Sinomenine, a COX-2 inhibitor, induces cell cycle arrest and inhibits growth of human colon carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo

A systematic review: Sinomenine

Sinomenine (SIN), an alkaloid derived from the traditional Chinese medicine, Caulis Sinomenii, has been used as an anti-inflammatory drug in China for over 30 years. With the continuous increase in research on the pharmacological mechanism of SIN, it has been found that, in addition to the typical rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment, SIN can be used as a potentially effective therapeutic drug for anti-tumour, anti-renal, and anti-nervous system diseases. By reviewing a large amount of literature and conducting a summary analysis of the literature pertaining to the pharmacological mechanism of SIN, we completed a review that focused on SIN, found that the current research is insufficient, and offered an outlook for future SIN development. We hope that this review will increase the public understanding of the pharmacological mechanisms of SIN, discover SIN research trial shortcomings, and promote the effective treatment of immune diseases, inflammation, and other related diseases.

Chemistry and biology of ent-morphinan alkaloids

Morphinan alkaloids have attracted constant attention since the isolation of morphine by Sertürner in 1805. However, a group of 45 compounds possessing a complete ent-morphinan backbone can also be found in the literature. These compounds are related to the morphinandienone subgroup and display a substitution pattern which is different from the morphinans. In particular, these alkaloids could be substituted at position C-2 and C-8 either by a hydroxy function or a methoxy moiety. Four groups of ent-morphinan alkaloids can be proposed, the salutaridine, pallidine, cephasugine and erromangine series. Interestingly, the botanical distribution of the ent-morphinans is more widespread than for the morphinans and includes the Annonaceae, Berberidaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fumariaceae, Hernandiaceae, Lauraceae, Menispermaceae, Monimiaceae, Papaveraceae, and Ranunculaceae families. To date, their exact mode of production remains elusive and their interplay with the biosynthetic pathway of other classes of benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids, in particular aporphines, should be confirmed. Exploration of the biological and therapeutic potential of these compounds is limited to some areas, namely central nervous system (CNS), inflammation, cancer, malaria and viruses. Further studies should be conducted to identify the cellular/molecular targets in view of promoting these compounds as new scaffolds in medicinal chemistry.

Sinomenine alleviates diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain through inhibition of the inositol-requiring enzyme 1 alpha-X-box binding protein 1 pathway by downregulating prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2

INTRODUCTION

We tried to show the effect of sinomenine (SIN) in diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) and the related underlying mechanism.

METHODS

Network pharmacological analysis and bioinformatics analysis were carried out for identification of the active ingredients of Sinomenium acutum and the related genes. The DPNP rat model was constructed and primary rat spinal cord microglial cells were isolated for in vitro cell experiments. The therapeutic role of SIN in DPNP was determined in vivo and in vitro through analysis of microglial cell activation and inflammatory response.

RESULTS

Therapeutic role of S. acutum in DPNP was mainly achieved by regulating 14 key genes, among which the target gene prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) of SIN might be the key gene. An in vivo experiment showed that SIN inactivated the inositol-requiring enzyme 1 alpha-X-box binding protein 1 pathway by downregulating PTGS2, which relieved pain symptoms in DPNP rats. It was confirmed in vivo that SIN inhibited the pathway through PTGS2 to alleviate the activation of spinal cord microglial cells and inflammatory response.

CONCLUSION

SIN decreases the expression of PTGS2 to inactivate the inositol-requiring enzyme 1 alpha-X-box binding protein 1 signaling pathway, which inhibits microglial activation, as well as the release of inflammatory factors, thus alleviating DPNP.

