Oridonin, a Promising ent-Kaurane Diterpenoid Lead Compound

Induction of apoptosis by oridonin in nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma cells

Nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) is one of the major subtypes of pituitary adenomas (PA) and its primary treatment is surgical resection. However, normal surgery fails to remove lesions completely and there remains in lack of frontline treatment, so the development of new drugs for NFPA is no doubt urgent. Oridonin (ORI) has been reported to have antitumor effects on a variety of tumors, but whether it could exhibit the same effect on NFPA requires to be further investigated. The effects of ORI on pituitary-derived folliculostellate cell line (PDFS) cell viability, colony formation, proliferation ability, migration, and invasion were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation assay, 5‑Ethynyl‑2'‑deoxyuridine proliferation assay, wound-healing assay, and Transwell assay. The differentially expressed genes in the control and ORI-treated groups were screened by transcriptome sequencing analysis and analyzed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment. Cell cycle analysis was performed to detect changes in cell cycle. Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining was performed to detect apoptosis in ORI-treated cells. Western blot assay was performed to detect Bax, Bcl-2, and cleaved Caspase-3 protein expression. ORI inhibited PDFS cell viability and significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. GO and KEGG results showed that ORI was associated with signaling pathways such as cell cycle and apoptosis in PDFS cells. In addition, ORI blocked cells in G2/M phase and induced apoptosis in PDFS cells. ORI can trigger cell cycle disruption and apoptosis collaboratively in PDFS cells, making it a promising and effective agent for NFPA therapy.

Synthesis and Application of a pH-Responsive Functional Metal-Organic Framework: In Vitro Investigation for Delivery of Oridonin in Cancer Therapy

Oridonin (Ori) is a naturally existing diterpenoid substance that mainly exists in the Chinese medicinal plant Rabdosia rubescens. It was previously found to possess intriguing biological properties; however, the quick clearance from plasma and limited solubility in water restricts its use as a drug. Several metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), having big surfaces and large pores, have recently been considered promising drug transporters. The zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), a form of MOF consisting of 2-methylimidazole with zinc ions, is structurally stable under physiologically neutral conditions, while it can degrade at low pH values such as in tumor cells. Herein, a nanosized drug delivery system, Ori@ZIF-8, was successfully designed for encapsulating and transporting oridonin to the tumor site. The drug loading of the prepared Ori@ZIF-8 was 26.78%, and the particles' mean size was 240.5 nm. In vitro, the release of Ori@ZIF-8 exhibited acid sensitivity, with a slow release under neutral conditions and rapid release of the drug under weakly acidic conditions. According to the in vitro anti-tumor experiments, Ori@ZIF-8 produced higher cytotoxicity than free Ori and induced apoptosis in A549 cancer cells. In conclusion, Ori@ZIF-8 could be a potential pH-responsive carrier to accurately release more oridonins at the tumor site.

Oridonin from Rabdosia rubescens: An emerging potential in cancer therapy - A comprehensive review

Cancer incidences are rising each year. In 2020, approximately 20 million new cancer cases and 10 million cancer-related deaths were recorded. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that by 2024 the incidence of cancer will increase to 30.2 million individuals annually. Considering the invasive characteristics of its diagnostic procedures and therapeutic methods side effects, scientists are searching for different solutions, including using plant-derived bioactive compounds, that could reduce the probability of cancer occurrence and make its treatment more comfortable. In this regard, oridonin (ORI), an ent-kaurane diterpenoid, naturally found in the leaves of Rabdosia rubescens species, has been found to have antitumor, antiangiogenesis, antiasthmatic, antiinflammatory, and apoptosis induction properties. Extensive research has been performed on ORI to find various mechanisms involved in its anticancer activities. This review article provides an overview of ORI's effectiveness on murine and human cancer populations from 1976 to 2022 and provides insight into the future application of ORI in different cancer therapies.

Antibacterial Mechanisms and Antivirulence Activities of Oridonin against Pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila AS 1.1801

Aeromonas hydrophila, a Gram-negative bacterium widely found in freshwater environments, acts as a common conditional pathogen affecting humans, livestock, and aquatic animals. In this study, the impact of oridonin, an ent-kaurane diterpenoid compound derived from Rabdosia rubescens, on the virulence factors of A. hydrophila AS 1.1801 and its antibacterial mechanism was elucidated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of oridonin against A. hydrophila AS 1.1801 was 100 μg/mL. Oridonin at inhibitory concentrations could significantly increase the electrical conductivity in the supernatant and escalate nucleic acid leakage (p < 0.01). This effect was concomitant with observed distortions in bacterial cells, the formation of cytoplasmic cavities, cellular damage, and pronounced inhibition of protein and nucleic acid synthesis. Additionally, oridonin at inhibitory levels exhibited a noteworthy suppressive impact on A. hydrophila AS 1.1801 across biofilm formation, motility, hemolytic activity, lipase activity, and protease activity (p < 0.05), demonstrating a dose-dependent enhancement. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the gene expression of luxR, qseB and omp were significantly downregulated after oridonin treatment in A. hydrophila AS 1.1801 (p < 0.05). Our results indicated that oridonin possessed significant antibacterial and anti-virulence effects on A. hydrophila AS 1.1801.

The bioavailability enhancement and insight into the action mechanism of poorly soluble natural compounds from co-crystals preparation: Oridonin as an example

BACKGROUND

Natural bioactive molecules are important sources for the development of new drugs. However, most of them were limited in clinical applications due to their low aqueous solubility and bioavailability. Oridonin (ORI) is a powerful anticancer compound with above characteristics.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to find an effective method to improve the bioavailability of poorly soluble natural compounds, and explore the action mechanisms of them to promote their application.

RESULTS

In this study, ORI-nicotinamide (NCT) cocrystal was successfully prepared for the first time to overcome the defects of ORI. The solubility and oral bioavailability of cocrystal (COC) increased 1.34 and 1.18 times compared with ORI. Moreover, MTT assay was applied to compare the cytotoxicity of positive control drug sorafenib with ORI and COC. The IC50 values of sorafenib, ORI and COC on HepG2 cells were 7.61, 8.79 and 7.36 nmol·mL-1, which indicated that the cytotoxicity of ORI could be enhanced by cocrystal preparation. The cellular metabolomics was innovatively introduced to gain insight into the difference of cytotoxicity mechanism between ORI and COC. The results showed that there were 78 metabolites with significant differences in content between the two groups, while these differential metabolites were related to 11 metabolic pathways. Among these, glycerophospholipid metabolism and cysteine and methionine metabolism were the significant differential pathways, and the downregulation of PC(14:0/16:1(9z)) and upregulation of homocysteine were the likely main reasons for higher cytotoxicity of COC.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has presented novel approaches for enhancing the bioavailability and drug efficacy of natural compounds, while also offering fresh insights into the underlying action mechanisms of pharmaceutical cocrystals.

