Cardioprotective Effect of Echinatin Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury: Involvement of Hippo/Yes-Associated Protein Signaling

Systematic investigation of the multi-scale mechanisms of herbal medicine on treating ventricular remodeling: Theoretical and experimental studies

BACKGROUND

To explore the underlying molecule mechanism of herbal medicine in preventing ventricular remodeling (VR), we take a herbal formula that is clinically effective for preventing VR as an example, which composed of Pachyma hoelen Rumph, Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz., Cassia Twig and Licorice. Due to multi-components and multi-targets in herbal medicine, it is extremely difficult to systematically explain its mechanisms of action.

METHODS

An innovative systematic investigation framework which combines with pharmacokinetic screening, target fishing, network pharmacology, DeepDDI algorithm, computational chemistry, molecular thermodynamics, in vivo and in vitro experiments was performed for deciphering the underlying molecular mechanisms of herbal medicine for treating VR.

RESULTS

ADME screening and SysDT algorithm determined 75 potentially active compounds and 109 corresponding targets. Then, systematic analysis of networks reveals the crucial active ingredients and key targets in herbal medicine. Additionally, transcriptomic analysis identifies 33 key regulators during VR progression. Moreover, PPI network and biological function enrichment present four crucial signaling pathways, i.e. NF-κB and TNF, PI3K-AKT and C-type lectin receptor signaling pathways involved in VR. Besides, both molecular experiments at animal and cell levels reveal the beneficial effect of herbal medicine on preventing VR. Finally, MD simulations and binding free energy validate the reliability of drug-target interactions.

CONCLUSION

Our novelty is to build a systematic strategy which combines various theoretical methods combined with experimental approaches. This strategy provides a deep understanding for the study of molecular mechanisms of herbal medicine on treating diseases from systematic level, and offers a new idea for modern medicine to explore drug interventions for complex diseases as well.

Naringenin alters the pharmacokinetics of ranolazine in part through the inhibition of cytochrome P450 (3A4) and P-glycoprotein

Background

This study set out to look at how naringenin affected the pharmacokinetics of ranolazine in rats. The pharmacokinetic investigation of ranolazine in rats following oral administration of ranolazine with or without coadministration of naringenin was successfully conducted using the established technique. Animals were administered the same medications for 7 days as part of a multiple dosage study (MDS), and the amount of ranolazine in plasma was calculated on 18 days. The intestinal transit of ranolazine in the presence and absence of naringenin and verapamil was examined in an in vitro experiment using the intestinal sacs of rats and chickens (P-glycoprotein inhibitor).

Results

Naringenin raised the maximal level (Cmax) of ranolazine from 231 ± 10.16 to 303.67 ± 9.46 and 325.67 ± 21.81 ng/mL in SDS and MDS, respectively. Moreover, naringenin elevated the area under the curve (AUC) of ranolazine from 1293.54 ± 37.18 to 1505.38 ± 100.30 and 1575.42 ± 76.98 ng/mL/h in SDS and MDS. In the presence of naringenin, there was an increase in the transfer of ranolazine from the mucosal side to the serosal side. Naringenin inhibits the enzymes Cytochrome P450 (3A4) or (CYP3A4) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The findings showed that naringenin might have a considerable impact on ranolazine pharmacokinetics, including extending its t1/2 and raising its AUC.

Conclusions

The findings of the study showed that naringenin inhibits the enzymes CYP3A4 and P-gp. Therefore, naringenin might have a considerable impact on ranolazine pharmacokinetics, including extending its t1/2 and raising its AUC.

Graphical abstract

Echinatin induces reactive oxygen species-mediated apoptosis via JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway in colorectal cancer cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a very common and deadly cancer worldwide, and oxaliplatin is used as first-line chemotherapy. However, resistance usually develops, limiting treatment. Echinatin (Ech) is the main component of licorice and exhibits various therapeutic effects on inflammation-mediated diseases and cancer, ischemia/reperfusion, and liver injuries. The present study elucidated the underlying molecular mechanism of Ech-induced apoptosis in both oxaliplatin-sensitive (HT116 and HT29) and -resistant (HCT116-OxR and HT29-OxR) CRC cells. To evaluate the antiproliferative activities of Ech, we performed MTT and soft agar assays. Ech reduced viability, colony size, and numbers of CRC cells. The underlying molecular mechanisms were explored by various flow cytometry analyses. Ech-induced annexin-V stained cells, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cell cycle arrest, JNK/p38 MAPK activation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, and multi-caspase activity. In addition apoptosis-, cell cycle-, and ER stress-related protein levels were confirmed by western blotting. Moreover, we verified ROS-mediated cell death by treatment with inhibitors such as N-acetyl-L-cysteine, SP600125, and SB203580. Taken together, Ech exhibits anticancer activity in oxaliplatin-sensitive and -resistant CRCs by inducing ROS-mediated apoptosis through the JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. This is the first study to show that Ech has the potential to treat drug-resistant CRC, providing new directions for therapeutic strategies targeting drug-resistant CRC.

