Nephroprotective role of resveratrol and ursolic Acid in aristolochic Acid intoxicated zebrafish

Nephroprotective effects of coriander (Coriandrum sativum) leaves aqueous extracts in aristolochic acid-intoxicated zebrafish embryos

Coriander is a notable medicinal plant known for its diverse properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, analgesic, and anti-diabetic effects. Despite its recognized health benefits, research on its nephroprotective properties is limited. This study aimed to investigate the potential nephroprotective properties of an aqueous extract derived from coriander leaves using an aristolochic acid-intoxicated zebrafish model. To assess kidney abnormalities induced by aristolochic acid (AA), we utilized the transgenic line Tg(wt1b:egfp), which expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the kidney. Our previous report indicated that AA exposure leads to acute renal failure in zebrafish characterized by kidney malformation and impaired renal function. However, pretreatment of coriander extract (CE) can mitigate kidney malformations induced by AA. In addition, CE pretreatment reduces the accumulation of red blood cells in the glomerular region. To verify the nephroprotective effects of CE, we analyzed renal function by measuring the glomerular filtration rate in zebrafish embryos. Results indicate that CE partially mitigates renal function impairment caused by AA exposure, suggesting its potential to attenuate AA-induced renal failure. Mechanistically, pretreatment with CE reduces the expression of proinflammatory and proapoptotic genes induced by AA. This suggests that CE likely alleviates acute renal failure by reducing inflammation and apoptosis. As a result, we regard zebrafish as a valuable model for screening natural compounds that have the potential to alleviate AA-induced nephrotoxicity.

Crosstalk between Myopia and Inflammation: A Mini Review

Myopia represents a significant public health concern worldwide, particularly affecting the ocular health of children and adolescents. The escalating prevalence of myopia in recent years underscores its urgency as a health issue among this demographic. Research indicates a profound connection between the onset of myopia, inflammatory processes and fibrosis. Individuals with inflammatory conditions like allergic conjunctivitis, choroiditis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and diabetes exhibit a heightened susceptibility to myopia. Conversely, myopic patients are at an increased risk of developing ocular inflammatory disorders, notably idiopathic multifocal choroiditis. We postulate that the expression of inflammatory markers, including NF-κB, TGF-β, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, may contribute to the chronic inflammatory state observed in myopia. This paper highlights a substantial correlation between myopia and inflammation, suggesting the potential efficacy of anti-inflammatory agents in managing inflammation and slowing myopia progression.

Oleanolic acid and its analogues: promising therapeutics for kidney disease

Kidney diseases pose a significant threat to human health due to their high prevalence and mortality rates. Worryingly, the clinical use of drugs for kidney diseases is associated with more side effects, so more effective and safer treatments are urgently needed. Oleanolic acid (OA) is a common pentacyclic triterpenoid that is widely available in nature and has been shown to have protective effects in kidney disease. However, comprehensive studies on its role in kidney diseases are still lacking. Therefore, this article first explores the botanical sources, pharmacokinetics, derivatives, and safety of OA, followed by a summary of the anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-oxidative stress, autophagy-enhancing, and antifibrotic effects of OA and its analogues in renal diseases, and an analysis of the molecular mechanisms, aiming to provide further insights for the development of novel drugs for the treatment of kidney diseases.

Novel triterpenoid pyrones, phthalimides and phthalates are selectively cytotoxic in CCRF-CEM cancer cells - Synthesis, potency, and mitochondrial mechanism of action

A series of triterpenoid pyrones was synthesized and subsequently modified to introduce phthalimide or phthalate moieties into the triterpenoid skeleton. These compounds underwent in vitro cytotoxicity screening, revealing that a subset of six compounds exhibited potent activity, with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Further biological evaluations, including Annexin V and propidium iodide staining experiment revealed, that all compounds induce selective apoptosis in cancer cells. Measurements of mitochondrial potential, cell cycle analysis, and the expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins confirmed, that apoptosis was mediated via the mitochondrial pathway. These findings were further supported by cell cycle modulation and DNA/RNA synthesis studies, which indicated a significant increase in cell accumulation in the G0/G1 phase and a marked reduction in S-phase cells, alongside a substantial inhibition of DNA synthesis. The activation of caspase-3 and the cleavage of PARP, coupled with a decrease in the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL proteins, underscored the induction of apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Given their high activity and pronounced effect on mitochondria function, trifluoromethyl pyrones 1f and 2f, and dihydrophthalimide 2h have been selected for further development.

