Curcumin as a Therapeutic Strategy in Liver Diseases

Effect of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Eupolyphaga Steleophaga on liver protection mechanism based on pharmacokinetics and metabonomics

Objective

Based on metabonomics technology of high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), the pharmacokinetic characteristics and therapeutic mechanism of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (RhRR, Dahuang in Chinese), Eupolyphaga Steleophaga (EuS, Tubiechong in Chinese) combined with RhRR acting on acute liver injury were explored.

Methods

Models of acute liver injury were established, and the pharmacokinetic methods of five components of RhRR-EuS in rats were found by HPLC-MS/MS. The liver tissues of different groups of mice were analyzed by 1H NMR spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analysis to investigate the metabolomics of RhRR-EuS and RhRR.

Results

Pharmacokinetic results showed there were different levels of bimodal phenomenon in different groups, and the absorption of free anthraquinone in RhRR increased after compatibility with EuS. In addition, the pathological state of acute liver injury in rats can selectively promote the absorption of emodin, chrysophanol, physcion and aloe emodin. Through 15 differential metabolites in the liver tissue of acute liver injury mice, it was revealed that RhRR-EuS and RhRR could protect the liver injury by regulating the metabolism of glutamine and glutamic acid, alanine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid, and phosphoinositide. However, the regulation of RhRR was weaker than that of RhRR-EuS.

Conclusion

For the first time, we studied the pharmacokinetics and metabolomics differences of RhRR-EuS and RhRR in rats and mice with acute liver injury, in order to provide theoretical reference for clinical treatment of liver disease by DHZCP.

Gut microbiota combined with metabolomics reveal the mechanism of curcumol on liver fibrosis in mice

OBJECTIVE

Liver fibrosis is a reversible pathological process, and its prevention and treatment hold great significance for patients with chronic liver disease. This study combined 16S rRNA analysis of gut microbiota and serum metabolomics to explore the mechanism of curcumol's effect on liver fibrosis in mice. The results clarified the relationship between the gut microbiota and metabolites in the process of liver fibrosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we randomly divided mice into a control group, a model group, and a curcumol treatment group to analyze the pathological changes in the liver tissue as well as the activities of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factory kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway and inflammatory factors, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and IL-8. The gut microbiota were analyzed by 16 S rRNA sequencing, and serum metabolites were examined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomic analysis.

RESULTS

Molecular biological testing found that curcumol could significantly improve the pathological changes of the liver tissue and inhibit the occurrence of liver inflammation. Intestinal flora testing found that curcumol could significantly change the abundances of Veillonellaceae, Prerotella_oulorum, and Alistipes_finegoldii. Metabolomics analysis found that curcumol's antihepatic fibrosis effect may be related to its regulation of arachidonic acid metabolism. Correlation analysis suggested that curcumol regulated the abundances of Bacteroidota and Bacteroides and participated in the metabolism of Prostaglandin B2.

CONCLUSIONS

When liver fibrosis occurs, the intestinal flora and metabolic network are altered. The effect of curcumol on liver fibrosis may be related to its regulation of intestinal flora and the resulting interference with metabolic pathways, thereby reducing liver inflammation.

Modulation of the VEGF/AKT/eNOS signaling pathway to regulate liver angiogenesis to explore the anti-hepatic fibrosis mechanism of curcumol

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Curcuma is a common Chinese herbal medicine that is used in the clinical treatment of chronic liver disease. Studies have found that curcumol is the main active ingredient of curcuma and has good hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. However, there are few reports on the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-liver fibrosis effect of curcumol.

AIM

To explore the effect of curcumol on liver angiogenesis, and to reveal the mechanism of curcumol against liver fibrosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used liver collagenase perfusion combined with Percoll density gradient sedimentation to separate primary liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, and then applied a leptin-activated cell pathological model. The cells were divided into four treatment groups as follows: blank group, model group, curcumol group, and solafini group. MTT was used to detect the cell proliferation rate in each group, and RT-PCR and western blotting were used to detect the expressions of VEGF, AKT, eNOS, CD31, and vWF. A fluorescent probe was used to detect NO expression, and scanning electron microscopy was used to observe changes in the cell fenestration structure. Angiogenesis assays were used to observe blood vessel formation in each group.

RESULTS

The results of the MTT test found that the proliferation rate of each group was higher. The results of the molecular biology tests found that curcumol inhibited the activity of the VEGF/AKT/eNOS pathway, thereby increasing fenestration of sinusoidal endothelial cells and inhibiting liver angiogenesis. These differences were statistically significant compared with the model group.

CONCLUSIONS

Curcumol inhibits the activity of the VEGF/AKT/eNOS signaling pathway, regulates the structure of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells, and inhibits liver angiogenesis, which together may explain its anti-liver fibrosis mechanism.

Anti-inflammatory Augmentation Therapy in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: A Review

Background:

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is considered as a serious disabling psychiatric disorder, influencing 2-3% of the total general population, with an unknown etiology.

Methods:

A comprehensive literature search in electronic databases was performed to investigate treatments targeting inflammation in patients suffering from OCD.

Results:

Recent studies display that inflammation processes and the dysfunction of the immune system are likely to play a role in the pathophysiology of OCD, indicating that the disturbances in neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine cannot be alone involved in the development of OCD. Therefore, it seems that medications with anti-inflammatory effects have the potential to be evaluated as a new therapeutic strategy for OCD. However, this issue can be studied closely if OCD etiological factors are thoroughly understood. The present review study aims at gathering all obtained results concerning new treatments targeting inflammation in OCD patients. Reviewing the conducted studies shows that the use of agents with anti-inflammatory properties, including some NSAIDs, Minocycline and Atorvastatin, could lead to promising and intriguing results in the treatment of OCD. Curcumin also showed good efficacy in the reduction of OCD-like behavior when it has been used in an animal model. However, there is still no definitive and conclusive evidence for any of the medications proposed.

Conclusion:

More future studies are needed to investigate anti-inflammatory treatment strategies for OCD and its other subtypes such as Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS), and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal infection (PANDAS).

The roles of curcumin in regulating the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment

Cancer is a harmful threat to human health. In addition to surgery, a variety of anticancer drugs are increasingly used in cancer therapy; however, despite the developments in multimodality treatment, the morbidity and mortality of patients with cancer patients are on the increase. The tumor-specific immunosuppressive microenvironment serves an important function in tumor tolerance and escape from immune surveillance leading to tumor progression. Therefore, identifying new drugs or foods that can enhance the tumor immune response is critical to develop improved cancer prevention methods and treatment. Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound extracted from ginger, has been shown to effectively inhibit tumor growth, proliferation, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis in a variety of tumors. Recent studies have also indicated that curcumin can modulate the tumor immune response and remodel the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment, indicating its potential in the immunotherapy of cancer. In this review, a brief introduction to the effects of curcumin on the tumor immune response and tumor immune microenvironment is provided and recent clinical trials investigating the potential of curcumin in cancer therapy are discussed.