, and ERK phosphorylation. Overall, our results demonstrate that the anti-inflammatory effects of O. japonicus are mediated by suppression of NF-κB and MAPK signaling, resulting in reduced TLR4, NOD2, iNOS, and COX-2 expression and inhibition of inflammatory cytokine expression.

Iron (FeII) chelation, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and immune modulating potential of Arisaema jacquemontii (Himalayan Cobra Lily)

This study explored the antioxidant and immunomodulatory potential of ethnomedicinally valuable species, namely, Arisaema jacquemontii of north-western Himalayan region. The tubers, leaves, and fruits of this plant were subjected to extraction using different solvents. In vitro antioxidant studies were performed in terms of chelation power on ferrous ions and FRAP assay. The crude methanol extract of leaves was found to harbour better chelating capacity (58% at 100 μ g/mL) and reducing power (FRAP value 1085.4 ± 0.11 μ MFe(3+)/g dry wt.) than all the other extracts. The crude methanol extract was thus further partitioned with solvents to yield five fractions. Antioxidant study of fractions suggested that the methanol fraction possessed significant chelation capacity (49.7% at 100 μ g/mL) and reducing power with FRAP value of 1435.4 μ M/g dry wt. The fractions were also studied for immune modulating potential where it was observed that hexane fraction had significant suppressive effect on mitogen induced T-cell and B-cell proliferation and remarkable stimulating effect on humoral response by 141% and on DTH response by 168% in immune suppressed mice as compared to the controls. Therefore, it can be concluded that A. jacquemontii leaves hold considerable antioxidant and immunomodulating potential and they can be explored further for the identification of their chemical composition for a better understanding of their biological activities.