Ursolic acid: biological functions and application in animal husbandry

Ursolic acid (UA) is a plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenoid with 30 carbon atoms. UA has anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antimicrobial, hepato-protective, anticancer, and other biological activities. Most studies on the biological functions of UA have been performed in mammalian cell (in vitro) and rodent (in vivo) models. UA is used in animal husbandry as an anti-inflammatory and antiviral agent, as well as for enhancing the integrity of the intestinal barrier. Although UA has been shown to have significant in vitro bacteriostatic effects, it is rarely used in animal nutrition. The use of UA as a substitute for oral antibiotics or as a novel feed additive in animal husbandry should be considered. This review summarizes the available data on the biological functions of UA and its applications in animal husbandry.

Selected plant triterpenoids and their amide derivatives in cancer treatment: A review

Medicinal plants have been used to treat different diseases throughout the human history namely in traditional medicine. Most of the plants mentioned in this review article belong among them, including those that are widely spread in the nature, counted frequently to be food and nutrition plants and producing pharmacologically important secondary metabolites. Triterpenoids represent an important group of plant secondary metabolites displaying emerging pharmacological importance. This review article sheds light on four selected triterpenoids, oleanolic, ursolic, betulinic and platanic acid, and on their amide derivatives as important natural or semisynthetic agents in cancer treatment, and, in part, in pathogenic microbe treatment. A literature search was made in the Web of Science for the given key words covering the required area of secondary plant metabolites and their amide derivatives. The most recently published findings on the biological activity of the selected triterpenoids, and on the structures and biological activity of their relevant amide derivatives have been summarized therein. Mainly anti-cancer effects, and, in part, antimicrobial and other effects of the four selected triterpenoids and their amide derivatives have also been reviewed. A comparison of the effects of the parent plant products and those of their amide derivatives has been made.

Fallopia Japonica and Prunella vulgaris inhibit myopia progression by suppressing AKT and NFκB mediated inflammatory reactions

Background

The increased global incidence of myopia requires the establishment of therapeutic approaches. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Fallopia Japonica (FJ) and Prunella vulgaris (PV) extract on myopia caused by monocular form deprivation (MFD).

Methods

We used human retinal pigment epithelial cell to study the molecular mechanisms on how FJ extract (FJE) and PV extract (PVE) lowering the inflammation of the eye. The effect of FJE and PVE in MFD induced hamster model and explore the role of inflammation cytokines in myopia.

Results

FJE + PVE reduced IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α expression in RPE cells. Furthermore, FJE and PVE inhibited inflammation by attenuating the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B (NF-κB) pathway. In addition, we report two resveratrol + ursolic acid compounds from FJ and PV and their inhibitory activities against IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α expression levels in RPE cells treated with IL-6 and TNF-α. FJE, PVE, and FJE + PVE were applied to MFD hamsters and their axial length was measured after 21 days. The axial length showed statistically significant differences between phosphate-buffered saline- and FJE-, PVE-, and FJE + PVE-treated MFD eyes. FJE + PVE suppressed expressions of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α. They also inhibited myopia-related transforming growth factor-beta (TGF)-β1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and NF-κB expression while increasing type I collagen expression.

Conclusions

Overall, these results suggest that FJE + PVE may have a therapeutic effect on myopia and be used as a potential treatment option.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12906-022-03747-2.

Comprehensive evaluation of Bletilla striata and its substitutes by combining phenotypic characteristic, chemical composition, and anti-melanogenic activity

Bletilla striata is a precious traditional Chinese medical herb with a wide range of applications in pharmacological and cosmetic fields. Because of the shortage of resources, Bletilla ochracea and Bletilla formosanare are also used as the substitutes. To distinguish the differences and homologies, the typical morphologic and microscopic characteristics of them were compared, and a UPLC fingerprint analysis coupled with chemometric methods were developed for characterization and quality evaluation of Bletillae Rhizoma. Gastrodin, protocatechuic acid, gymnoside V, blestrianol A, coelonin, gymnosides Ⅸ and batatasin II were identified as the potential chemical markers for comprehensive quality evaluation by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The anti-melanogenic activities of the three species were also compared for the first time in vivo using the zebrafish model, the results suggested that B. striata and its two substitutes had obvious anti-melanogenic activities, and they were not-toxic at depigmenting doses. Molecular docking studies revealed batatasin III, blestrianol A, coelonin, and gastrodin were possible multitarget compounds associated with melanogenesis suppression, which are important for their potential future medical application.

