Effect of the ginsenoside Rb1 on the spontaneous contraction of intestinal smooth muscle in mice

Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer after Failure of Second-Line Treatment May Benefit from Low-Dose Apatinib and S-1 Combined with Jianpi Bushen Jiedu Decoction

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect and safety of low-dose of apatinib and S-1 combined with Jianpi Bushen Jiedu Decoction (JBJD) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who have failed second or above lines treatment, in order to provide more treatment option for mCRC patients by integrated medicine.

METHODS

Thirteen patients were selected from a single-arm, open-label clinical study from April 2019 to September 2020. The patients were treated with low-dose apatinib (250 mg, once a day) and S-1 (20 mg, twice a day) combined with JBJD for at least one cycle and were followed up to August 2021. The primary endpoint was disease progression-free survival (PFS). Disease control rate (DCR), objective response rate (ORR), and overall survival (OS) of patients were observed as the secondary endpoints. Adverse events were recorded as well.

RESULTS

The average age of the 13 patients was 56.5 ±13.0 years and 76.9% were male. The median PFS and median OS were 4.6 and 8.3 months, respectively. The ORR was 7.7% (1/13) while the DCR was 61.5% (8/13). The common adverse events were hypertension, proteinuria, elevated transaminase, and thrombocytopenia. One patient experienced thrombocytopenia of grade 3.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with mCRC after failure of the second or above lines of treatment may potentially benefit from the treatment of low-dose apatinib and S-1 combined with JBJD because of its similar effect as the standard dose of target therapy and relatively better safety. (Registration No. ChiCTR1900022673).

The Role of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicines and Bioactive Ingredients on Ion Channels: A Brief Review and Prospect

Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs), particularly the Chinese herbal medicines, are valuable sources of medicines and have been used for centuries. The term "TCMs" both represents to the single drug agent like Salvia miltiorrhiza, Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis, and those herbal formulas like Jingshu Keli, Wenxin Keli and Danzhen powder. In recent years, the researches of TCMs developed rapidly to understand the scientific basis of these herbs. In this review, we collect the studies of TCM and their containing bioactive compounds, and attempt to provide an overview for their regulatory effects on different ion channels including Ca2+, K+, Na+, Cl- channels and TRP, P2X receptors. The following conditions are used to limit the range of our review. (i) Only the herbal materials are included in this review and the animal- and mineral-original TCMs are excluded. (ii) The major discussions in this review focus on single TCM agent and the herbal formulas are only discussed for a little. (iii) Those most famous herbal medicines like Capsicum annuum (pepper), Curcuma longa (ginger) and Cannabis sativa (marijuana) are excluded. (iv) Only those TCM herbs with more than 5 research papers confirming their effects on ion channels are discussed in this review. Our review discusses recently available scientific evidences for TCMs and related bioactive compounds that have been reported with the modulatory effects on different ion channels, and thus provides a new ethnopharmacological approach to understand the usage of TCMs.

Jingshu Keli and its Components Notoginsenoside R1 and Ginsenoside Rb1 Alleviate the Symptoms of Cervical Myelopathy through Kir3.1 Mediated Mechanisms

Background & Objective::

Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM) is one of the most serious spinal cord disorders in adults. Pharmacological modulation of ion channels is a common strategy to interfere with CSM and prevent neuronal damage.

Methods:

Here, we investigated the effects of Jingshu Keli (JSKL), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, on CSM-related gait abnormality, mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, and assessed the neuronal mechanisms of JSKL on cultured brainstem cells. Behavioral tests and patch clamp recordings were performed to make this assessment.

Results:

In our study, we found that JSKL significantly recovered the gait performance (P<0.001) and decreased the levels of mechanical pain in 18.9% (P<0.01) and thermal pain in 18.1% (P<0.05). Further investigation suggested that JSKL and its containing ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1), notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) reduced the action potential frequency in 38.5%, 27.2%, 25.9%, and hyperpolarized resting membrane potential in 15.0%, 13.8%, 12.1%, respectively. Kir channels, not KV channels and KCa channels, were the major intermediate factors achieving treatment effects. Finally, immunostaining results showed that the phosphorylation of Kir3.1 was promoted, whereas the total expression level did not change.

Conclusion:

Our study reveals a novel strategy of treating CSM by using Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) containing active components.

