Anti-inflammatory and Regulatory Effects of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction on Lipid Homeostasis and the TLR4/MyD88 Signaling Pathway in LPS-Induced Zebrafish

Assessing Larval Zebrafish Survival and Gene Expression Following Sodium Butyrate Exposure and Subsequent Lethal Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) Endotoxin Challenge

As aquaculture production continues to grow, producers are looking for more sustainable methods to promote growth and increase fish health and survival. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) with considerable benefits to gut health, and in recent years, butyrate has been commonly used as an alternative to antimicrobials in livestock production. In this study, we aimed to assess the protective effects of sodium butyrate (NaB) on larval zebrafish subjected to a lethal Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin challenge and to elucidate potential protective mechanisms of action. Larval zebrafish were pre-treated with 0, 3000, or 6000 μM NaB for 24 h at 72 h post-fertilization (hpf), then immune challenged for 24 h with 60 μg/mL of LPS at 96 hpf. Our results demonstrate that larval zebrafish pre-treated with 6000 μM of NaB prior to lethal LPS challenge experienced significantly increased survival by 40%, and this same level of NaB significantly down-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-alpha). Findings from this study are consistent with the beneficial effects of NaB on other vertebrate species and support the potential use of NaB in aquaculture.

Integrated transcriptomics and lipidomics investigation of the mechanism underlying the gastrointestinal mucosa damage of Loropetalum chinense (R.Br.) and its representative component

BACKGROUND

Loropetalum chinensis (R.Br) Oliv (Bhjm), a Chinese folk herbal medicine, was traditionally used in the treatment of wound bleeding and skin ulcers. A new drug named JIMUSAN granules used for gastrosia was developed by our group, and clinical trials have been approved. However, as the principal herb, the material basis and underlying mechanisms of Bhjm in attenuating gastrointestinal mucosa damage (GMD) remain to be systemically illuminated.

PURPOSE

An integrated strategy was used to explore the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Bhjm and ellagic acid (EA) on GMD zebrafish, using network pharmacology, transcriptomics, lipidomics, and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) verification.

METHODS

First, network pharmacological analysis was used to infer the major effective constituents and targets of Bhjm. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap/orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap HRMS) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) were employed to identify the chemical constituents and quantify the different types of constituents. Second, zebrafish model of GMD was established by using 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) to evaluate the efficacy of Bhjm and EA. The potential mechanism was examined by integrated transcriptomics and lipidomics analysis. Finally, validation tests were implemented using RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

In this study, targets indentified by network pharmacology were related to inflammation and mucosal damage. Ten representative components that interacted with these targets were simultaneously determined by UHPLC-MS/MS. Sixty four compounds were identified or tentatively characterized, most of which were flavonoids and polyphenols. Bhjm and EA alleviated mucosal damage and reduced inflammation in a TNBS-induced zebrafish GMD model, indicating that EA was the main active compounds. Eight common differentially expressed genes were downregulated by Bhjm and EA, as determined by transcriptomics analysis. Lipidomics analysis confirmed 12 differential lipids, including phosphatidylcholine (PC) and triglyceride (TG). Further network enrichment analysis demonstrated that differential lipid metabolism was regulated by klf4 and hist1h2ba, and were validated by RT-qPCR.

CONCLUSION

In our study, the chemical profile of Bhjm was clarified. Moreover, the GMD repair effect and the mechanism of Bhjm and EA was comprehensively analyzed for the first time, involving inflammation and lipid metabolism. Collectively, these findings will be significantly helpful for deeply exploring the clinical application value of Bhjm.

Traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of sepsis and related multi-organ injury

Sepsis is a common but critical illness in patients admitted to the intensive care unit and is associated with high mortality. Although there are many treatments for sepsis, specific and effective therapies are still lacking. For over 2,000 years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played a vital role in the treatment of infectious diseases in Eastern countries. Both anecdotal and scientific evidence show that diverse TCM preparations alleviate organ dysfunction caused by sepsis by inhibiting the inflammatory response, reducing oxidative stress, boosting immunity, and maintaining cellular homeostasis. This review reports on the efficacy and mechanism of action of various TCM compounds, herbal monomer extracts, and acupuncture, on the treatment of sepsis and related multi-organ injury. We hope that this information would be helpful to better understand the theoretical basis and empirical support for TCM in the treatment of sepsis.

