Resveratrol ameliorates nutritional steatohepatitis through the mmu‑miR‑599/PXR pathway

Resveratrol restrains colorectal cancer metastasis by regulating miR-125b-5p/TRAF6 signaling axis

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies with a high incidence, metastatic tendency and low 5-year survival rate. Resveratrol, a polyphenolic compound has been shown to inhibit colorectal cancer metastasis in recent studies. Its underlying molecular mechanism remains to be elucidated. Our findings demonstrated that miR-125b-5p, acting as a tumor suppressor, was conspicuously down-regulated in both colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines. The expression of miR-125b-5p negatively correlated with the expression of its direct target TNF receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6). Both miR-125b-5p overexpression and TRAF6 knockdown inhibited metastasis of colorectal cancer cells. In addition, we uncovered that resveratrol up-regulated miR-125b-5p by increasing its stability and suppressed TRAF6-induced signal pathway in a dose/time-dependent manner. Resveratrol could significantly curtail the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells, which was counteracted by miR-125b-5p knockdown or TRAF6 overexpression. These results indicated that resveratrol could restrain colorectal cancer metastasis by promoting miR-125b-5p/TRAF6 signaling axis. Furthermore, lung metastasis models of colorectal cancer were constructed by tail vein injection. Down-regulation of miR-125b-5p could facilitate colorectal cancer metastasis in vivo, which could be impeded by resveratrol. In conclusion, our findings delineated the miR-125b-5p/TRAF6 signaling axis as a novel molecular mechanism underlying the metastatic process in colorectal cancer, as well as a prospective therapeutic target. Resveratrol disrupts colorectal cancer metastasis by activating miR-125b-5p/TRAF6 signal pathway and might improve the clinical outcome of colorectal cancer patients with low expression of miR-125b-5p.

Integrating transcriptomics and network pharmacology to reveal the mechanisms of total Rhizoma Coptidis alkaloids against nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has emerged as a major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, posing a significant threat to public health. Rhizoma Coptidis, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb has been shown to have significant curative effects on liver diseases. Total Rhizoma Coptidis Alkaloids (TRCA) is a primarily alkaloid mixture extracted from Rhizoma Coptidis, and its constituents are widely accepted to have hepatoprotective effects.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This work aimed to investigate the efficacy and potential mechanisms of TRCA in ameliorating NASH through both in vitro experiments and in vivo mouse models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study employed a mice model induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) to evaluate the effectiveness and pharmacological mechanisms of TRCA in alleviating NASH. Transcriptomic sequencing and network pharmacology were used to explore the possible targets and mechanisms of TRCA to ameliorate NASH. Further validation was performed in free fatty acid (FFA)-induced human hepatocytes (LO2) and human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2).

RESULTS

TRCA effectively ameliorated the main features of NASH such as lipid accumulation, hepatitis and hepatic fibrosis in the liver tissue of mice induced by HFD, as well as improved glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in mice. Combined with transcriptomic and network pharmacological analyses, 68 core targets associated with the improvement of NASH by TRCA were obtained. According to the KEGG results, the core targets were significantly enriched in the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway whereas TRCA ameliorated the aberrant down-regulation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway induced by HFD. Furthermore, the five highest-ranked genes were obtained by PPI network analysis. Moreover, our findings suggest that TRCA may impede the progression of HFD-induced NASH by regulating the expression of PPARG, MMP9, ALB, CCL2, and EGFR.

CONCLUSIONS

TRCA can ameliorate HFD-induced liver injury by modulating aberrant downregulation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Key proteins such as PPARG, MMP9, ALB, CCL2, and EGFR may be critical targets for TRCA to ameliorate NASH. This finding supports using Rhizoma Coptidis, a well-known herbal medicine, as a potential therapeutic agent for NASH.

