Sulfuretin Prevents Obesity and Metabolic Diseases in Diet Induced Obese Mice

Isoliquiritigenin as a modulator of the Nrf2 signaling pathway: potential therapeutic implications

Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor responsible for cytoprotection, plays a crucial role in regulating the expression of numerous antioxidant genes, thereby reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and safeguarding cells against oxidative stress. Extensive research has demonstrated the involvement of Nrf2 in various diseases, prompting the exploration of Nrf2 activation as a potential therapeutic approach for a variety of diseases. Consequently, there has been a surge of interest in investigating the Nrf2 signaling pathway and developing compounds that can modulate its activity. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) (PubChem CID:638278) exhibits a diverse range of pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-tumor properties. Notably, its robust antioxidant activity has garnered significant attention. Furthermore, ISL has been found to possess therapeutic effects on various diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, and cancer, through the activation of the Nrf2 pathway. This review aims to evaluate the potential of ISL in modulating the Nrf2 signaling pathway and summarize the role of ISL in diverse diseases prevention and treatment through modulating the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Co-catalpol alleviates fluoxetine-induced main toxicity: Involvement of ATF3/FSP1 signaling-mediated inhibition of ferroptosis

BACKGROUND

Fluoxetine is often used as a well-known first-line antidepressant. However, it is accompanied with hepatogenic injury as its main organ toxicity, thereby limiting its application despite its superior efficacy. Fluoxetine is commonly traditionally used combined with some Chinese antidepressant prescriptions containing Rehmannia glutinosa (Dihuang) for depression therapy and hepatoprotection. Our previous experiments showed that co-Dihuang can alleviate fluoxetine-induced liver injury while efficiencies, and catalpol may be the key ingredient to characterize the toxicity-reducing and synergistic effects. However, whether co-catalpol can alleviate fluoxetine-induced liver injury and its toxicity-reducing mechanism remain unclear.

PURPOSE

On the basis of the first recognition of the dose and duration at which pre-fluoxetine caused hepatic injury, co-catalpol's alleviation of fluoxetine-induced hepatic injury and its pathway was comprehensively elucidated.

METHOD AND RESULTS

The hepatoprotection of co-catalpol was evaluated by serum biochemical indexes sensitive to hepatic injury and multiple staining techniques for hepatic pathologic analysis. Subsequently, the pathway by which catalpol alleviated fluoxetine-induced hepatic injury was predicted by network pharmacology to be predominantly the inhibition of ferroptosis. These were validated and confirmed in subsequent experiments with key technologies and diagnostic reagents related to ferroptosis. Further molecular docking showed that activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) and ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1) were the the most prospective molecules for catalpol and fluoxetine among many ferroptosis-related molecules. The critical role of ATF3/FSP1 signaling was further observed by surface plasmon resonance, diagnostic reagents, transmission electron microscopy, Western blot, real-time PCR, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. Results showed that fluoxetine directly bound to ATF3 and FSP1; agonisting ATF3 or blocking FSP1 abolished the alleviation of catalpol on fluoxetine-induced liver injury, and both exacerbated ferroptosis. Moreover, co-catalpol significantly enhanced the antidepressant efficacy of fluoxetine against depressive behaviours in mice.

CONCLUSION

The hepatic impairment properties of fluoxetine were largely dependent on ATF3/FSP1 target-mediated ferroptosis. Co-catalpol alleviated fluoxetine-induced hepatic injury while enhancing its antidepressant efficacy, and that ATF3/FSP1 signaling-mediated inhibition of ferroptosis was involved in its co-administration detoxification mechanism. This study was the first to reveal the hepatotoxicity characteristics, targets, and mechanisms of fluoxetine; provide a detoxification and efficiency regimen by co-catalpol; and elucidate the detoxification mechanism.

A comprehensive review of medicinal Toxicodendron (Anacardiaceae): Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Comprising of about 30 species, the genus Toxicodendron (Anacardiaceae) are mainly distributed in East Asia and North America. Among them, 13 species have been traditionally used as folk medicines in Asia and other parts of the world to treat blood diseases, abnormal bleeding, skin diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, liver diseases, bone injury, lung diseases, neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, tonic, cancer, eye diseases, menstrual irregularities, inflammation, rheumatism, diabetes mellitus, rattlesnake bite, internal parasites, contraceptive, vomiting and diarrhea.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To date, no comprehensive review on Toxicodendron has been published and the scientific basis of the traditional medicinal benefits of Toxicodendron have been less reported. Therefore, this review aims to provide a reference for further research and development on medicinal purpose of Toxicodendron by summarizing the works (from 1980 to 2023), and focusing on its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The names of the species were from The Plant List Database (http://www.theplantlist.org), World Flora Online (http://www.worldfloraonline.org), Catalogue of Life Database (https://www.catalogueoflife.org/) and Plants for A Future Database (https://pfaf.org/user/Default.aspx). And the search terms "Toxicodendron" and "the names of 31 species and their synonyms" were used to search for information from electronic databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, Baidu Scholar, Springer, and Wiley Online Library. Moreover, PhD and MSc dissertations were also used to support this work.