The efficacy of modified HuangLian JieDu decoction for early enteral nutrition in patients with sepsis: A randomized controlled study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of modified HuangLian JieDu decoction (MHLJDD) as a supplementary medication for early enteral nutrition in septic patients.

METHODS

This study was designed as a randomized controlled preliminary study. Septic patients were randomly divided into control (treated with the base treatment) and intervention (co-treated with MHLJDD and the base treatment) groups. The primary outcomes of this study were 60-day (d) mortality rate, length of mechanical ventilation (MV), and length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU).

RESULTS

Of the 86 included patients, 44 and 42 were allocated to the intervention and control groups, respectively. Lengths of MV and ICU stay were significantly shorter in the intervention group than in the control group (10.31 ± 3.92 d vs 8.66 ± 2.84 d, P = .028; and 11.88 ± 5.25 d vs 10.41 ± 3.14 d, P = .029; respectively). However, the difference in 60-d mortality rate between the 2 groups was not statistically significant (20.45% vs 38.10%, P = .071). The enteral-nutrition tolerance score of the control group was higher than that of the intervention group (6.81 ± 4.28 vs 4.68 ± 4.04, P = .020). Incidence of hyperglycemia and gastric retention (gastric residual volume > 250 mL) was higher in the control group than in the intervention group (59.52% vs 29.55%, P = .005; and 28.57% vs 11.36%, P = .020, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

MHLJDD can shorten the MV and ICU stay of septic patients.

Emodin Protects Against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury via the JNK/Nur77/c-Jun Signaling Pathway

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious inflammatory disease with clinical manifestations of hypoxemia and respiratory failure. Presently, there is no effective treatment of ALI. Although emodin from Rheum palmatum L. exerts anti-ALI properties, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully explored.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of emodin on LPS-induced ALI in mice.

Methods: RAW264.7 cells and zebrafish larvae were stimulated by LPS to establish inflammatory models. The anti-inflammatory effect of emodin was assessed by ELISA, flow cytometric analysis, and survival analysis. In vitro mechanisms were explored by using Western blotting, luciferase assay, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and small interfering RNA (siRNA) approach. The acute lung injury model in mice was established by the intratracheal administration of LPS, and the underlying mechanisms were assessed by detecting changes in histopathological and inflammatory markers and Western blotting in lung tissues.

Results: Emodin inhibited the inflammatory factor production and oxidative stress in RAW264.7 cells, and prolonged the survival of zebrafish larvae after LPS stimulation. Emodin suppressed the expression levels of phosphorylated JNK at Thr183/tyr182 and phosphorylated Nur77 at Ser351 and c-Jun, and increased the expression level of Nur77 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, while these regulatory effects of emodin on Nur77/c-Jun were counteracted by JNK activators. The overexpression of JNK dampened the emodin-mediated increase in Nur77 luciferase activity and Nur77 expression. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of emodin on c-Jun can be attenuated by Nur77 siRNA. Furthermore, emodin alleviated LPS-induced ALI in mice through the regulation of the JNK/Nur77/c-Jun pathway.

Conclusions: Emodin protects against LPS-induced ALI through regulation on JNK/Nur77/c-Jun signaling. Our results indicate the potential of emodin in the treatment of ALI.

Anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenetic and antiviral activities of dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins from the roots of Panax notoginseng

Panax notoginseng has been used both as a traditional medicine and as a functional food for hundreds of years in Asia. However, the active constituents from P. notoginseng and their pharmacologic properties still need to be further explored. In this study, one new dammarane-type triterpenoid saponin (1), along with fourteen known analogs (2-15) were isolated and identified from the roots of P. notoginseng. The anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenetic and anti-dengue virus effects of these isolated compounds were further evaluated. Compounds 1, 3, 5-7 and 10-12 exerted anti-inflammatory effects in two different zebrafish inflammatory models. Among them, 11, with the most significant activities, alleviated the inflammatory response by blocking the MyD88/NF-κB and STAT3 pathways. Moreover, compound 15 showed anti-angiogenetic activities in Tg(fli1:EGFP) and Tg(flk1:GFP) zebrafish, while 3 and 5 only inhibited angiogenesis in Tg(fli1:EGFP) zebrafish. Additionally, compounds 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 12 suppressed the replication of dengue virus either at the viral adsorption and entry stages or at the intracellular replication step. In conclusion, these findings enrich knowledge of the diversity of saponins in P. notoginseng and suggest that the dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins from P. notoginseng may be developed as potential functional foods to treat inflammation, angiogenesis or dengue-related diseases.

