Characterizing the Neuroprotective Effects of S/B Remedy (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and Bupleurum scorzonerifolfium Willd) in Spinal Cord Injury. Molecules. 2019;24. [PMID: 31100896 PMCID: PMC6571778 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24101885]

Evaluating the toxic mechanism of 1,2-diacetylbenzene in neural cells/tissues: The favorable impact of silibinin

1,2-diacetylbenzene (1,2-DAB) is a neurotoxic component of aromatic solvents commonly used in industrial applications that induces neuropathological changes in animals. This study unraveled the toxic impact of 1,2-DAB in nerve tissues, explant cultures, and neuron-glial cultures, and explored whether herbal products can mitigate its toxicity. The effects of DAB on axonal transport were studied in retinal explant cultures grown in a micro-patterned dish. The mitochondrial movement in the axons was captured using time-lapse video recordings. The results showed that 1,2-DAB, but not 1,3-DAB inhibited axonal outgrowth and mitochondrial movement in a dose-dependent manner. The toxicity of 1,2-DAB was further studied in spinal cord tissues and cultures. 1,2-DAB selectively induced modifications of microtubules and neurofilaments in spinal cord tissues. 1,2-DAB also potently induced cell damage in both neuronal and glial cultures. Further, 1,2-DAB-induced cellular ATP depletion precedes cell damage in glial cells. Interestingly, treatment with the herbal products silibinin or silymarin effectively mitigated 1,2-DAB-induced toxicity in spinal cord tissues and neuronal/glial cultures. Collectively, the molecular toxicity of 1,2-DAB in neural tissues involves protein modification, ATP depletion, and axonal transport defects, leading to cell death. Silibinin and silymarin show promising neuroprotective effects against 2-DAB-induced toxicity.

Botanical Mixture Containing Nitric Oxide Metabolite Enhances Neural Plasticity to Improve Cognitive Impairment in a Vascular Dementia Rat Model

Vascular dementia (VD), caused by impaired cerebral blood flow, is the most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the elderly and is characterized by severe neuronal damage and cognitive decline. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important determinant of vascular homeostasis, and its deficiency is associated with the progression of VD. In this study, we investigated the role of nitrite ion, a NO metabolite in a botanical mixture (BM) of fermented garlic, fermented Scutellaria baicalensis, and Rhodiola rosea on neuron loss and cognitive impairment using a VD rat model. The BM containing the NO metabolite alleviated cognitive deficits and enhanced neural plasticity, as reflected by an increase in long-term potentiation. The BM also alleviated neuron apoptosis, decreased GFAP expression, and oxidative stress, and increased parvalbumin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. These results indicate that BM exerts neuroprotective effects and alleviates cognitive dysfunction while enhancing neuroplasticity, and thus has therapeutic potential against VD.

Neuroinflammation and Modulation Role of Natural Products After Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe traumatic injury of the central nervous system, characterized by neurological dysfunction and locomotor disability. Although the underlying pathological mechanism of SCI is complex and remains unclear, the important role of neuroinflammation has been gradually unveiled in recent years. The inflammation process after SCI involves disruption of the blood–spinal cord barrier (BSCB), activation of gliocytes, infiltration of peripheral macrophages, and feedback loops between different cells. Thus, our first aim is to illustrate pathogenesis, related cells and factors of neuroinflammation after SCI in this review. Due to the good bioactivity of natural products derived from plants and medicinal herbs, these widely exist as food, health-care products and drugs in our lives. In the inflammation after SCI, multiple natural products exert satisfactory effects. Therefore, the second aim of this review is to sum up the effects and mechanisms of 25 natural compounds and 7 extracts derived from plants or medicinal herbs on neuroinflammation after SCI. Clarification of the SCI inflammation mechanism and a summary of the related natural products is helpful for in-depth research and drug development.