RESULTS

These species on Toxicodendron are widely used in folkloric medicine and modern pharmacological activities. So far, approximately 238 compounds, mainly phenolic acids and their derivatives, urushiols, flavonoids and terpenoids, are extracted and isolated from Toxicodendron plants, commonly, T. trichocarpum, T. vernicifluum, T. succedaneum, and T. radicans. Among them, phenolic acids and flavonoids are the main compound classes that show pharmacological activities in Toxicodendron plants both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the extracts and single compounds of these species show a wide range of activities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, liver protection, fat reduction, nerve protection, and treatment of blood diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Selected species of Toxicodendron have been used as herbal medicines in the Southeast Asian for a long time. Furthermore, some bioactive constituents have been identified from them, so plants in this genus may be potential new drugs. The existing research on Toxicodendron has been reviewed, and the phytochemistry and pharmacology provide theoretical basis for some of the traditional medicinal uses. Therefore, in this review, the traditional medicinal, phytochemical and modern pharmacology of Toxicodendron plants are summarized to help future researchers to find new drug leads or to get a better understanding of structure-activity relationships.

Activation of Nrf2 by sulfuretin stimulates chondrocyte differentiation and increases bone lengths in zebrafish

Elongation of most bones occur at the growth plate through endochondral ossification in postnatal mammals. The maturation of chondrocyte is a crucial factor in longitudinal bone growth, which is regulated by a complex network of paracrine and endocrine signaling pathways. Here, we show that a phytochemical sulfuretin can stimulate hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation in vitro and in vivo. We found that sulfuretin stabilized nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), stimulated its transcriptional activity, and induced expression of its target genes. Sulfuretin treatment resulted in an increase in body length of zebrafish larvae and induced the expression of chondrocyte markers. Consistently, a clinically available Nrf2 activator, dimethyl fumarate (DMF), induced the expression of hypertrophic chondrocyte markers and increased the body length of zebrafish. Importantly, we found that chondrocyte gene expression in cell culture and skeletal growth in zebrafish stimulated by sulfuretin were significantly abrogated by Nrf2 depletion, suggesting that such stimulatory effects of sulfuretin were dependent on Nrf2, at least in part. Taken together, these data show that sulfuretin has a potential use as supporting ingredients for enhancing bone growth. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(9): 496-501].

Integration of network pharmacology, transcriptomics and molecular docking reveals two novel hypoglycemic components in snow chrysanthemum

Our previous studies uncovered the glucose-lowering properties of snow chrysanthemum tea, however, the active ingredients and underlying mechanisms were yet to be uncovered. Flavonoids are the most active and abundant components in snow chrysanthemum tea. In this study, we treated leptin-deficient diabetic ob/ob or high-fat diet (HFD)-induced C57BL/6 J obese mice with or without total flavonoids of snow chrysanthemum (TFSC) for 14 weeks. Results indicated that TFSC ameliorated dyslipidemia and fatty liver, thereby reducing hyperlipidemia. Further mechanism experiments, including RNA-seq and experimental validation, revealed TFSC improved glycolipid metabolism primarily by activating the AMPK/Sirt1/PPARγ pathway. Additionally, by integrating UPLC, network pharmacology, transcriptomics, and experimental validation, we identified two novel hypoglycemic compounds, sulfuretin and leptosidin, in TFSC. Treatment with 12.5 μmol/L sulfuretin obviously stimulated cellular glucose consumption, and sulfuretin (3.125, 6.25 and 12.5 μmol/L) significantly mitigated glucose uptake damage and reliably facilitated glucose consumption in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. Remarkably, sulfuretin interacted with the ligand-binding pocket of PPARγ via three hydrogen bond interactions with the residues LYS-367, GLN-286 and TYR-477. Furthermore, a concentration of 12.5 μmol/L sulfuretin effectively upregulated the expression of PPARγ, exhibiting a comparable potency to a renowned PPARγ agonist at 20 μmol/L. Taken together, our findings have identified two new hypoglycemic compounds and revealed their mechanisms, which significantly expands people's understanding of the active components in snow chrysanthemum that have hypoglycemic effects.