Discovery of triterpenoids as potent dual inhibitors of pancreatic lipase and human carboxylesterase 1

Pancreatic lipase (PL) is a well-known key target for the prevention and treatment of obesity. Human carboxylesterase 1A (hCES1A) has become an important target for the treatment of hyperlipidaemia. Thus, the discovery of potent dual-target inhibitors based on PL and hCES1A hold great potential for the development of remedies for treating related metabolic diseases. In this study, a series of natural triterpenoids were collected and the inhibitory effects of these triterpenoids on PL and hCES1A were determined using fluorescence-based biochemical assays. It was found that oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA) have the excellent inhibitory effects against PL and hCES1A, and highly selectivity over hCES2A. Subsequently, a number of compounds based on the OA and UA skeletons were synthesised and evaluated. Structure–activity relationship (SAR) analysis of these compounds revealed that the acetyl group at the C-3 site of UA (compound 41) was very essential for both PL and hCES1A inhibition, with IC₅₀ of 0.75 µM and 0.014 µM, respectively. In addition, compound 39 with 2-enol and 3-ketal moiety of OA also has strong inhibitory effects against both PL and hCES1A, with IC₅₀ of 2.13 µM and 0.055 µM, respectively. Furthermore, compound 39 and 41 exhibited good selectivity over other human serine hydrolases including hCES2A, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV). Inhibitory kinetics and molecular docking studies demonstrated that both compounds 39 and 41 were effective mixed inhibitors of PL, while competitive inhibitors of hCES1A. Further investigations demonstrated that both compounds 39 and 41 could inhibit adipocyte adipogenesis induced by mouse preadipocytes. Collectively, we found two triterpenoid derivatives with strong inhibitory ability on both PL and hCES1A, which can be served as promising lead compounds for the development of more potent dual-target inhibitors targeting on PL and hCES1A.

Potential nephroprotective phytochemicals: Mechanism and future prospects

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Kidney disease (KD) is one of the serious health issues, which causes worrisome morbidity and economic burden. Therapeutic strategies are available however majority of them are associated with severe adverse effects and poor patient compliance and adherence. This explorative article was undertaken to provide a holistic review of known nephroprotective (NP) phytoconstituents along with their research-based evidences on mechanism, sources, and clinical trials that may play essential role in prevention and cure of KD.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present systematic review aimed to provide in-depth and better evidences of the global burden of KD, phytoconstituents as NP with emphasis on mechanism of action both in vitro and in vivo, their wide biological sources as well as their clinical efficacy in management of kidney disease and its related disorders.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Comprehensive information was searched systematically from electronic databases, namely, PubMed, Sciencedirect, Wiley, Scopus, Google scholar and Springer until February 2021 to find relevant data for publication on phytoconstituents with nephroprotective potential.

RESULTS

In total, 24,327 articles were screened in first search for "phytoconstituents and medicinal plants for nephroprotection and kidney disorder". On the basis of exclusion and inclusion criteria, 24,091 were excluded. Only 236 papers were spotted to have superlative quality data, which is appropriate under titles and sub-titles of the present review. The phytoconstituents having multiple research evidence along with wide number of medicinal plants sources and mechanism reported for nephroprotection have been selected and reviewed.

CONCLUSION

This review, based on pre-clinical and clinical data of NP phytoconstituents, provides scientific-basis for the rational discovery, development and utilization of these upcoming treatment practices. Further,-more clinical studies are warranted to improve the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic understanding of phytoconstituents. Also, more specific evaluation for natural sources is needed.