Echinatin mitigates sevoflurane-induced hippocampal neurotoxicity and cognitive deficits through mitigation of iron overload and oxidative stress

CONTEXT

Sevoflurane (Sev) is a commonly used surgical anaesthetic; it has neurotoxic effects on the brain. Echinatin (Ech) is reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.

OBJECTIVE

This research confirms the effect of Ech on Sev-induced neurotoxicity and cognitive deficits.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Primary rat hippocampal neurons were treated with 4.1% Sev for 6 h in the presence of Ech (5, 10, and 20 μM) or vehicle, followed by a further 42 h of culture. Male Sprague-Dawley aged rats were divided into 6 groups (n = 6): control, Sev, Sev + Ech (20 mg/kg;), Sev + Ech (40 mg/kg), and Sev + Ech (80 mg/kg). Rats were intraperitoneally injected with Ech or vehicle 1 h before Sev exposure (2% Sev for 5 h).

RESULTS

We found that Ech (5, 10, and 20 μM) elevated cell viability (1.29-, 1.51-, 1.68-fold) but mitigated apoptosis (23.87% vs. 16.48%, 12.72%, 9.02%), oxidative stress, and ferroptosis in hippocampal neurons with Sev treatment. Ech activated the Nrf2 expression in Sev-induced in vitro and in vivo models of anaesthetic neurotoxicity. Ech also weakened neurotoxicity in hippocampal neurons with Sev treatment by increasing Nrf2 expression level. Moreover, Ech alleviated hippocampus neurons apoptosis (19.38% vs. 16.05%, 11.71%, 8.88%), oxidative stress, and ferroptosis in rats with Sev treatment. Ech improved Sev-induced cognitive deficits in rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Ech alleviates Sev-induced neurotoxicity and cognitive deficits by mitigation of ferroptosis and oxidative stress. Ech may be developed as a new promising therapeutic drug for treatment of cerebral nerve injury caused by surgical anaesthesia.

Pyrroloquinoline quinone modulates YAP-related anti-ferroptotic activity to protect against myocardial hypertrophy

Background: Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) has been reported to exhibit cardioprotective and antioxidant activities. Accordingly, this study was developed to explore the effects of PQQ treatment on myocardial hypertrophy and the underlying mechanism of action governing any observed beneficial effects.

Methods: A transverse aortic constriction (TAC) model of myocardial hypertrophy was established in vivo using C57BL/6 mice, while neonatal murine cardiomyocytes were stimulated with phenylephrine (PE) as an in vitro validation model system.

Results: Treatment of TAC model mice with PQQ significantly suppressed myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, in addition to inhibiting the ferroptotic death of hypertrophic myocardial cells in vivo. Subsequent in vitro analyses revealed that treatment with PQQ was sufficient to significantly alleviate PE-induced hypertrophic activity and to prevent ferroptotic induction in these primary murine cardiomyocytes. At the mechanistic level, PQQ was found to promote the upregulation of Yes-associated Protein (YAP), to suppress YAP phosphorylation, and to drive the nuclear translocation of YAP within hypertrophic cardiomyocytes. The use of a specific siRNA construct to knock down YAP expression in vitro further confirmed the ability of PQQ to protect against myocardial hypertrophy at least in part through anti-ferroptotic mechanisms.

Conclusion: PQQ can regulate the pathogenesis of myocardial hypertrophy through the induction of YAP-related anti-ferroptotic activity, highlighting the potential value of PQQ as a novel therapeutic agent capable of slowing or preventing the progression of myocardial hypertrophy and thus delaying the onset of heart failure.

Some Insights into the Regulation of Cardiac Physiology and Pathology by the Hippo Pathway

The heart is one of the most fascinating organs in living beings. It beats up to 100,000 times a day throughout the lifespan, without resting. The heart undergoes profound anatomical, biochemical, and functional changes during life, from hypoxemic fetal stages to a completely differentiated four-chambered cardiac muscle. In the middle, many biological events occur after and intersect with each other to regulate development, organ size, and, in some cases, regeneration. Several studies have defined the essential roles of the Hippo pathway in heart physiology through the regulation of apoptosis, autophagy, cell proliferation, and differentiation. This molecular route is composed of multiple components, some of which were recently discovered, and is highly interconnected with multiple known prosurvival pathways. The Hippo cascade is evolutionarily conserved among species, and in addition to its regulatory roles, it is involved in disease by drastically changing the heart phenotype and its function when its components are mutated, absent, or constitutively activated. In this review, we report some insights into the regulation of cardiac physiology and pathology by the Hippo pathway.