Sinomenium acutum: A Comprehensive Review of its Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Clinical Application

Sinomenium acutumis the dry stem of Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd et Wils. (S. acutum) and Sinomenium acutum(Thunb.) Rehd. et Wils. var. cinereumRehd. et Wils and is mainly distributed in China and Japan. As a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for dispelling wind and dampness in China, it is widely distributed and has a long history of drug use. In recent years, with the increase of the incidence of rheumatoid disease, S. acutum has become the focus of research. This paper reviews the literature on the chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, clinical applications and pharmacokinetics and safety of S. acutum from the past 60 years. At present, more than 210 natural compounds have been isolated from S. acutum, including alkaloids, lignans, triterpenoid saponins, steroids, and other structures. Pharmacological activities of S. acutum were mainly reported on anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-allergic, immunosuppressive, anti-tumor, liver-protective, anti-oxidative, and other effects, and clinical applications were mainly recorded on rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and other diseases. The clinical use of SIN has fewer side effects and more safety; only a small number of gastrointestinal reactions occurred, and the symptoms disappeared after the drug stopped. The purpose of this paper is to lay a foundation and provide reference for the follow-up research and wide application of S. acutum.

Sinomenine ester derivative inhibits glioblastoma by inducing mitochondria-dependent apoptosis and autophagy by PI3K/AKT/mTOR and AMPK/mTOR pathway

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in the central nervous system is the most lethal advanced glioma and currently there is no effective treatment for it. Studies of sinomenine, an alkaloid from the Chinese medicinal plant, Sinomenium acutum, showed that it had inhibitory effects on several kinds of cancer. Here, we synthesized a sinomenine derivative, sino-wcj-33 (SW33), tested it for antitumor activity on GBM and explored the underlying mechanism. SW33 significantly inhibited proliferation and colony formation of GBM and reduced migration and invasion of U87 and U251 cells. It also arrested the cell cycle at G2/M phase and induced mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Differential gene enrichment analysis and pathway validation showed that SW33 exerted anti-GBM effects by regulating PI3K/AKT and AMPK signaling pathways and significantly suppressed tumorigenicity with no obvious adverse effects on the body. SW33 also induced autophagy through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and AMPK/mTOR pathways. Thus, SW33 appears to be a promising drug for treating GBM effectively and safely.

Promoter hypermethylation of early B cell factor 1 (EBF1) is associated with cholangiocarcinoma progression

DNA hypermethylation in a promoter region causes gene silencing via epigenetic changes. We have previously reported that early B cell factor 1 (EBF1) was down-regulated in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) tissues and related to tumor progression. Thus, we hypothesized that the DNA hypermethylation of EBF1 promoter would suppress EBF1 expression in CCA and induce its progression. In this study, the DNA methylation status of EBF1 and mRNA expression levels were analyzed in CCA and normal bile duct (NBD) tissues using a publicly available database of genome-wide association data. The results showed that the DNA methylation of EBF1 promoter region was significantly increased in CCA tissues compared with those of NBD. The degree of methylation was negatively correlated with EBF1 mRNA expression levels. Using methylation-specific PCR technique, the DNA methylation rates of EBF1 promoter region were investigated in CCA tissues (n=72). CCA patients with high methylation rates of EBF1 promoter region in the tumor tissues (54/72) had a poor prognosis. Higher methylation rates of EBF1 promoter region have shown in all CCA cell lines than that of an immortal cholangiocyte cell line (MMNK1). Upon treatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Aza-dC, increased EBF1 expression levels and reduced DNA methylation rates were observed in CCA cells. Moreover, restoration of EBF1 expression in CCA cells led to inhibition of cell growth, migration and invasion. In addition, RNA sequencing analysis suggested that EBF1 is involved in suppression of numerous pathways in cancer. Taken together, DNA hypermethylation in the EBF1 promoter region suppresses EBF1 expression and induces CCA progression with aggressive clinical outcomes.