Muscarinic suppression of ATP-sensitive K+ channels mediated by the M3/Gq/11/phospholipase C pathway contributes to mouse ileal smooth muscle contractions

ATP-sensitive K⁺ (K_ATP) channels are expressed in gastrointestinal smooth muscles, and their activity is regulated by muscarinic receptor stimulation. However, the physiological significance and mechanisms of muscarinic regulation of K_ATP channels are not fully understood. We examined the effects of the K_ATP channel opener cromakalim and the K_ATP channel blocker glibenclamide on electrical activity of single mouse ileal myocytes and on mechanical activity in ileal segment preparations. To explore muscarinic regulation of K_ATP channel activity and its underlying mechanisms, the effect of carbachol (CCh) on cromakalim-induced K_ATP channel currents ( I_KATP) was studied in myocytes of M₂ or M₃ muscarinic receptor-knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. Cromakalim (10 µM) induced membrane hyperpolarization in single myocytes and relaxation in segment preparations from WT mice, whereas glibenclamide (10 µM) caused membrane depolarization and contraction. CCh (100 µM) induced sustained suppression of I_KATP in cells from both WT and M₂KO mice. However, CCh had a minimal effect on I_KATP in M₃KO and M₂/M₃ double-KO cells. The G_q/11 inhibitor YM-254890 (10 μM) and PLC inhibitor U73122 (1 μM), but not the PKC inhibitor calphostin C (1 μM), markedly decreased CCh-induced suppression of I_KATP in WT cells. These results indicated that K_ATP channels are constitutively active and contribute to the setting of resting membrane potential in mouse ileal smooth muscles. M₃ receptors inhibit the activity of these channels via a G_q/11/PLC-dependent but PKC-independent pathways, thereby contributing to membrane depolarization and contraction of smooth muscles. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We systematically investigated the regulation of ATP-sensitive K⁺ channels by muscarinic receptors expressed on mouse ileal smooth muscles. We found that M₃ receptors inhibit the activity of ATP-sensitive K⁺ channels via a G_q/11/PLC-dependent, but PKC-independent, pathway. This muscarinic suppression of ATP-sensitive K⁺ channels contributes to membrane depolarization and contraction of smooth muscles.

Bioactive Constituents from the Whole Plants of Gentianella acuta (Michx.) Hulten

As a Mongolian native medicine and Ewenki folk medicinal plant, Gentianella acuta has been widely used for the treatment of diarrhea, hepatitis, arrhythmia, and coronary heart disease. In the course of investigating efficacy compounds to treat diarrhea using a mouse isolated intestine tissue model, we found 70% EtOH extract of G. acuta whole plants had an inhibitory effect on intestine contraction tension. Here, nineteen constituents, including five new compounds, named as gentiiridosides A (1), B (2), gentilignanoside A (3), (1R)-2,2,3-trimethyl-4-hydroxymethylcyclopent-3-ene-1-methyl-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (4), and (3Z)-3-hexene-1,5-diol 1-O-α-l-arabinopyranosyl(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranoside (5) were obtained from it. The structures of them were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects on motility of mouse isolated intestine tissue of the above mentioned compounds and other thirteen iridoid- and secoiridoid-type monoterpenes (7-10, 13-16, 18, 19, 21, 22, and 25) previously obtained in the plant were analyzed. As results, new compound 5, some secoiridoid-type monoterpenes 7, 10, 12-14, 16, and 17, as well as 7-O-9'-type lignans 31 and 32 displayed significant inhibitory effect on contraction tension at 40 μM.

Relationships between chemical structures and functions of triterpene glycosides isolated from sea cucumbers

Many marine triterpene glycosides have in vitro and in vivo activities with very low toxicity, suggesting that they are suitable agents for the prevention and treatment of different diseases, particularly cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms of action of natural marine compounds in cancer, immune, and other various cells are not fully known. This review focuses on the structural characteristics of marine triterpene glycosides and how these affect their biological activities and molecular mechanisms. In particular, the membranotropic and membranolytic activities of frondoside A and cucumariosides from sea cucumbers and their ability to induce cytotoxicity and apoptosis have been discussed, with a focus on structure-activity relationships. In addition, the structural characteristics and antitumor effects of stichoposide C and stichoposide D have been reviewed along with underlying their molecular mechanisms.

Effect of Sijunzi decoction and its active substances on gastrointestinal motility

Sijunzi decoction (SJZD), earliest recorded in Taiping Huimin Heji Ju Fang, is a classic recipe for the therapy of spleen deficiency. The recipe consists of merely four kinds of traditional Chinese herbs (ginseng, rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalae, poria cocos and licorice), but it has wide clinical applications and good efficacy, especially in the treatment of gastrointestinal function. It is reported that each component of the SJZD has different effects on gastrointestinal movement. Experimental studies have shown that SJZD has bidirectional modulatory effects on gastrointestinal motility and can therefore treat gastrointestinal movement dysfunction.