Preventive and therapeutic effects of natural products and herbal extracts on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition that is prevalent in patients who consume little or no alcohol, and is characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver. The disease is becoming increasingly common with the rapid economic development of countries. Long-term accumulation of excess fat can lead to NAFLD, which represents a global health problem with no effective therapeutic approach. NAFLD is a complex, multifaceted pathological process that has been the subject of extensive research over the past few decades. Herbal medicines have gained attention as potential therapeutic agents to prevent and treat NAFLD due to their high efficacy and low risk of side effects. Our overview is based on a PubMed and Web of Science database search as of Dec 22 with the keywords: NAFLD/NASH Natural products and NAFLD/NASH Herbal extract. In this review, we evaluate the use of herbal medicines in the treatment of NAFLD. These natural resources have the potential to inform innovative drug research and the development of treatments for NAFLD in the future.

Effect of Kinins on the Hepatic Oxidative Stress in Mice Treated with a Methionine-Choline Deficient Diet

Non-alcoholic fatty liver is the leading cause of hepatic disease worldwide and ranges from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) due to cell injury, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The kinins' role in the liver has been studied in experimental fibrosis, partial hepatectomy, and ischemia-reperfusion and is related to cell death and regeneration. We investigated its role in experimental NASH induced by a methionine-choline deficient diet for 4 weeks. After that, liver perfusion was performed, and bradykinin (BK) or des-Arg9-BK was infused. Cell death was evaluated by cathepsin-B and caspase-3 activity and oxidative stress by catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, as well as malondialdehyde and carbonylated proteins. In control livers, DABK increased CAT activity, which was reversed by antagonist DALBK. In the NASH group, kinins tend to decrease antioxidant activity, with SOD activity being significantly reduced by BK and DABK. Malondialdehyde levels increased in all NASH groups, but carbonylated protein did not. DABK significantly decreased cathepsin-B in the NASH group, while caspase-3 was increased by BK in control animals. Our results suggest that B1R and/or B2R activation did not induce oxidative stress but affected the antioxidant system, reducing SOD in the NASH group.

Curcumin-resveratrol nano-formulation counteracting hyperammonemia in rats

Malnutrition and low dietary protein intake could be risk factors for developing peripheral and central hyperammonemia, especially in pediatrics. Both curcumin and resveratrol proved to be effective against several hepatic and cerebral injuries. They were reported to be beneficial in lowering circulating ammonia levels, yet both are known for their low bioavailability. The use of pharmaceutical nano-formulations as delivery systems for these two nutraceuticals could solve the aforementioned problem. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the valuable outcome of using a combination of curcumin and resveratrol in a nanoemulsion formulation, to counteract protein-deficient diet (PDD)-induced hyperammonemia and the consequent complications in male albino rats. Results revealed that using a nanoemulsion containing both curcumin and resveratrol at a dose of (5 + 5 mg/kg) effectively reduced hepatic and brain ammonia levels, serum ALT and AST levels, hepatic and brain nitric oxide levels, oxidative DNA damage as well as disrupted cellular energy performance. In addition, there was a substantial increase in brain levels of monoamines, and a decrease in glutamate content. Therefore, it can be concluded that the use of combined curcumin and resveratrol nanoemulsion is an effective means of ameliorating the hepatic and cerebral adverse effects resulting from PDD-induced hyperammonemia in rats.

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Study on the Multi-Target Mechanisms of Aloe vera for Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis Treatment

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease with limited treatment options. The widely distributed plant Aloe vera has shown protective effects against NASH in animals, yet the precise mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the potential mechanisms underlying the anti-NASH effects of Aloe vera using a network pharmacology and molecular docking approach. By searching online databases and analyzing the Gene Expression Omnibus dataset, we obtained 260 Aloe vera-NASH common targets. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses showed that the common targets were strongly associated with the key pathological processes implicated in NASH, including lipid and glucose metabolism, inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and liver fibrosis. Four core proteins, AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), transcription factor c-Jun, and tumor suppressor protein p53, were identified from compound-target-pathway and protein-protein interaction networks. Molecular docking analysis verified that the active ingredients of Aloe vera were able to interact with the core proteins, especially AKT1 and TNFα. The results demonstrate the multi-compound, multi-target, and multi-pathway mechanisms of Aloe vera against NASH. Our study has shown the scientific basis for further experiments in terms of the mechanism to develop Aloe vera-based natural products as complementary treatments for NASH. Furthermore, it identifies novel drug candidates based on the structures of Aloe vera's active compounds.