Huanglian Jiedu Decoction Exerts Antipyretic Effect by Inhibiting MAPK Signaling Pathway

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore the antipyretic effect and potential mechanism of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HLJDD) on LPS-induced fever in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The fever rat model was established by LPS. Anal temperature of rats was measured every 1 hour after modeling. TNF-α, IL-6, PGE2, and cAMP in rat serum or hypothalamus tissue were detected by ELISA kit. In order to explore the potential active ingredients and mechanism of antipyretic effect of HLJDD, we predicted the underlying antipyretic mechanism by using network pharmacology and then verified its mechanism by Western Blotting.

RESULTS

The results showed that HLJDD can alleviate LPS-induced fever in rats. The expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, PGE2, and cAMP in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the model group. Western Blotting results showed that the protein expression of p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-P38 was significantly inhibited.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that HLJDD has a good antipyretic effect on LPS-induced fever in rats, which may be closely related to the inhibition of MAPK signaling pathway.

The signal pathways and treatment of cytokine storm in COVID-19

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global crisis and is more devastating than any other previous infectious disease. It has affected a significant proportion of the global population both physically and mentally, and destroyed businesses and societies. Current evidence suggested that immunopathology may be responsible for COVID-19 pathogenesis, including lymphopenia, neutrophilia, dysregulation of monocytes and macrophages, reduced or delayed type I interferon (IFN-I) response, antibody-dependent enhancement, and especially, cytokine storm (CS). The CS is characterized by hyperproduction of an array of pro-inflammatory cytokines and is closely associated with poor prognosis. These excessively secreted pro-inflammatory cytokines initiate different inflammatory signaling pathways via their receptors on immune and tissue cells, resulting in complicated medical symptoms including fever, capillary leak syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and multiorgan failure, ultimately leading to death in the most severe cases. Therefore, it is clinically important to understand the initiation and signaling pathways of CS to develop more effective treatment strategies for COVID-19. Herein, we discuss the latest developments in the immunopathological characteristics of COVID-19 and focus on CS including the current research status of the different cytokines involved. We also discuss the induction, function, downstream signaling, and existing and potential interventions for targeting these cytokines or related signal pathways. We believe that a comprehensive understanding of CS in COVID-19 will help to develop better strategies to effectively control immunopathology in this disease and other infectious and inflammatory diseases.

Huanglian Jiedu Decoction for treatment of multiple myeloma: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Multiple myeloma can lead to lots of clinical problems including pain, fatigue, anemia, infections, renal failure, and so on. Huanglian Jiedu Decoction is a common conservative treatment for this disease in China. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the efficacy of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

METHODS

A systematic literature search for studies will be performed in 8 databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane library, ClinicalTrials.gov databases, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang database, and VIP database. The methodological quality of the included studies using the risk bias assessment tool of Cochrane. And the level of evidence for results is assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) method. Statistical analysis is conducted with Revman 5.3.

RESULTS

This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide a synthesis of existed evidences for Huanglian Jiedu Decoction on multiple myeloma.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of this study will provide evidence to assess effectiveness of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction on multiple myeloma, which can further guide clinical decision-making.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202060094.

Design and Synthesis of New Benzo[d]oxazole-Based Derivatives and Their Neuroprotective Effects on β-Amyloid-Induced PC12 Cells

A series of novel synthetic substituted benzo[d]oxazole-based derivatives (5a-5v) exerted neuroprotective effects on β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced PC12 cells as a potential approach for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In vitro studies show that most of the synthesized compounds were potent in reducing the neurotoxicity of Aβ25-35-induced PC12 cells at 5 μg/mL. We found that compound 5c was non-neurotoxic at 30 μg/mL and significantly increased the viability of Aβ25-35-induced PC12 cells at 1.25, 2.5 and 5 μg/mL. Western blot analysis showed that compound 5c promoted the phosphorylation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-3β) and decreased the expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in Aβ25-35-induced PC12 cells. In addition, our findings demonstrated that compound 5c protected PC12 cells from Aβ25-35-induced apoptosis and reduced the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, and decreased the expression of receptor for AGE (RAGE), β-site amyloid precursor protein (APP)-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Bcl-2-associated X protein/B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bax/Bcl-2) via Akt/GSK-3β/NF-κB signaling pathway. In vivo studies suggest that compound 5c shows less toxicity than donepezil in the heart and nervous system of zebrafish.