Genomic profiling reveals the pivotal role of hrHPV driving copy number and gene expression alterations, including mRNA downregulation of TP53 and RB1 in penile cancer

The incidence of penile cancer (PeCa) is increasing worldwide, however, the highest rates are reported in underdeveloped countries. The molecular mechanisms that underly the onset and progression of these tumors are still unclear. Therefore, our goal was to determine the genome-wide copy number alterations and the involvement of human papiloma virus (HPV) (TP53 and RB1), inflammatory (COX2 and EGFR), and PI3K/AKT pathway (AKT1, AKT2, EGFR, ERBB3, ERBB4, PIK3CA, and PTEN) associated genes in patients with PeCa from a high incidence region in Brazil (Maranhão). HPV genotyping was performed by nest-PCR and genome sequencing, copy number alterations (CNAs) by array comparative genomic hybridization and gene copy number status, gene, and protein expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry, respectively. HPV genotyping revealed one of the highest frequencies of HPV reported in PeCa, affecting 96.4% of the cases. The most common CNAs observed were located at the HPV integration sites, such as 2p12-p11.2 and 14q32.33, where ADAM 6, KIAA0125, LINC00226, LINC00221, and miR7641-2, are mapped. Increased copy number of ERBB3 and EGFR genes were observed in association with COX2 and EGFR overexpression, reinforcing the role of the inflammatory pathway in PeCa, and suggesting anti-EGFR and anti-COX2 inhibitors as promising therapies for PeCa. Additionally, TP53 and RB1 messenger RNA downregulation was observed, suggesting the occurrence of other mechanisms for repression of these oncoproteins, in addition to the canonical HPV/TP53/RB1 signaling pathway. Our data reinforce the role of epigenetic events in abnormal gene expression in HPV-associated carcinomas and suggest the pivotal role of HPV driving CNAs and controlling gene expression in PeCa.

Sinomenine hydrochloride exerts antitumor outcome in ovarian cancer cells by inhibition of long non-coding RNA HOST2 expression

Background: Accumulating evidence displays that sinomenine hydrochloride (SH) are utilised to treat a variety of cancers. Nevertheless, the influences of SH on ovarian cancer stay blurry. We endeavoured to uncover the antitumor effects of SH on ovarian cancer and underlying mechanism(s).Methods: Human ovarian epithelial cell line (HOEpiC), Caov3 and SKOV3 cells were administrated with SH and/or transfection with pc-long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) human ovarian cancer-specific transcript 2 (HOST2), then cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis and the related-proteins were respectively inspected by MTT, flow cytometry, and Western blot. In addition, expression of HOST2 was investigated by real-time PCR. Kaplan-Meier manner with the log-rank investigation was achieved to calculate overall survival.Results: SH remarkably repressed cell viability, evoked apoptosis and induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1. Moreover, SH statistically decreased HOST2 expression in Caov3 and SKOV3 cells. Overexpression of HOST2 significantly reversed the effects of SH on Caov3 cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis. Clinical findings confirmed that HOST2 was profoundly higher expressed in ovarian cancer tissues and cells, and HOST2 predicated unfavourable prognosis of ovarian cancer individuals.Conclusion: Our findings recommended that SH exerted the antitumor effect in ovarian cancer cells by hindering expression of HOST2.

Repurposing of plant alkaloids for cancer therapy: Pharmacology and toxicology

Drug repurposing (or repositioning) is an emerging concept to use old drugs for new treatment indications. Phytochemicals isolated from medicinal plants have been largely neglected in this context, although their pharmacological activities have been well investigated in the past, and they may have considerable potentials for repositioning. A grand number of plant alkaloids inhibit syngeneic or xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Molecular modes of action in cancer cells include induction of cell cycle arrest, intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis, autophagy, inhibition of angiogenesis and glycolysis, stress and anti-inflammatory responses, regulation of immune functions, cellular differentiation, and inhibition of invasion and metastasis. Numerous underlying signaling processes are affected by plant alkaloids. Furthermore, plant alkaloids suppress carcinogenesis, indicating chemopreventive properties. Some plant alkaloids reveal toxicities such as hepato-, nephro- or genotoxicity, which disqualifies them for repositioning purposes. Others even protect from hepatotoxicity or cardiotoxicity of xenobiotics and established anticancer drugs. The present survey of the published literature clearly demonstrates that plant alkaloids have the potential for repositioning in cancer therapy. Exploitation of the chemical diversity of natural alkaloids may enrich the candidate pool of compounds for cancer chemotherapy and -prevention. Their further preclinical and clinical development should follow the same stringent rules as for any other synthetic drug as well. Prospective randomized, placebo-controlled clinical phase I and II trials should be initiated to unravel the full potential of plant alkaloids for drug repositioning.