The Application of an Omentum Graft or Flap in Spinal Cord Injury

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes a primary injury at the lesion site and triggers a secondary injury and prolonged inflammation. There has been no definitive treatment till now. Promoting angiogenesis is one of the most important strategies for functional recovery after SCI. The omentum, abundant in blood and lymph vessels, possesses the potent ability of tissue regeneration. Methods: The present work examines the efficacy of autologous omentum, either as a flap (with vascular connection intact) or graft (severed vascular connection), on spinal nerve regeneration. After contusive SCI in rats, a thin sheath of omentum was grafted to the injured spinal cord. Results: Omental graft improved behavior scores significantly from the 3rd to 6th week after injury (6th week, 5.5 ± 0.5 vs. 8.6 ± 1.3, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the reduction in cavity and the preservation of class III β-tubulin-positive nerve fibers in the injury area was noted. Next, the free omental flap was transposed to a completely transected SCI in rats through a pre-implanted tunnel. The flap remained vascularized and survived well several weeks after the operation. At 16 weeks post-treatment, SCI rats with omentum flap treatment displayed the preservation of significantly more nerve fibers (p < 0.05) and a reduced injured cavity, though locomotor scores were similar. Conclusions: Taken together, the findings of this study indicate that treatment with an omental graft or transposition of an omental flap on an injured spinal cord has a positive effect on nerve protection and tissue preservation in SCI rats. The current data highlight the importance of omentum in clinical applications.

Stem cell transplantation and/or adenoviral glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor promote functional recovery in hemiparkinsonian rats

BACKGROUND

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological disorder characterized by the progressive loss of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) can differentiate into multiple cell types including neurons and glia. Transplantation of BMSCs is regarded as a potential approach for promoting neural regeneration. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) can induce BMSC differentiation into neuron-like cells. This work evaluated the efficacy of nigral grafts of human BMSCs (hMSCs) and/or adenoviral (Ad) GDNF gene transfer in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned hemiparkinsonian rats.

AIM

To evaluate the efficacy of nigral grafts of hMSCs and/or Ad-GDNF gene transfer in 6-OHDA-lesioned hemiparkinsonian rats.

METHODS

We used immortalized hMSCs, which retain their potential for neuronal differentiation. hMSCs, preinduced hMSCs, or Ad-GDNF effectively enhanced neuronal connections in cultured neurons. In vivo, preinduced hMSCs and/or Ad-GDNF were injected into the substantia nigra (SN) after induction of a unilateral 6-OHDA lesion in the nigrostriatal pathway.

RESULTS

Hemiparkinsonian rats that received preinduced hMSC graft and/or Ad-GDNF showed significant recovery of apomorphine-induced rotational behavior and the number of nigral DA neurons. However, DA levels in the striatum were not restored by these therapeutic treatments. Grafted hMSCs might reconstitute a niche to support tissue repair rather than contribute to the generation of new neurons in the injured SN.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that preinduced hMSC grafts exert a regenerative effect and may have the potential to improve clinical outcome.

Applications, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, pharmacokinetics, toxicity of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. and its probably potential therapeutic effects on COVID-19: a review

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. (SB) is a common heat-clearing medicine in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It has been used for thousands of years in China and its neighboring countries. Clinically, it is mostly used to treat diseases such as cold and cough. SB has different harvesting periods and processed products for different clinical symptoms. Botanical researches proved that SB included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (1st, 2020) was consistent with the medicinal SB described in ancient books. Modern phytochemical analysis had found that SB contains hundreds of active ingredients, of which flavonoids are its major components. These chemical components are the material basis for SB to exert pharmacological effects. Pharmacological studies had shown that SB has a wide range of pharmacological activities such as antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, liver protection, etc. The active ingredients of SB were mostly distributed in liver and kidney, and couldn't be absorbed into brain via oral absorption. SB's toxicity was mostly manifested in liver fibrosis and allergic reactions, mainly caused by baicalin. The non-medicinal application prospects of SB were broad, such as antibacterial plastics, UV-resistant silk, animal feed, etc. In response to the Coronavirus Disease In 2019 (COVID-19), based on the network pharmacology research, SB's active ingredients may have potential therapeutic effects, such as baicalin and baicalein. Therefore, the exact therapeutic effects are still need to be determined in clinical trials. SB has been reviewed in the past 2 years, but the content of these articles were not comprehensive and accurate. In view of the above, we made a comprehensive overview of the research progress of SB, and expect to provide ideas for the follow-up study of SB.