A Powerful Tool in the Treatment of Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: Natural and Nanoscale Modified Small Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MI/RI) constitutes a pivotal determinant impacting the long-term prognosis of individuals afflicted by ischemic cardiomyopathy subsequent to reperfusion therapy. Stem cells have garnered extensive application within the realm of MI/RI investigation, yielding tangible outcomes. Stem cell therapy encounters certain challenges in its application owing to the complexities associated with stem cell acquisition, a diminished homing rate, and a brief in vivo lifespan. Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) originating from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been demonstrated to possess the benefits of abundant availability, reduced immunogenicity, and a diminished tumorigenic incidence. They can exert their effects on damaged organs, improving injuries by transporting a lot of constituents, including proteins, RNA, lipid droplets, and more. This phenomenon has garnered substantial attention in the context of MI/RI treatment. Simultaneously, MSC-derived sEV (MSC-sEV) can exhibit enhanced therapeutic advantages through bioengineering modifications, biomaterial incorporation, and natural drug interventions. Within this discourse, we shall appraise the utilization of MSC-sEV and their derivatives in the context of MI/RI treatment, aiming to offer valuable insights for future research endeavors related to MI/RI.

Oridonin ameliorates doxorubicin induced-cardiotoxicity via the E2F1/Sirt6/PGC1α pathway in mice

Doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) arises from mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Oridonin (Ori), a natural tetracycline diterpenoid, has shown cardiac protective effect; however, its role in DIC remains unclear. This study investigates the protective effect of Ori against DIC and elucidates its underlying molecular mechanisms. The results demonstrate that Ori significantly alleviated DIC by improving myocardial structure, reducing the proportion of apoptotic cells, and alleviating the myocardial oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction both in vivo and in vitro. Doxorubicin significantly decreased Sirt6 and PGC1α levels in cardiac tissues, which was reversed by Ori. Furthermore, Sirt6 overexpression significantly improved myocardial structure and reduced the proportion of apoptotic cells by reducing oxidative stress and improving mitochondrial function. The protective effect of Ori is neutralized by the Sirt6 inhibitor OSS_128167, evidenced by downregulated mRNA and protein expression of PGC1α. The transcription factor E2F1 was upregulated by doxorubicin, leading to decreased Sirt6 expression-an effect mitigated by Ori. Molecular docking simulations indicate direct binding between Ori and specific amino acid residues on E2F1 through hydroxyl bonds. These findings uncover a novel mechanism whereby Ori attenuates DIC by modulating the E2F1/Sirt6/PGC1α pathway.

Preparation, characterization, and pharmacokinetics of oridonin-loaded liposomes

The aim of this study was to prepare oridonin liposomes and evaluate the physicochemical characteristics and pharmacokinetics in rats. A three-level, three-factor Box-Behnken design was used to optimize the preparation of oridonin liposomes. A highly sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic quantification method using ultraviolet detection was established and validated for the determination of oridonin in rat plasma. Twelve Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned and injected with 15 mg/kg of oridonin or oridonin liposomes via the tail vein. Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated using a compartmental modeling approach using PKsolver software. The optimum conditions were as follows: soybean phospholipids/cholesterol ratio, 3.9:1; soybean phospholipids/drug ratio, 8.5:1; and soybean phospholipid concentration, 1.1%. Under these conditions, the mean particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency of oridonin liposomes were 170.5 nm, 0.246, -30.3 mV, and 76.15%, respectively. The pharmacokinetic results showed that liposomes could significantly prolong the elimination half-life (from 2.88 ± 0.55 to 13.67 ± 3.52 h), increase the area under the concentration-time curve (from 1.65 ± 0.17 to 6.22 ± 0.83 μg h/ml), and decrease the clearance (from 6.62 ± 1.38 to 1.96 ± 0.24 L/kg h). The oridonin liposomes increased the elimination half-life and area under the concentration-time curve and provided a reference for the development of drugs with a short half-life.

Recent advances in oridonin derivatives with anticancer activity

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality responsible for an estimated 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020, and its incidence has been rapidly growing over the last decades. Population growth and aging, as well as high systemic toxicity and chemoresistance associated with conventional anticancer therapies reflect these high levels of incidence and mortality. Thus, efforts have been made to search for novel anticancer drugs with fewer side effects and greater therapeutic effectiveness. Nature continues to be the main source of biologically active lead compounds, and diterpenoids are considered one of the most important families since many have been reported to possess anticancer properties. Oridonin is an ent-kaurane tetracyclic diterpenoid isolated from Rabdosia rubescens and has been a target of extensive research over the last few years. It displays a broad range of biological effects including neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity against a variety of tumor cells. Several structural modifications on the oridonin and biological evaluation of its derivatives have been performed, creating a library of compounds with improved pharmacological activities. This mini-review aims to highlight the recent advances in oridonin derivatives as potential anticancer drugs, while succinctly exploring their proposed mechanisms of action. To wind up, future research perspectives in this field are also disclosed.

New light on treatment of cervical cancer: Chinese medicine monomers can be effective for cervical cancer by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Cervical cancer (CC), as the most common malignant tumor of the female reproductive system, is infamous for its high morbidity and mortality rates. Its development and metastasis are intricate because numerous signaling pathways are involved. Since the cancer and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway are closely intertwined, direct inhibition of either the PI3K/Akt pathway or its target genes and molecules may be remarkably constructive for treatment. Albeit remarkable advances in the treatment of CC, existing common anti-cancer medications are not without problems. These problems include myelotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, genotoxicity, and vasospasm, which are the most common and well-recognized toxicities associated with these medications. Therefore, it is necessary and urgent to develop novel, potent, secure, and more reasonably priced anticancer medications that are void of the above problems. Against this backdrop, Chinese medicine monomers have received more attention in recent years owing to their safety, low toxicity, few side effects, and anti-tumor properties. By regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, Chinese medicine monomers are effective not only in inhibiting CC growth, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and reversing drug resistance but also in a variety of targets. Most previous earlier studies focused on the use of a single traditional Chinese medicine monomer to treat CC by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway rather than a combination of several such monomers. More importantly, to our knowledge, there has hardly been any study providing an exhaustive and comprehensive review of all the Chinese medicine monomers at CC. In response to this scarcity, we attempt in this paper to provide a comprehensive review of all the literature to date on traditional Chinese medicine monomers at cervical cancer, highlight the mechanisms and future prospects for their use in the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer.