Zebrafish Embryos and Larvae as Alternative Animal Models for Toxicity Testing

Prerequisite to any biological laboratory assay employing living animals is consideration about its necessity, feasibility, ethics and the potential harm caused during an experiment. The imperative of these thoughts has led to the formulation of the 3R-principle, which today is a pivotal scientific standard of animal experimentation worldwide. The rising amount of laboratory investigations utilizing living animals throughout the last decades, either for regulatory concerns or for basic science, demands the development of alternative methods in accordance with 3R to help reduce experiments in mammals. This demand has resulted in investigation of additional vertebrate species displaying favourable biological properties. One prominent species among these is the zebrafish (Danio rerio), as these small laboratory ray-finned fish are well established in science today and feature outstanding biological characteristics. In this review, we highlight the advantages and general prerequisites of zebrafish embryos and larvae before free-feeding stages for toxicological testing, with a particular focus on cardio-, neuro, hepato- and nephrotoxicity. Furthermore, we discuss toxicokinetics, current advances in utilizing zebrafish for organ toxicity testing and highlight how advanced laboratory methods (such as automation, advanced imaging and genetic techniques) can refine future toxicological studies in this species.

Early life stage transient aristolochic acid exposure induces behavioral hyperactivity but not nephrotoxicity in larval zebrafish

Aristolochic acids (AA) are nitrophenanthrene carboxylic acids found in plants of the Aristolochiaceae family. Humans are exposed to AA by deliberately taking herbal medicines or unintentionally as a result of environmental contamination. AA is notorious for its nephrotoxicity, however, fewer studies explore potential neurotoxicity associated with AA exposure. The developing nervous system is vulnerable to xenobiotics, and pregnant women exposed to AA may put their fetuses at risk. In the present study, we used the embryonic zebrafish model to evaluate the developmental neurotoxicity associated with AA exposure. At non-teratogenic concentrations (≤ 4 µM), continuous AA exposure from 8 to 120 hours post fertilization (hpf) resulted in larval hyperactivity that was characterized by increased moving distance, elevated activity and faster swimming speeds in several behavioral assays. Further analysis revealed that 8-24 hpf is the most sensitive exposure window for AA-induced hyperactivity. AA exposures specifically increased motor neuron proliferation, increased apoptosis in the eye, and resulted in cellular oxidative stress. In addition, AA exposures increased larval eye size and perturbed the expression of vision genes. Our study, for the first time, demonstrates that AA is neurotoxic to the developmental zebrafish with a sensitive window distinct from its well-documented nephrotoxicity.

Aristolochic acid nephropathy: A scientometric analysis of literature published from 1971 to 2019

BACKGROUND

Aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) is a type of drug-induced nephropathy that may result in acute kidney injury and is associated with a potentially progressive course of kidney fibrosis and upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Aristolochic acids (AAs) are a group of toxins commonly present in plants of the genera Aristolochia and Asarum, which are found worldwide. AAN still occurs in Asian and Balkan regions. The progressive lesions and mutational events initiated by AAs are irreversible, and no effective therapeutic regimen for AAN has been established. Furthermore, more people are at risk of this disease due to casual exposure to AAs. This study performed a scientometric analysis of global research literature focusing on AAN.

METHODS

The Web of Science database was searched to identify all publications pertaining to "aristolochic acid nephropathy" or "Balkan endemic nephropathy" using these terms as key words to search the literature from 1971 to 2019. The collected data included the document type, author, journal, publication year, citation reports, and country of publication, and were analyzed using the VOSviewer software.

RESULTS

A total of 1251 records were initially obtained. Publication types, including "meeting abstract," "letter," "editorial material," and "proceedings paper" were excluded, which left 1083 publications comprising 923 articles and 160 reviews. English was the predominant language of the publications. China had the most number of articles published with 217 (20.0%), followed by the USA with 186 articles (17.2%), and Germany with 138 articles (12.7%). Kidney International, Food and Chemical Toxicology, and Toxins were the 3 most active journals in publishing articles related to AAN. The total number of citations received by all publications was 39,970, with an average of 36.91 citations per article (range: 0-1769). The literature mainly focused on apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation in AAN.

CONCLUSION

This study indicated that AAN is a significant topic in nephrology research, as shown by the large number of publications. The literature has mainly focused on the mechanisms of AA-induced nephropathy.