Role of Autophagy in Renal Cancer

Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process with critical functions in maintenance of cellular homeostasis under normal growth conditions and in preservation of cell viability under stress. The role of autophagy in cancer is dual-sided. Autophagy-deficient cells are often more tumorigenic than their wild type counterparts in association with DNA damage accumulation, oxidative stress. At the same time, autophagy is a major cell survival mechanism. In recent years, it has been well demonstrated that autophagy may have relation with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This review focuses on the research progress in relation between autophagy and RCC and the pharmacologic manipulation of autophagy for RCC treatment.

Sinomenine Induces G1-Phase Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in Malignant Glioma Cells Via Downregulation of Sirtuin 1 and Induction of p53 Acetylation

Sinomenine, a bioactive alkaloid isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Sinomenium acutum, possesses antiinflammatory, antinociceptive, antifibrotic, and antitumorigenic properties. In this work, we sought to explore the biological effects of sinomenine on glioma cells. It was found that sinomenine caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of viability in both U87 and U251 glioma cells. Sinomenine at 16 μmol/L caused 55% to 60% reduction in the proliferation of U87 and U251 cells. Moreover, sinomenine treatment induced a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Mechanistically, sinomenine promoted p53 expression and acetylation and reduced the expression of sirtuin 1. Ectopic expression of sirtuin 1 significantly prevented sinomenine-induced p53 acetylation and growth suppression in glioma cells. Moreover, sinomenine inhibited the growth of U87 xenograft tumors in vivo and raised the p53 protein expression. Collectively, sinomenine shows antiproliferative effects against glioma cells which is mediated through downregulation of sirtuin 1 and induction of p53 activity.

Research Advances and Prospects on Mechanism of Sinomenin on Histamine Release and the Binding to Histamine Receptors

Sinomenine (SIN) is widely used in China to treat a variety of rheumatic diseases (RA), and has various pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-tumor effects. However, due to the histamine release characteristics of SIN, its adverse reactions such as allergic reactions, gastrointestinal reactions, and circulatory systemic reactions have been drawing increasing attention. We present here a systematic review of the chemical structure, pharmacological effects, clinical application, and adverse reactions of SIN, a detailed discussion on the relationship between histamine/histamine receptor and mechanism of action of SIN. In addition, we simulated the binding of SIN to four histamine receptors by using a virtual molecular docking method and found that the bonding intensity between SIN and receptors varied in the order shown as follows: H1R > H2R ~ H3R > H4R. The docking results suggested that SIN might exhibit dual regulatory effects in many processes such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, NF-κB pathway activation, and degranulation of mast cells to release histamine, thereby exhibiting pro-inflammatory (adverse reactions)/anti-inflammatory effects. This study provides a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of inflammations seen such as in RA using SIN, and also suggests that SIN has great potential in the field of cancer treatment and will have very important social and economic significance.

Discovery of Pyrazolo[4,3-c]quinolines Derivatives as Potential Anti-Inflammatory Agents through Inhibiting of NO Production

The synthesis and anti-inflammatory effects of certain pyrazolo[4,3-c]quinoline derivatives 2a–2r are described. The anti-inflammatory activities of these derivatives were evaluated by means of inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Among them, 3-amino-4-(4-hydroxyphenylamino)-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]-quinoline (2i) and 4-(3-amino-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]quinolin-4-ylamino)benzoic acid (2m) exhibited significant inhibition of LPS-stimulated NO production with a potency approximately equal to that of the positive control, 1400 W. Important structure features were analyzed by quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) analysis to give better insights into the structure determinants for predicting the inhibitory effects on the accumulation of nitric oxide for RAW 264.7 cells in response to LPS. In addition, our results indicated that their anti-inflammatory effects involve the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein expression. Further studies on the structural optimization are ongoing.