Potential of natural products in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

BACKGROUND

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a kind of functional bowel disease that is characterized by bellyache, abdominal distension, and diarrhea. Although not life-threatening, IBS has a long course and recurrent attacks and seriously affects the life quality of patients. Current drugs for treating IBS possess remarkable limitations, such as limited efficacy and severe adverse reactions. Therefore, developing novel medications to treat IBS is quite essential, and natural products may be a substantial source.

PURPOSE

This is the first systematic review elaborating the recent advancement of natural products as potential drugs for the therapy of IBS.

METHODS

A comprehensive retrieval of studies was carried out in scientific databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, and CNKI. By using ("irritable bowel syndrome" OR "IBS") AND ("natural product" OR "natural compound" OR "phytochemical") as keywords, the eligible studies were screened, and the relevant information about therapeutic action and mechanism of natural products treating IBS was extracted.

RESULTS

Natural products against IBS consisted of four categories, namely, terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenols. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms for natural products treating IBS were tightly associated with increased TJs and mucus protein expression, regulation of the brain-gut axis and gut microbiota structure, and inhibition of inflammatory response and intestinal mucosal damage.

CONCLUSION

Natural products could be extremely prospective candidate drugs used to treat IBS, and further preclinical and clinical researches are needed to guarantee their efficacy and safety.

Promising Therapeutic Candidate for Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury: What Are the Possible Mechanisms and Roles of Phytochemicals?

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is one of the most effective reperfusion strategies for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) despite myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, causing one of the causes of most cardiomyocyte injuries and deaths. The pathological processes of myocardial I/R injury include apoptosis, autophagy, and irreversible cell death caused by calcium overload, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Eventually, myocardial I/R injury causes a spike of further cardiomyocyte injury that contributes to final infarct size (IS) and bound with hospitalization of heart failure as well as all-cause mortality within the following 12 months. Therefore, the addition of adjuvant intervention to improve myocardial salvage and cardiac function calls for further investigation. Phytochemicals are non-nutritive bioactive secondary compounds abundantly found in Chinese herbal medicine. Great effort has been put into phytochemicals because they are often in line with the expectations to improve myocardial I/R injury without compromising the clinical efficacy or to even produce synergy. We summarized the previous efforts, briefly outlined the mechanism of myocardial I/R injury, and focused on exploring the cardioprotective effects and potential mechanisms of all phytochemical types that have been investigated under myocardial I/R injury. Phytochemicals deserve to be utilized as promising therapeutic candidates for further development and research on combating myocardial I/R injury. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to provide a better understanding of the mechanism of myocardial I/R injury treatment using phytochemicals and possible side effects associated with this approach.

Preparation, Characterization, and Evaluation of Liposomes Containing Oridonin from Rabdosia rubescens

Due to the remarkable anti-tumor activities of oridonin (Ori), research on Rabdosia rubescens has attracted more and more attention in the pharmaceutical field. The purpose of this study was to extract Ori from R. rubescens by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and prepare Ori liposomes as a novel delivery system to improve the bioavailability and biocompatibility. Response surface methodology (RSM), namely Box-Behnken design (BBD), was applied to optimize extraction conditions, formulation, and preparation process. The results demonstrated that the optimal extraction conditions were an ethanol concentration of 75.9%, an extraction time of 35.7 min, and a solid/liquid ratio of 1:32.6. Under these optimal conditions, the extraction yield of Ori was 4.23 mg/g, which was well matched with the predicted value (4.28 mg/g). The optimal preparation conditions of Ori liposomes by RSM, with an ultrasonic time of 41.1 min, a soybean phospholipids/drug ratio of 9.6 g/g, and a water bath temperature of 53.4 °C, had higher encapsulation efficiency (84.1%). The characterization studies indicated that Ori liposomes had well-dispersible spherical shapes and uniform sizes with a particle size of 137.7 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.216, and zeta potential of −24.0 mV. In addition, Ori liposomes presented better activity than free Ori. Therefore, the results indicated that Ori liposomes could enhance the bioactivity of Ori, being proposed as a promising vehicle for drug delivery.

Phenols and terpenoids: natural products as inhibitors of NLRP3 inflammasome in cardiovascular diseases

Inflammatory infiltration has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in the development of several types of CVDs, including myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion damage, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension. Inhibiting the activity of NLRP3 inflammasome can inhibit the progress of CVDs. However, there is no NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor in clinic, and it is very important to find a safe and effective NLRP3 inhibitor. Phenols and terpenoids are naturally natural products that have many anti-inflammatory effects in CVDs by modulating the NLRP3 inflammatory pathway. Thus, 20 natural products from phenols and terpenoids for the treatment of cardiovascular disease based on the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome were summarized and screened. Docking results showed salvianolic acid B and ellagic acid in phenols, and oridonin and triptolide in terpenoids had a better binding activity with NLRP3, which can provide theoretical support for finding novel NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors or lead compounds in the future.

Evolving Roles of Natural Terpenoids From Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic metabolic skeletal disease which can lead to reduction in bone mass and increased risk of bone fracture due to the microstructural degradation. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been applied in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis for a long time. Terpenoids, a class of natural products that are rich in TCM, have been widely studied for their therapeutic efficacy on bone resorption, osteogenesis, and concomitant inflammation. Terpenoids can be classified in four categories by structures, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, diterpenoids, and triterpenoids. In this review, we comprehensively summarize all the currently known TCM-derived terpenoids in the treatment of OP. In addition, we discuss the possible mechanistic-of-actions of all four category terpenoids in anti-OP and assess their therapeutic potential for OP treatment.

The Effect of Terpenoid Natural Chinese Medicine Molecular Compound on Lung Cancer Treatment

Among all malignant tumors in the whole universe, the incidence and mortality of lung cancer disease rank first. Especially in the past few years, the occurrence of lung cancer in the urban population has continued to increase, which seriously threatens the lives and health of people. Among the many treatments for lung cancer, chemotherapy is the best one, but traditional chemotherapy has low specificity and drug resistance. To address the above issue, this study reviews the five biological pathways that common terpenoid compounds in medicinal plants interfere with the occurrence and development of lung cancer: cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, cell autophagy, cell invasion, metastasis, and immune mechanism regulation. In addition, the mechanism of the terpenoid natural traditional Chinese medicine monomer compound combined with Western medicine in the multipathway antilung cancer is summarized.