Recent development in zebrafish model for bioactivity and safety evaluation of natural products

The zebrafish is a species of freshwater fish, popular in aquariums and laboratories. Several advantageous features have facilitated zebrafish to be extensively utilized as a valuable vertebrate model in the lab. It has been well-recognized that natural products possess multiple health benefits for humans. With the increasing demand for natural products in the development of functional foods, nutraceuticals, and natural cosmetics, the zebrafish has emerged as an unprecedented tool for rapidly and economically screening and identifying safe and effective substances from natural products. This review first summarized the key factors for the management of zebrafish in the laboratory, followed by highlighting the current progress on the establishment and applications of zebrafish models in the bioactivity evaluation of natural products. In addition, the zebrafish models used for assessing the potential toxicity or health risks of natural products were involved as well. Overall, this review indicates that zebrafish are promising animal models for the bioactivity and safety evaluation of natural products, and zebrafish models can accelerate the discovery of novel natural products with potential health functions.

The renoprotective effect of diosgenin on aristolochic acid I-induced renal injury in rats: impact on apoptosis, mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy

Aristolochic acid I (AA-I) remains a leading cause of aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN), however few prevention and treatment strategies exist. In this work, the nephroprotective effect of diosgenin, a steroidal saponin distributed abundantly in several plants, on AA-I-induced renal injury and its underlying mechanism were investigated. Sprague-Dawley rats were intragastrically administered with 30 mg kg-1 d-1 diosgenin two hours before exposure to 10 mg kg-1 d-1 AA-I for consecutive four weeks, and the histological change, the renal and liver function, apoptosis, autophagy and the involved pathways were investigated. The results showed that diosgenin relieved AA-I-induced renal histological damage, including mild edematous disorder of renal tubular arrangement and widening of renal tubular lumen. No obvious changes in the hepatic tissue structure were observed in all treatment groups. Moreover, diosgenin up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and down-regulated Bax, and subsequently inhibited AIF expression and the cleaved form of Caspase-3, thereby alleviating apoptosis triggered by AA-I. Diosgenin also mitigated AA-I-induced renal mitochondrial dynamics disorder by increasing the expression of mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins including DRP1 and MFN2. Diosgenin inhibited AA-I-evoked autophagy via ULK1-mediated inhibition of the mTOR pathway. Overall, these results suggest that diosgenin has a protective effect against AA-I-induced renal damage and it may be a potential agent for preventing AA-I-induced AAN.

Nephroprotective Role of Zhibai Dihuang Wan in Aristolochic Acid-Intoxicated Zebrafish

Zhibai Dihuang Wan (ZDW) is an eight-herbal formula of traditional Chinese medicine. Clinically, it regulated immune activity and was used to treat diabetes and renal disease. In this study, we aimed to explore the nephroprotective effect of ZDW in an aristolochic acid- (AA-) intoxicated zebrafish model. We used a green fluorescent kidney transgenic zebrafish to evaluate the nephroprotective effects of ZDW by recording subtle changes in the kidney. Our results demonstrated that ZDW treatment can attenuate AA-induced kidney malformations (60% for AA-treated, 47% for pretreatment with ZDW, and 17% for cotreatment ZDW with AA, n = 50). Furthermore, we found that the expression levels of tnfα and mpo were decreased either in pretreatment or cotreatment groups. In conclusion, our findings revealed that AA-induced nephrotoxicities can be attenuated by ZDW. Therefore, we believe that zebrafish represent an efficient model for screening AA-protective Chinese medicine.

Ursolic acid: A systematic review of its pharmacology, toxicity and rethink on its pharmacokinetics based on PK-PD model

Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid compound existing in various traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, and it possesses diverse pharmacological actions and some undesirable adverse effects, even toxicological activities. Due to UA's low solubility and poor bioavailability, and its interaction with gut microbiota after oral administration, the pharmacokinetics of UA remain elusive, leading to obscurity in the pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics (PK-PD) profile and relationship for UA. Based on literatures from PubMed, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Web of Science and Wiley Online Library, with keywords of "pharmacology", "toxicology", "pharmacokinetics", "PK-PD" and "ursolic acid", herein we systematically review the pharmacology and toxicity of UA, and rethink on its pharmacokinetics on the basis of PK-PD model, and seek to delineate the underlying mechanisms for the characteristics of pharmacology and toxicology of UA, and for the pharmacokinetic features of UA particularly from the organ tropism and the interactions between UA and gut microbiota, and lay a solid foundation for development of UA-derived therapeutic agents in clinical settings.