Effect of sinomenine hydrochloride on radiosensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells

Radiation therapy is one of the most important treatments for unresectable and locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), however, the response to radiotherapy is sometimes limited by the development of radioresistance. Sinomenine hydrochloride (SH) has anticancer activity, but its effect on the radiosensitivity of ESCC is unclear. We determined the effect of SH on the radiosensitivity of ESCC cells and elucidated its potential radiosensitization mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. ESCC cells were subjected to SH and radiation, both separately and in combination. Untreated cells served as controls. The CCK-8 assay was used to evaluate cell proliferation, and the clonogenic assay to estimate radiosensitization. Flow cytometry was used to investigate cell cycle phases and cell apoptosis. Bcl-2, Bax, cyclin B1, CDK1, Ku86, Ku70, and Rad51 expression was evaluated using western blotting. In vivo, tumor xenografts were created using BALB/c nude mice. Tumor-growth inhibition was recorded, and Ki-67 and Bax expression in the tumor tissues was assessed using immunohistochemistry. SH inhibited ESCC cell growth and markedly increased their radiosensitivity by inducing G2/M phase arrest. SH combined with radiation therapy significantly increased ESCC cell apoptosis. The molecular mechanism by which SH enhanced radiosensitivity of ESCC cells was related to Bcl-2, cyclin B1, CDK1, Ku86, Ku70, and Rad51 downregulation and Bax protein expression upregulation. SH combined with radiation considerably delayed the growth of tumor xenografts in vivo. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that in the SH combined with radiation group, the expression of Bax was significantly higher while that of Ki-67 was lower than the expressions in the control groups. Taken together, our findings showed that SH could improve the sensitivity of radiation in ESCC cells by inducing G2/M phase arrest, promoting radiation-induced apoptosis and inhibiting DSB-repair pathways. SH appears to be a prospective radiosensitizer for improving the efficacy of radiotherapy for ESCC.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are safe with respect to the transcriptome of human dermal fibroblasts

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provide important benefits to millions of patients, but are associated with a number of serious adverse events. These adverse drug reactions are an important clinical issue and a serious public health risk. While most unfortunate responses in human to NSAIDs are mild and may disappear after decreasing the dose or withdrawal of the drug, some of them can produce serious outcomes. Currently, little is known regarding the effects of NSAIDs on global RNA expression in normal, non-transformed cells. Therefore, in this report, the effect of NSAIDs, COX-nonspecific and COX-2-specific inhibitors, indomethacin and nimesulide respectively, commonly used medications worldwide for the reduction of pain, fever, inflammation and stiffness, on transcriptomic signature of human dermal fibroblasts was investigated. A total of 3803 differentially expressed genes with a fold change greater than or equal to 1.3 and below than or equal to 0.7 for whole genome transcripts, with a P value of < 0.05 were identified in response to all applied conditions. We found that although the total number of deregulated genes was relatively high at such criteria, changes in fibroblast transcriptome profile after treatment at selected experimental conditions were however smallish, as the selected drugs slightly modulate transcriptome with only a few genes with expression altered a bit more than twice. Nevertheless, transcriptomic data has its own limitations and it cannot reflect all post-transcriptional changes, which in turn may cause same risks, especially for a long time of medication.

Sinomenine Hydrochloride Inhibits Human Glioblastoma Cell Growth through Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and Autophagy-Lysosome Pathway Activation: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor, and it is one of the causes of cancer fatality in both adult and pediatric populations. Patients with glioblastoma require chemotherapy after surgical resection and radiotherapy. Therefore, chemotherapy constitutes a viable approach for the eradication of glioblastoma cells. In this study, the anti-tumor activity of sinomenine hydrochloride (SH) was evaluated in U87 and SF767 cells in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that SH potently inhibited U87 and SF767 cell viability and did not cause caspase-dependent cell death, as demonstrated by the absence of significant early apoptosis and caspase-3 cleavage. Instead, SH activated an autophagy-mediated cell death pathway, as indicated by the accumulated microtubule-associated protein light chain 3B (LC3B)-II, triggered autophagic flux and enhanced cell viability after pretreatment with autophagy inhibitors. SH-mediated autophagy in the two cell lines was implicated in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, protein kinase B (Akt)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway suppression and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway activation. The ROS antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC), the Akt-specific activator insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and the JNK-specific inhibitor SP600125 attenuated SH-induced autophagy. Moreover, ROS activated autophagy via the Akt-mTOR and JNK pathways. Additionally, SH treatment may promote lysosome biogenesis through activating transcription factor EB (TFEB). The in vivo study found that SH effectively suppressed glioblastoma growth without exhibiting significant toxicity. In conclusion, our findings reveal a novel mechanism of action of SH in cancer cells via the induction of autophagy through ROS generation and autophagy-lysosome pathway activation; these findings also supply a new potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of human glioblastoma.