Plant-Derived Chinese Medicine Monomers on Ovarian Cancer via the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway: Review of Mechanisms and Prospects

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a common malignant tumor of the female reproductive system and has a high morbidity and mortality rate. The progression and metastasis of OC are complex and involve multiple signaling pathways. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is closely related to OC, and therefore blocking the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling directly or inhibiting related genes, and molecular targets is of great value in treating OC. Toxicities such as myelotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, genotoxicity, and vasospasm are the major side effects for common anticancer drugs and are well documented. There is, therefore, a need to develop new, effective, safer, and more affordable anticancer drugs from alternative sources. In recent years, plant-derived Chinese medicine monomers have drawn increasing attention due to their high safety, low toxicity, minimal side effects, and antitumor effects. Plant-derived Chinese medicine monomers are effective against multiple targets and can regulate the growth, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration of OC as well as reverse drug resistance by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In this review, we summarize and provide mechanisms and prospects for the use of plant-derived Chinese medicines for the prevention and treatment of OC.

Total Synthesis of Isorosthin L and Isoadenolin I

Total syntheses of two Isodon diterpenes, isorosthin L and isoadenolin I, are reported. The synthetic strategy features a quick assembly of two simple building blocks through a diastereoselective intermolecular aldol reaction and a subsequent radical cyclization for efficient construction of a rather complex advanced intermediate bearing a quaternary stereocenter present in all Isodon diterpenes. Oxidative cleavage of the C-C bond in the cyclopentane enabled the conversion to a lactone moiety which is desired for the construction of the molecular skeleton through reductive coupling with an aldehyde carbonyl group.

Oridonin Prolongs the Survival of Mouse Cardiac Allografts by Attenuating the NF-κB/NLRP3 Pathway

Background

Oridonin (Ori), the main bioactive ingredient of the natural anti-inflammatory herb Rabdosia rubescens, could be a covalent inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Solid organ transplantation provides a life-saving optional therapy for patients with end-stage organ dysfunction. The long-term survival of solid organ transplantation remains restricted because of the possibility of rejection and the toxicity, infection, cardiovascular disease, and malignancy related to immunosuppressive (IS) drugs. However, the pathogenic mechanisms involved remain unclear. The ideal IS drugs to prevent allograft rejection have not been identified. Here, we investigated whether Ori could prolong the in vivo survival of completely mismatched cardiac allografts.

Methods

The cardiac transplantation models were conducted among three groups of mice from C57BL/6NCrSlc (B6/N) or C3H/HeNSlc (C3H) to C3H: the syngeneic and the allogeneic group, whose recipients were treated with vehicle of Ori, and the Ori treatment group, in which the recipients were transplanted hearts from MHC-I mismatched donors and treated with different dosages of Ori from post-operative day (POD) 0 to 7. Then, we investigated the effect of Ori on bone marrow-derived dendritic cell (BMDC) and allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction in vitro.

Results

Ori with 3, 10, and 15 mg/kg Ori could prolong the survival (MST = 22.8, 49.2, and 65.3 days, respectively). We found that infiltrating CD8⁺ T cells and macrophages were decreased, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) were expanded in allografts on POD7. The mRNA level of IL-1β and IFN-γ of allografts was downregulated. Mechanistically, Ori-treated BMDCs suppressed T-cell proliferation and IFN-γ⁺CD4⁺ T-cell differentiation, along with the expansion of Tregs and IL-10⁺CD4⁺ T cells. Ori inhibited NOD, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) expression; attenuated NF-κB and IκBα phosphorylation in LPS-activated BMDCs; downregulated NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and IFN-γ; and upregulated IL-10 expression.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight the potential of Ori as a novel and natural IS agent to improve transplant tolerance. Ori could exert IS activity through decreasing IL-1β and IL-18 production and Th1 differentiation and proliferation and expanding Tregs via inhibiting the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

A review: biosynthesis of plant-derived labdane-related diterpenoids

Plant-derived labdane-related diterpenoids (LRDs) represent a large group of terpenoids. LRDs possess either a labdane-type bicyclic core structure or more complex ring systems derived from labdane-type skeletons, such as abietane, pimarane, kaurane, etc. Due to their various pharmaceutical activities and unique properties, many of LRDs have been widely used in pharmaceutical, food and perfume industries. Biosynthesis of various LRDs has been extensively studied, leading to characterization of a large number of new biosynthetic enzymes. The biosynthetic pathways of important LRDs and the relevant enzymes (especially diterpene synthases and cytochrome P450 enzymes) were summarized in this review.

Oridonin Promotes Apoptosis and Restrains the Viability and Migration of Bladder Cancer by Impeding TRPM7 Expression via the ERK and AKT Signaling Pathways

BACKGROUND

Oridonin is a powerful anticancer compound found in Rabdosia rubescens. However, its potential impact on bladder cancer remains uninvestigated. In this work, we aimed to detect the anticancer effect of oridonin on bladder cancer and explore the molecular mechanisms involved.

METHODS

The anticancer activity of oridonin was assessed in vitro with a CCK8 assay, an annexin V-FITC apoptosis analysis, and colony formation and Transwell migration assays which were performed with the human bladder cancer cell line T24. Levels of apoptosis-related proteins, melastatin transient receptor potential channel 7 (TRPM7), and signaling molecules were examined in oridonin-treated T24 cells by western blotting or RT-PCR. Oridonin anticancer efficacy was further validated in vivo with a T24 xenograft mouse model.

RESULTS

Oridonin repressed the proliferative, colony-forming, and migratory capacities of T24 cells, triggered extensive apoptosis in vitro, and retarded tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, oridonin treatment significantly increased expression levels of p53 and cleaved caspase-3 and reduced expression of TRPM7, p-AKT, and p-ERK.

CONCLUSION

Oridonin exhibited outstanding antiproliferative and antimigratory effects on bladder cancer, and these effects were at least partially associated with targeting of TRPM7 through inactivation of the ERK and AKT signaling pathways. These findings provide insight for the clinical application of oridonin in bladder cancer prevention.