Resveratrol Induces Expression of Metabolic and Antioxidant Machinery and Protects Tilapia under Cold Stress

Exposures to low ambient temperature require ectothermic fish to not only adjust their metabolic machinery but also to mount protective responses against oxidative stress. In this study, we tested whether diets supplemented with resveratrol (RSV), a naturally occurring polyphenol known to stimulate metabolic and protective responses in various animals, would be beneficial to tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) under hypothermic challenge. Feeding tilapia with RSV-supplemented diet promoted liver expression of sirtuins and their known targets, including metabolic/antioxidative enzymes. After exposure to 15 °C cold conditions for three days, the oxygen–nitrogen (O:N) ratio was decreased in the control-diet-fed tilapia but not in their RSV-fed counterparts. Moreover, at 27 °C, RSV-fed tilapia showed significantly higher prolonged swim speed compared with controls. RSV feeding produced no significant effect on upper and bottom layer preference between the control- and RSV-treated tilapia at either 27 °C or 15 °C. Together, these findings suggest that RSV stimulates beneficial metabolic/antioxidative adjustments in teleosts and may serve as a valuable feed supplement for tropical fish exposed to cold stress during winter.

Aristolochic Acid-Induced Nephrotoxicity: Molecular Mechanisms and Potential Protective Approaches

Aristolochic acid (AA) is a generic term that describes a group of structurally related compounds found in the Aristolochiaceae plants family. These plants have been used for decades to treat various diseases. However, the consumption of products derived from plants containing AA has been associated with the development of nephropathy and carcinoma, mainly the upper urothelial carcinoma (UUC). AA has been identified as the causative agent of these pathologies. Several studies on mechanisms of action of AA nephrotoxicity have been conducted, but the comprehensive mechanisms of AA-induced nephrotoxicity and carcinogenesis have not yet fully been elucidated, and therapeutic measures are therefore limited. This review aimed to summarize the molecular mechanisms underlying AA-induced nephrotoxicity with an emphasis on its enzymatic bioactivation, and to discuss some agents and their modes of action to reduce AA nephrotoxicity. By addressing these two aspects, including mechanisms of action of AA nephrotoxicity and protective approaches against the latter, and especially by covering the whole range of these protective agents, this review provides an overview on AA nephrotoxicity. It also reports new knowledge on mechanisms of AA-mediated nephrotoxicity recently published in the literature and provides suggestions for future studies.

Sulphated polysaccharide from Sargassum myriocystum confers protection against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in adult zebrafish

The beneficial effect of purified fraction of sulphated polysaccharide extracted from Sargassum myriocystum (SMP) was examined on the gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in adult zebrafish. The major purified fractions (SMP1, SMP2 and SMP3) were obtained by anion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography and characterized by FTIR, GCMS and NMR. The in vitro antioxidant activities of all purified SMP fractions were analysed. The SMP2 showed maximum carbohydrate, sulphate and fucose content with strong antioxidant activity than other fractions. Further, we evaluated the efficacy of SMP2 against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in zebrafish model. The SMP2 administered group showed a significant attenuation in oxidative stress and histopathological alterations observed in renal tissues of gentamicin treated group. Moreover, the SMP2 supressed renal mRNA expression levels of KIM-1, NF-κB, TNF-α and IL-6 in dose-dependent manner. Thus, the present study suggests that the SMP2 is a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and renoprotective properties that ameliorated the GEN induced nephrotoxicity in adult zebrafish.

Design and synthesis of pentacyclic triterpene conjugates and their use in medicinal research

Triterpenoids are natural products from plants and many other organisms that have various biological activities, such as antitumor, antiviral, antimicrobial, and protective activities. This review covers the synthesis and biological evaluation of pentacyclic triterpene (PT) conjugates with other molecules that have been found to increase the IC₅₀ or improve the pharmacological profile of the parent PT. Some of these molecules are designed to target specific proteins or cellular organelles, which has resulted in highly selective lead structures for drug development. Other PT conjugates are useful for investigating their mechanism of action. This concept has been very successful: 1) Many compounds, especially mitochondria-targeting PT conjugates, have reached a selective cytotoxicity at low nanomolar concentrations in cancer cells. 2) A number of PT conjugates have had high activity against HIV or the influenza virus. 3) Fluorescent PT conjugates have been able to visualize the PT in living cells, which has allowed quantification of the uptake and distribution of the PT within the cell. 4) Biotinylated PT conjugates have been used to identify target proteins, which may help to show their mechanism of action. 5) A large number of PT conjugates with polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyamines, etc. form nanometer-sized micelles that have a much better pharmacological profile than the PT alone. In summary, the connection of a PT to an appropriate modifying molecule has resulted in extremely useful semisynthetic compounds with a high potential to treat cancer or viral infections or compounds that are useful for the study of the mechanism of action of PTs at the molecular level.