Athymic nude mice as an experimental model for cancer treatment

Athymic nude mice, a murine strain bearing spontaneous deletion in the Foxn1 gene that causes deteriorated or absent thymus (which results in inhibited immune system with reduction of number of T cells), represent a widely used model in cancer research having long lasting history as a tool for preclinical testing of drugs. The review describes three models of athymic mice that utilize cancer cell lines to induce tumors. In addition, various methods that can be applied in order to evaluate activity of anticancer agents in these models are shown and discussed. Although each model has certain disadvantages, they are still considered as inevitable instruments in many fields of cancer research, particularly in finding new drugs that would more effectively combat the cancer disease or enhance the use of current chemotherapy. Finally, the review summarizes strengths and weaknesses as well as future perspectives of the athymic nude mice model in cancer research.

Effects of Hylomecon vernalis ethanol extracts on cell cycle and apoptosis of colon cancer cells

Hylomecon vernalis Maxim. has traditionally been used to promote blood circulation, alleviate pain, dissipate stasis, and reduce swelling. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect and potential mechanism of H. vernalis Maxim. ethanol extracts (HVMEE) on the growth and apoptosis of human colon cancer HT-29 and SW620 cells. H. vernalis samples were extracted three times with ethanol, dried, and concentrated into powder. The components of HVMEE were investigated using high performance liquid chromatography in tandem with mass spectrometry analysis. MTT assay was used to investigate the effect of HVMEE on viability of human colon cancer HT-29 and SW620 cells. Apoptosis of HT-29 and SW620 cells was evaluated using flow cytometric analysis. Expression levels of apoptosis and cell cycle-related proteins were assessed by western blot. The findings demonstrated that the alkaloid content of HVMEE was as high as 89.67%, and it effectively inhibited viability in HT-29 and SW620 cells, with IC₅₀ values of 0.105±0.022 mg/ml and 0.146±0.013 mg/ml, respectively. In addition, HVMEE induced apoptosis in HT-29 and SW620 cells, by increasing caspase-3, caspase-9 and BCL2 associated X expression, and reducing Bcl-2 expression. The present study suggests that HVMEE has a potential role in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

The neuroprotection of Sinomenine against ischemic stroke in mice by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome via AMPK signaling

Neuroinflammation remains the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in stroke-induced secondary brain injury. The NOD-like receptor pyrin 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is involved in diverse inflammatory diseases, including cerebral ischemia, and is thus considered an effective therapeutic target. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotection of Sinomenine (SINO), a potent natural anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory molecule, against cerebral ischemia in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in vivo and in an oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)-treated astrocytes/microglia model in vitro. SINO administration intraperitoneally alleviated the cerebral infarction, brain edema, neuronal apoptosis, and neurological deficiency after MCAO induction. SINO also attenuated astrocytic and microglial activation in the ischemic hemisphere. NLRP3 inflammasome activation after MCAO and OGD induction, with the up-regulation of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), cleaved caspase-1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines, was significantly inhibited by SINO treatment both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, SINO reversed the OGD-induced inhibition of AMPK phosphorylation in vitro. Further, the suppressive effect of SINO on NLRP3 inflammasomes was blocked by an AMPK inhibitor, Compound C. Our findings demonstrate that SINO exerts a neuroprotective effect in ischemic stroke by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasomes via the AMPK pathway, which also provides evidence of a novel treatment for clinical stroke therapy.