A review of the synthesis of nitric oxide donor and donor derivatives with pharmacological activities

Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) is an important effector molecule and signal transduction molecule, which participates in the regulation of multiple functions in organisms, involving a variety of physiological and pathological processes, especially playing a very important role in the cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems. NO is a gaseous substance with a short half-life in the body and is unstable in aqueous solutions. Therefore, many researchers focus on the release and activity of NO donors and their derivatives. However, NO donors can release free NO or NO analogues under physiological conditions to meet the human need. NO donors can be coupled with the corresponding active basic nucleus, so that they have the biological activity derived from both the basic nucleus and the NO donors, thus performing better bioactivity. This paper reviewed the routes of synthesis and advance activities of NO donor derivatives.

Oridonin interferes with simple steatosis of liver cells by regulating autophagy

Oridonin has significant liver-protective effects, but its effect on liver steatosis has not been reported. We investigated the effects of oridonin on liver steatosis by cell cultures. The optimal experimental concentration of oridonin was determined through cytotoxicity experiments. A simple steatosis liver cell model was induced using free fatty acids (FFA). After adding oridonin to the FFA-induced cell model for 24 h, the lipid droplets and triglyceride (TG) content in the cells were measured by Oil Red O staining and TG kits. The expressions of autophagy-related markers (cyclin dependent kinases inhibitor 1a (p21), Beclin-1, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)-I and LC3-II, protein kinase B (AKT), phosphorylated-AKT (p-AKT), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and phosphorylated-AMPK (p-AMPK)) were detected by Western blot. Based on the results, the cell model was further treated by autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) to determine the degree of steatosis and the expressions of autophagy-related factors. Oridonin at a concentration higher than 10 μmol/L caused cytotoxicity to the cells. Adding 10 μmol/L oridonin to the FFA-induced cell model effectively reduced lipid droplets and TG content in the cells. Oridonin up-regulated p21, Beclin-1 and LC3-II expressions, but down-regulated those of p62 and LC3-I. Also, oridonin increased the ratios of LC3-II/LC3-I and p-AMPK/AMPK, but reduced that of p-AKT/AKT. With the addition of 3-MA, the effect of oridonin on reducing steatosis was partially reversed, and the autophagy was inhibited. This study found that oridonin can activate autophagy, thereby preventing simple steatosis of liver cells.

Recent Progress of Oridonin and Its Derivatives for the Treatment of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

First stage human clinical trial (CTR20150246) for HAO472, the L-alanine-(14-oridonin) ester trifluoroacetate, was conducted by a Chinese company, Hengrui Medicine Co. Ltd, to develop a new treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia. Two patents, WO2015180549A1 and CN201410047904.X, covered the development of the I-type crystal, stability experiment, conversion rate research, bioavailability experiment, safety assessment, and solubility study. HAO472 hewed out new avenues to explore the therapeutic properties of oridonin derivatives and develop promising treatment of cancer originated from naturally derived drug candidates. Herein, we sought to overview recent progress of the synthetic, physiological, and pharmacological investigations of oridonin and its derivatives, aiming to disclose the therapeutic potentials and broaden the platform for the discovery of new anticancer drugs.

Anti-Inflammatory ent-Kaurane Diterpenoids from Isodon serra

Ten new ent-kaurane diterpenoids, including two pairs of epimers 1/2 and 4/5 and a 6,7-seco-ent-kauranoid 10, were obtained from the aerial parts of Isodon serra. The structures of the new compounds were confirmed by extensive spectroscopic methods and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data analysis. An anti-inflammatory assay was applied to evaluate their nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activities by using LPS-stimulated BV-2 cells. Compounds 1 and 9 exhibited notable NO production inhibition with IC₅₀ values of 15.6 and 7.3 μM, respectively. Moreover, the interactions of some bioactive diterpenoids with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were explored by employing molecular docking studies.

Discovery of lysosome-targeted covalent anticancer agents based on isosteviol skeleton

Covalent drugs play corresponding bioactivities by forming covalent bonds with the target, which possess many significant pharmacological advantages including high potency, ligand efficiency, and long-lasting effects. However, development of covalent inhibitors is a challenge due to their presumed indiscriminate reactivity. Here, we report the discovery of series of lysosome-targeting covalent anticancer agents by introducing nitrogenous bases to the modified isosteviol skeleton in order to minimize the toxicity and increase the selectivity. By introducing the electrophilic α, β-unsaturated ketones into the A- and D-rings of isosteviol, the cytotoxicity of the obtained compounds were greatly increased. Further nitrogen-containing modifications to the D-ring led to the discovery of novel molecules that targeted lysosomes, and of which, compound 30 was the most potent and selective antiproliferative one to kill A549 cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanism investigation revealed that compound 30 was trapped into lysosomes and damaged lysosomes to cause cell death.

Oridonin inhibits hypoxia-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cell migration by the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α/matrix metallopeptidase-9 signal pathway in gallbladder cancer

Hypoxia has crucial roles in cancer development and progression. Our previous study indicated that cell migration was increased in a hypoxic microenvironment in GBC-SD gallbladder cancer (GBC) cells. Oridonin, a bioactive diterpenoid compound that is isolated from the plant Rabdosia rubescens, has been identified as an anticancer agent in various types of cancer. However, its roles in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration in a hypoxic microenvironment and the associated regulatory mechanisms have not yet to be fully elucidated in GBC. The present study investigated the effect of oridonin on cell proliferation, apoptosis, the cell cycle and cell migration in GBC in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the role of oridonin in hypoxia-induced cell migration and its underlying mechanisms were explored in GBC. The results indicated that treatment with oridonin significantly suppressed cell proliferation and the metastatic ability of GBC-SD cells in a dose-dependent manner, increased the level of cell apoptosis and induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Further experiments demonstrated that oridonin could inhibit hypoxia-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cell migration by downregulating the expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α/matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-9. In addition, oridonin suppressed GBC cell growth and downregulated the expression levels of HIF-1α and MMP-9 in a GBC-SD cell xenograft model. Taken together, these results suggest that oridonin possesses anticancer properties in GBC. Notably, oridonin can suppress tumor epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cell migration by targeting the HIF-1α/MMP-9 signaling pathway.

AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 Axis-Mediated Pathway Participates in Apoptosis and Autophagy Induction by Oridonin in Colon Cancer DLD-1 Cells

BACKGROUND

Oridonin has been demonstrated to exert strong antitumor activities in various types of human cancers. Our previous study established that oridonin induced the apoptosis of and exerted an inhibitory effect on colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanisms behind the antitumor effects of oridonin on colorectal cancer are not clearly known. This study explored whether autophagy was involved in antitumorigenesis effects caused by the usage of oridonin in colon cancer and examined whether the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 signaling pathway was involved in this process.