Triterpenic azines, a new class of compounds with selective cytotoxicity to leukemia cells CCRF-CEM

Aim: From betulinic acid (1a), we synthesized 30-oxobetulinic acid (2a) that is highly cytotoxic against many cancer cell lines; however, its generic toxicity is the main obstacle in further development as cytostatic. Methodology & results: From 2a, we prepared a new class of compounds – nonsymmetrical azines and tested their in vitro cytotoxicity. All new azines with a free 28-COOH group (4a–4e) were highly and selectively cytotoxic against the T-lymphoblastic leukemia cell line CCRF-CEM and exhibited dose-dependent inhibition of RNA and DNA synthesis and other cell-cycle alterations, including the M-phase block. Conclusion: The potential use of azines (4a–4e) in drug development focused on hematological cancers is significantly higher than that of previously studied acids 1a and 2a.

Hepatic transcriptome analysis of juvenile GIFT tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), fed diets supplemented with different concentrations of resveratrol

The GIFT (Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia) tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, is cultured widely for the production of freshwater fish in China. Streptococcosis, which is related to pathogenic infections, occurs frequently in juvenile and adult female GIFT individuals. Resveratrol (RES) has been used in feed to control these infections in freshwater tilapia. To address the effects of RES on tilapia, we used high-throughput RNA sequencing technology (RNA-Seq, HiSeq. 2500) to explore the global transcriptomic response and specific involvement of hepatic mRNA of juvenile O. niloticus fed with diets containing different concentrations of (0, 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1g/kg) RES. A total of > 24,513,018 clean reads were generated and then assembled into 23,244 unigenes. The unigenes were annotated by comparing them against non-redundant protein sequence (Nr), non-redundant nucleotide (Nt), Swiss-Prot, Pfam, Gene Ontology database (GO), Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases, and 12,578 unigenes were annotated to the GO database. A total of 1444 (0.025g/kg RES), 1526 (0.05g/kg RES), and 3135 (0.1g/kg RES) genes were detected as significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs), when compared with the controls. A total of 6 (0.025 vs 0.05g/kg RES), 19 (0.025 vs 0.1g/kg RES), and 124 (0.05 vs 0.1g/kg RES) genes were detected as significant DEGs. Six genes, including dnah7x1, sox4, fam46a, hsp90a, ddit4, and nmrk2, were associated with an immune response. These findings provide information on the innate immunity of GIFT and might contribute to the development of strategies for the effective management of diseases and long-term sustainability of O. niloticus culture.

Effects of dietary resveratrol supplementation on hepatic and serum pro-/anti-inflammatory activity in juvenile GIFT tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Dietary resveratrol (RES) supplementation may have some pharmacological effects including anti-inflammation. Previous studies have shown that Kupffer cell activation and apoptosis induction increases the transcription of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the pro- and anti-inflammatory activities of 0.1 or 0.3 g/kg RES as a dietary supplement in juvenile freshwater tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The results showed that hepatic and serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) significantly decreased and increased while anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokines significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in the RES-treated groups. The expression of serum and hepatic IgM and anti-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-10] and its inverse inhibitor interferon (IFN)-γ significantly increased while pro-inflammatory cytokine transcription significantly decreased. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and scanning electron microscopy revealed intestinal deformation, irregular goblet cells, and apoptotic cells in the 0.3 g/kg RES groups. RES (0.3 g/kg) also induced necrosis, apoptosis, reduction in Kupffer cell number, compressed sinusoids, and deformation of epidermal cells in the liver of the treated groups. In conclusion, the results of the present study show that high doses of RES were absorbed in the gut and then damaged the liver and intestinal tissue.