METHODS

Cell viability was determined using CCK-8 assay. The distribution of cell apoptosis was evaluated using flow cytometry. RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis were conducted to identify the key target genes and proteins involved in the AMPK/mTOR cascade. AMPK siRNA was used to disturb AMPK expression. A DLD-1 cell orthotopic transplantation tumor model was established to explore the anti-cancer effects in vivo.

RESULTS

Oridonin exhibited a suppressive effect on DLD-1 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Additionally, in a dose-dependent manner, oridonin induced cell apoptosis via inducing the protein expression levels of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved PARP and stimulated autophagy by increasing protein expression levels of Becin1, LC3-II, decreasing protein expression levels of LC3-I, p62, which were respectively attenuated and elevated by autophagy inhibitor 3-MA. Furthermore, oridonin upregulated the expression level of p-AMPK and downregulated the expression levels of p-mTOR, p-ULK1 in the DLD-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, knockdown of AMPK by a specific siRNA reversed the expression levels of proteins involved in the AMPK/mTOR pathway, autophagy and apoptosis. In addition, outcomes from the in vivo experiments also showed that oridonin treatment significantly repressed tumorigenic growth of DLD-1 cells without any side effects, which was accompanied by the upregulation of p-AMPK, LC3-II, active caspase-3 protein expression levels and the downregulation of p-mTOR and p-ULK1 protein expression levels.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that oridonin induced apoptosis and autophagy of colon cancer DLD-1 cells via regulating the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway, which indicated that oridonin may be used as a novel therapeutic intervention for patients with colorectal cancer.

Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Assessment of Novel 7-O- and 14-O-Derivatives of Glaucocalyxin A

BACKGROUND

Rabdosia japonica has been historically used in China as a popular folk medicine for the treatment of cancer, hepatitis, and gastricism. Glaucocalyxin A (GLA), an ent-kaurene diterpene isolated from Rabdosia japonica, is one of the main active ingredients showing potent inhibitory effects against several types of tumor cells. To the best of our knowledge, studies regarding the structural modification and Structure- Activity Relations (SAR) of this compound have not yet been reported.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to discover more potent derivatives of GLA and investigate their SAR and cytotoxicity mechanisms.

METHODS

Novel 7-O- and 14-O-derivatives of GLA were synthesized by condensation of acids or acyl chloride. The anti-tumor activities of these derivatives against various human cancer cell lines were evaluated in vitro by MTT assays. Apoptosis assays of compound 17 (7,14-diacylation product) were performed on A549 and HL-60 cells by flow cytometry and TUNNEL. The acute toxicity of this compound was tested on mice, at the dose of 300mg per kg body weight.

RESULTS

Seventeen novel 7-O- and 14-O-derivatives of GLA (1-17) were synthesized. These compounds showed potent cytotoxicity against the tested cancer cell lines, and almost all of them were found to be more cytotoxic than GLA and oridonin. Of the synthesized derivatives, compound 17 presented the greatest cytotoxicity, with IC50 values of 0.26μM and 1.10μM in HL-60 and CCRF-CEM cells, respectively. Furthermore, this compound induced weak apoptosis of A549 cells but showed great potential in stimulating the apoptosis of HL- 60 cells. Acute toxicity assays indicated that compound 17 is relatively safer.

CONCLUSION

The results reported herein indicate that the synthesized GLA derivatives exhibited greater cytotoxicity against leukemia cells than against other types of tumors. In particular, 7,14-diacylation product of GLA was found to be an effective anti-tumor agent. However, the cytotoxicity mechanism of this product in A549 cells is expected to be different than that in other tumor cell lines. Further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.

NLRP1 and NLRP3 inflammasomes as a new approach to skin carcinogenesis

Inflammasomes are key innate immune system receptors that detect pathogenic endo- and exogenous stressors like microorganisms or ultraviolet radiation (UVR) which activate the highly proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and interleukin-18. Inflammasomes are not only involved in inflammation, but also in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Due to the dynamic increase in non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC), it has become necessary to determine how UVR, which plays a key role in NMSC development, can regulate the structure and function of inflammasomes. In the present study, the regulatory mechanisms of NOD-Like Receptor Family Pyrin Domain Containing 1 and 3 inflammasome activation as well as an effective inflammasome-mediated immune response after UVR exposition are discussed. The differences and similarities between these molecular complexes that monitor cellular health, inflammation, and skin carcinogenesis are also highlighted. Despite numerous scientific data, more studies are still required to better understand the biology of inflammasomes in skin cancer development and to explore their therapeutic potential.

The inhibitory effect of oridonin on colon cancer was mediated by deactivation of TGF-β1/Smads-PAI-1 signaling pathway in vitro and vivo

Background

Oridonin, the main active component of Rabdosia rubescens, has been demonstrated to have anti-tumor effect on all kinds of cancer cells through various mechanisms and it has shown antitumor activity in some tumors partially via the suppression of TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to explore the anticancer effect of oridonin on human colon carcinoma and underlying mechanism in vitro and vivo.

Methods

CCK-8 assay was employed to assess cell viability. The key target genes and proteins involved in TGF-β/Smads pathway was detected by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The orthotopic transplantation tumor model of colon cance LOVO cell was introduced to detect anti-cancer effects in vivo.

Results

Oridonin inhibited the proliferation of colon cancer LOVO cells in a concentration and time dependent manner. In addition, oridonin reduced the levels of Smad2, Smad3, Smad4, PAI-1 and the phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3 induced by TGF-β1 in vitro. Subsequently, we established an orthotopically implanted tumor model in nude mice and found that oridonin treatment significantly suppressed tumor growth, and which was accompanied by the down-regulation of Smad2, Smad3, Smad4, PAI-1 and p-Smad2, p-Smad3 expression levels.

Conclusion

Our present study demonstrated that the growth inhibition of colon cancer by oridonin could be partially mediated through discontinuing TGF-β1/Smads-PAI-1 signaling pathway, suggesting it as a promising agent in treating colorectal cancer.

Oridonin derivatives as potential anticancer drug candidates triggering apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway in the liver cancer cells

The biological function of the natural ent-kaurene diterpenoid isolated from genus Isodon, oridonin, has been intensively studied. However, its mechanism studies and clinical applications were hampered by its moderate biological activities. In order to enlarge the applied range of oridonin and explore its mechanism of action, a series of derivatives were designed and synthesized based on the structure of oridonin. Some of the derivatives were significantly more potent than oridonin against four cancer cell lines. Especially, the most potent compound 20 markedly inhibited the proliferation of well differentiated HepG2 and poorly differentiated PLC/PRF/5 cells, with IC₅₀ values as low as 1.36 μM and 0.78 μM respectively, while the IC₅₀ values of oridonin are 8.12 μM and 7.41 μM. We found that compound 20 inhibited liver cancer cell proliferation via arresting cell cycle at G1 phase. Moreover, it induced liver cancer cell apoptosis by decreasing the mitochondrial membrane potential, increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species level and inducing the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. Furthermore, compound 20 significantly inhibited growth of PLC/PRF/5 xenograft tumors in nude mice and had no observable toxic effect. Altogether, these results indicated that compound 20 is a promising lead for liver cancer therapeutics.

Total Synthesis-Enabled Systematic Structure-Activity Relationship Study for Development of a Bioactive Alkyne-Tagged Derivative of Neolaxiflorin L

Neolaxiflorin L (NL) is a low-abundant Isodon 7,20-epoxy- ent-kuarenoid and was found to be a promising anticancer drug candidate in our previous study. In order to study its structure-activity relationship (SAR), a diversity-oriented synthetic route toward two libraries of (±)-NL analogs, including analogs containing different functionalities in the same 7,20-epoxy- ent-kuarene skeleton and analogs with skeletal changes, has been developed. The results of this total synthesis-enabled SAR successfully led to a bioactive alkyne-tagged NL derivative, which could be a useful probe for proteomics studies.

Oridonin protects against cardiac hypertrophy by promoting P21-related autophagy

Autophagy is an endogenous protective process; the loss of autophagy could destabilize proteostasis and elevate intracellular oxidative stress, which is critically involved in the development of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Oridonin, a natural tetracycline diterpenoid from the Chinese herb Rabdosia, has autophagy activation properties. In this study, we tested whether oridonin protects against cardiac hypertrophy in mice and cardiomyocytes. We implemented aortic banding to induce a cardiac hypertrophy mouse model, and oridonin was given by gavage for 4 weeks. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were stimulated with angiotensin II to simulate neurohumoural stress. Both in vivo and in vitro studies suggested that oridonin treatment mitigated pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, and also preserved heart function. Mice that received oridonin exhibited increased antioxidase activities and suppressed oxidative injury compared with the aortic banding group. Moreover, oridonin enhanced myocardial autophagy in pressure-overloaded hearts and angiotensin II-stimulated cardiomyocytes. Mechanistically, we discovered that oridonin administration regulated myocardial P21, and cytoplasmic P21 activated autophagy via regulating Akt and AMPK phosphorylation. These findings were further corroborated in a P21 knockout mouse model. Collectively, pressure overload-induced autophagy dysfunction causes intracellular protein accumulation, resulting in ROS injury while aggravating cardiac hypertrophy. Thus, our data show that oridonin promoted P21-related autophagic lysosomal degradation, hence attenuating oxidative injury and cardiac hypertrophy.

Zirconium-Porphyrin PCN-222: pH-responsive Controlled Anticancer Drug Oridonin

Drug delivery carriers with a high drug loading capacity and biocompatibility, especially for controlled drug release, are urgently needed due to the side effects and frequent dose in the traditional therapeutic method. Guided by nanomaterials, we have successfully synthesized zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks, Zr-TCPP (TCPP: tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin), namely, PCN-222, which is synthesized by solvothermal method. And it has been designed as a drug delivery system (DDS) with a high drug loading of 38.77 wt%. In our work, PCN-222 has achieved pH-sensitive drug release and showed comprehensive SEM, TEM, PXRD, DSC, FTIR, and N2 adsorption-desorption. The low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility of PCN-222 were certificated by the in vitro results from an MTT assay, DAPI staining, and Annexin V/PI double-staining even cultivated L02 cells and HepG2 cells for 48h. Furthermore, Oridonin, a commonly used cancer chemotherapy drug, is adsorbed into PCN-222 via the solvent diffusion technique. Based on an analysis of the Oridonin release profile, results suggest that it can last for more than 7 days in vitro. And cumulative release rate of Ori at the 7 d was about 86.29% and 63.23% in PBS (pH 5.5 and pH 7.2, respectively) at 37°C. HepG2 cells were chosen to research the cytotoxicity of PCN-222@Ori and free Oridonin. The results demonstrated that the PCN-222@Ori nanocarrier shows higher cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells compared to Oridonin.

The anti-tumor diterpene oridonin is a direct inhibitor of Nucleolin in cancer cells

The bioactive plant diterpene oridonin displays important pharmacological activities and is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine; however, its molecular mechanism of action is still incompletely described. In vitro and in vivo data have demonstrated anti-tumor activity of oridonin and its ability to interfere with several cell pathways; however, presently only the molecular chaperone HSP70 has been identified as a direct potential target of this compound. Here, using a combination of different proteomic approaches, innovative Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) experiments, and classical biochemical methods, we demonstrate that oridonin interacts with Nucleolin, effectively modulating the activity of this multifunctional protein. The ability of oridonin to target Nucleolin and/or HSP70 could account for the bioactivity profile of this plant diterpene. Recently, Nucleolin has attracted attention as a druggable target, as its diverse functions are implicated in pathological processes such as cancer, inflammation, and viral infection. However, up to now, no small molecule as Nucleolin binders has been reported, thus our finding represents the first evidence of Nucleolin modulation by a small inhibitor.

Bioactive Natural Spirolactone-Type 6,7-seco-ent-Kaurane Diterpenoids and Synthetic Derivatives

Diterpenoids are widely distributed natural products and have caused considerable interest because of their unique skeletons and antibacterial and antitumor activities and so on. In light of recent discoveries, ent-kaurane diterpenoids, which exhibit a wide variety of biological activities, such as anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities, pose enormous potential to serve as a promising candidate for drug development. Among them, spirolactone-type 6,7-seco-ent-kaurane diterpenoids, with interesting molecular skeleton, complex oxidation patterns, and bond formation, exhibit attractive activities. Furthermore, spirolactone-type diterpenoids have many modifiable sites, which allows for linking to various substituents, suitable for further medicinal study. Hence, some structurally modified derivatives with improved cytotoxicity activities are also achieved. In this review, natural bioactive spirolactone-type diterpenoids and their synthetic derivatives were summarized.