Nephrotoxin Microinjection in Zebrafish to Model Acute Kidney Injury

The kidneys are susceptible to harm from exposure to chemicals they filter from the bloodstream. This can lead to organ injury associated with a rapid decline in renal function and development of the clinical syndrome known as acute kidney injury (AKI). Pharmacological agents used to treat medical circumstances ranging from bacterial infection to cancer, when administered individually or in combination with other drugs, can initiate AKI. Zebrafish are a useful animal model to study the chemical effects on renal function in vivo, as they form an embryonic kidney comprised of nephron functional units that are conserved with higher vertebrates, including humans. Further, zebrafish can be utilized to perform genetic and chemical screens, which provide opportunities to elucidate the cellular and molecular facets of AKI and develop therapeutic strategies such as the identification of nephroprotective molecules. Here, we demonstrate how microinjection into the zebrafish embryo can be utilized as a paradigm for nephrotoxin studies.

Ursolic Acid--A Pentacyclic Triterpenoid with a Wide Spectrum of Pharmacological Activities

Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural terpene compound exhibiting many pharmaceutical properties. In this review the current state of knowledge about the health-promoting properties of this widespread, biologically active compound, as well as information about its occurrence and biosynthesis are presented. Particular attention has been paid to the application of ursolic acid as an anti-cancer agent; it is worth noticing that clinical tests suggesting the possibility of practical use of UA have already been conducted. Amongst other pharmacological properties of UA one can mention protective effect on lungs, kidneys, liver and brain, anti-inflammatory properties, anabolic effects on skeletal muscles and the ability to suppress bone density loss leading to osteoporosis. Ursolic acid also exhibits anti-microbial features against numerous strains of bacteria, HIV and HCV viruses and Plasmodium protozoa causing malaria.

Zebrafish Renal Pathology: Emerging Models of Acute Kidney Injury

The renal system is vital to maintain homeostasis in the body, where the kidneys contain nephron functional units that remove metabolic waste from the bloodstream, regulate fluids, and balance electrolytes. Severe organ damage from toxins or ischemia that occurs abruptly can cause acute kidney injury (AKI) in which there is a rapid, life-threatening loss of these activities. Humans have a limited but poorly understood ability to regenerate damaged nephrons after AKI. However, researchers studying AKI in vertebrate animal models such as mammals, and more recently the zebrafish, have documented robust regeneration within the nephron blood filter and tubule following injury. Further, zebrafish kidneys contain progenitors that create new nephrons after AKI. Here, we review investigations in zebrafish which have established a series of exciting renal pathology paradigms that complement existing AKI models and can be implemented to discover insights into kidney regeneration and the roles of stem cells.

Evaluation of the teratogenic effects of three traditional Chinese medicines, Si Jun Zi Tang, Liu Jun Zi Tang and Shenling Baizhu San, during zebrafish pronephros development

The aim of this study was to evaluate the teratogenic effects of three common Chinese medical prescriptions, Si Jun Zi Tang (SJZT), Liu Jun Zi Tang (LJZT) and Shenling Baizhu San (SLBS), during zebrafish pronephros development. We used the transgenic zebrafish line Tg(wt1b:EGFP) to assess the teratogenic effects using 12 different protocols, which comprised combinations of 4 doses (0, 25, 250, 1,250 ng/mL) and 3 exposure methods [methods I, 12–36 hours post fertilization (hpf), II, 24–48 hpf, and III, 24–36 hpf]. As a result, few defects in the kidneys were observed in the embryos exposed to 25 ng/mL of each medical prescription. The percentage of kidney malformation phenotypes increased as the exposure concentrations increased (25 ng/mL, 0–10%; 250 ng/mL, 0–60%; 1,250 ng/mL, 80–100%). Immunohistochemistry for α6F, which is a basolateral and renal tubular differentiation marker, revealed no obvious defective phenotypes in either SJZT- or LJZT-treated embryos, indicating that these Chinese medical prescriptions had minimal adverse effects on the pronephric duct. However, SLBS-treated embryos displayed a defective phenotype in the pronephric duct. According to these findings, we suggest (1) that the Chinese medical prescriptions induced kidney malformation phenotypes that are dose dependent and (2) that the embryonic zebrafish kidney was more sensitive to SLBS than SJZT and LJZT.