Anticancer effects of oridonin on colon cancer are mediated via BMP7/p38 MAPK/p53 signaling

Colon cancer is a prevalent malignancy affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Oridonin (ORI) is a promising chemotherapeutic drug used in the treatment of colon cancer. In this study, we examined the anticancer activity of ORI against colon cancer and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms. Cell counting kit-8, flow cytometric and western blot analyses were conducted to analyze the growth inhibitory effects of ORI on SW620 cells; we employed BMP7 and p53 recombinant adenovirus to detect the influence of ORI on the p38 MAPK signal pathway; PT-qPCR, cell immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis were used to detect the expression of BMP7, p38 and p-p38, p53 and p-p53. A xenograft tumor model and histological evaluation were introduced to detect the effects of ORI and BMP7 in SW620 cells in vivo. ORI inhibited the proliferation of SW620 cells and induced apoptosis. ORI also increased the total and phosphorylated levels of p53. The overexpression of p53 was found to enhance the anti-proliferative effects of ORI on the SW620 cells, while the inhibition of p53 partially reversed these effects. ORI increased the expression of bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) in the SW620 cells. The overexpression of BMP7 also enhanced the antiproliferative effects of ORI on the SW620 cells and reduced the growth rate of tumors in mice. BMP7-induced immunosuppression markedly decreased the anti-proliferative effects of ORI. ORI was not found to exert any substantial effect on the phosphorylation levels of Smad1/5/8, although it increased the level of p-p38 significantly. The inhibition of p38 significantly attenuated the ORI-induced increase in the levels of p-p53. The overexpression of BMP7 enhanced the promoting effects of ORI on the p-p53 and p-p38 levels, while BMP7-induced immunosuppression reduced the effects of ORI on p-p38 and p-p53. On the whole, the findings of this study suggest that ORI may be a promising agent for use in the treatment of colon cancer, and the anticancer effects of ORI may be partially mediated through the BMP7/p38 MAPK/p53 signaling pathway.

Scopariusols L-T, nine new ent-kaurane diterpenoids isolated from Isodon scoparius

Nine new ent-kaurane diterpenoids, named scopariusols L-T (1-9), were isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon scoparius. Their structures were characterized mainly by analyzing the NMR and HR-ESI-MS data, and the absolute configuration of 1 was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 was active against five human tumor cell lines (HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW-480), and it also inhibited NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, with an IC₅₀ value of 0.6 μmol·L^-1.

A Novel Diterpenoid Suppresses Osteoclastogenesis and Promotes Osteogenesis by Inhibiting Ifrd1-Mediated and IκBα-Mediated p65 Nuclear Translocation

Osteoporosis develops because of impaired bone formation and/or excessive bone resorption. Although the pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis has been extensively developed, alternative treatments are still needed. Here, we showed that oridonin (ORI), a diterpenoid isolated from Rabdosia rubescens, can suppress osteoclastogenesis and enhance osteogenesis. ORI inhibited the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast formation and bone resorption through the inhibition of p65 nuclear translocation. ORI-induced inhibition of this translocation led to an increase in osteoblast differentiation and mineralization through the promotion of Smad1/Smad5 phosphorylation. Further analyses demonstrated that the inhibition of p65 nuclear translocation is due to the suppression of IκBα phosphorylation and the induced proteasomal degradation of interferon-related development regulator 1 (Ifrd1), a transcriptional corepressor that is involved in the suppression of NF-κB nuclear translocation. Moreover, mice treated with ORI at catabolic and anabolic windows showed a considerable attenuation of ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis. Taken together, our findings reveal that ORI protects against OVX-induced bone loss via inhibiting osteoclastic bone resorption but enhancing osteoblastic bone formation through abolishing both Ifrd1-mediating and IκBα-mediated p65 nuclear translocation. These results show the potential of ORI for treatment of osteoporosis and highlight Ifrd1 as a another novel promising target for anti-osteoporotic drugs. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Therapeutic Potential of Oridonin and Its Analogs: From Anticancer and Antiinflammation to Neuroprotection

Oridonin, a diterpenoid natural product commonly used in East Asian herbal medicine, is garnering increased attention in the biomedical community due to its extensive biological activities that include antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hepatic fibrosis prevention, and neurological effects. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in structure activity relationship and mechanism of action studies of oridonin for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. This review provides a brief summary on oridonin and its analogs in cancer drug discovery and antiinflammation and highlights its emerging therapeutic potential in neuroprotection applications.

Effect of Oridonin on Cytochrome P450 Expression and Activities in HepaRG Cell

Oridonin, the major terpene found in Rabdosia rubescens, is widely used as a dietary supplement or therapeutic drug. However, the effects of oridonin on major CYP450s are still unclear. As oridonin can enhance the effect of other clinical drugs, in this study, we investigated the influence of oridonin on CYP450s mRNA expression and its impact on activities in human HepaRG cell to evaluate the safety by studying its potential drug interaction. HepaRG cells were cultured with series concentrations of oridonin (1, 5, 10, and 20 μmol/L), and the major CYP450s mRNA and protein expression, as well as enzyme activities were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis and UPLC-MS/MS-based metabolite assay. In general, ordonin has induced effects on the major member of CYP450s mRNA and protein expression, as well as on the enzyme activity in human HepaRG cells, especially on CYP3A4 and CYP2C9. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic research about the inductive effects of oridonin on the major member of CYP450s in human cell line. These results may provide at least partly of the basis for potential drug-drug interactions and oridonin should be used with caution to avoid potential risk.

Oridonin inhibits migration, invasion, adhesion and TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition of melanoma cells by inhibiting the activity of PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been reported to play pivotal roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. Inhibition of EMT may exert beneficial effects in regulating metastasis. Oridonin (ORI), an active diterpenoid compound isolated from Rabdosia rubescens, was found to be a potent anti-metastatic agent. However, the possible involvement of ORI in the EMT in malignant melanoma is unclear. The present study found that ORI inhibited cell migration, invasion, and adhesion in A375 and B16-F10 melanoma cells. The transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced EMT was also inhibited in ORI-treated cells, as reflected in the upregulation of E-cadherin, and downregulation of vimentin and Snail. Similar results were observed in A375 and B16-F10 melanoma cells treated with ORI. Furthermore, pre-treatment with ORI blocked the TGF-β1-induced phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT serine/threonine kinase (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β signaling pathway activation. These effects mimicked PI3 kinase inhibitor LY294002 treatment. ORI interfered with the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway, and reversed TGF-β1-induced EMT, which suppressed the invasion and metastasis of melanoma cells. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that ORI inhibits melanoma cells migration, invasion, and adhesion and TGF-β1-induced EMT through the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway. These findings suggest that ORI is a promising anti-metastasis agent for melanoma.