Exploration and biological evaluation of 7-methoxy-3-methyl-1H-chromeno[4,3-c]pyrazol-4-one as an activating transcription factor 3 inducer for managing metabolic syndrome

The induction of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) was identified as a promising therapeutic mechanism to overcome metabolic syndrome. Hence, a structure-activity relationship campaign on the chiral lead (1b) was conducted with a scaffold-hopping approach, whereby achiral 7-methoxy-3-methyl-1H-chromeno[4,3-c]pyrazol-4-one (16c) was recognized as a potential ATF3 inducer with a lipid-lowering feature in a pre-differentiated 3T3-L1 cell model. Also, in a high-fat diet scenario, mice subjected to 16c demonstrated robust weight loss with shrinkage of the white adipose mass and fewer hypertrophic adipocytes, accompanied by a preferable glycemic profile compared to 1b. Additionally, the biochemical analysis revealed that 16c further ameliorated the liver function and improved the plasma triglyceride profile that were absent from mice treated with 1b. Taken together, 16c shows promise as an ATF3 stimulant for further development to alleviate metabolic syndrome.

Sulfuretin exerts anti-depressive effects in the lipopolysaccharide-induced depressive mouse models

BACKGROUND

Herb-derived therapeutics is an attractive strategy to treat depression. Here we report the ameliorating effects of Sulfuretin, an anti-inflammatory compound in a depressive mouse model.

METHODS

Immobility times were obtained in the tail suspension test and forced swim test performed from day 14 to day 16. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to measure brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway of the hippocampus tissue on day 17. SL327 was used to block the ERK pathway in mice to evaluate the interaction between Sulfuretin and the ERK pathway. Mice were treated with Sulfuretin for 14 days before lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection (0.83 mg/kg/day, i.p.) for two days.

RESULTS

Behavior tests showed that Sulfuretin dose-dependently decreased immobility times correlated with depression symptoms. BDNF levels and ERK signaling were significantly restored in the Sulfuretin-treated mice, showing the improvement of brain function. Blocking the p-ERK signaling abrogated the effects of Sulfuretin in improving behaviors and levels of BDNF.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that Sulfuretin exhibits anti-depressive function in LPS-induced depressive mice, in which the ERK signaling plays an essential role.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Extract and Individual Synthesized Component Derivatives Induce Activating-Transcription-Factor-3-Mediated Anti-Obesity Effects and Attenuate Obesity-Induced Metabolic Disorder by Suppressing C/EBPα in High-Fat-Induced Obese Mice

Pharmacological studies indicate that Salvia miltiorrhiza extract (SME) can improve cardiac and blood vessel function. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the effects (exerted through epigenetic regulation) of SME and newly derived single compounds, with the exception of tanshinone IIA and IB, on obesity-induced metabolic disorders. In this study, we administered SME or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as controls to male C57BL/J6 mice after they were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks. SME treatment significantly reduced body weight, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride levels, insulin resistance, and adipogenesis/lipogenesis gene expression in treated mice compared with controls. Transcriptome array analysis revealed that the expression of numerous transcriptional factors, including activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) and C/EBPα homologous protein (CHOP), was significantly higher in the SME group. ST32db, a novel synthetic derivative similar in structure to compounds from S. miltiorrhiza extract, ameliorates obesity and obesity-induced metabolic syndrome in HFD-fed wild-type mice but not ATF3^−/− mice. ST32db treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes suppresses lipogenesis/adipogenesis through the ATF3 pathway to directly inhibit C/EBPα expression and indirectly inhibit the CHOP pathway. Overall, ST32db, a single compound modified from S. miltiorrhiza extract, has anti-obesity effects through ATF3-mediated C/EBPα downregulation and the CHOP pathway. Thus, SME and ST32db may reduce obesity and diabetes in mice, indicating the potential of both SME and ST32db as therapeutic drugs for the treatment of obesity-induced metabolic syndrome.

The hydroperoxyl radical scavenging activity of sulfuretin: insights from theory

Sulfuretin (SFR), which is isolated from Rhus verniciflua, Toxicodendron vernicifluum, Dahlia, Bidens tripartite and Dipterx lacunifera, is one of the most important natural flavonoids. This compound is known to have numerous biological activities; among these, the antioxidant activity has not been thoroughly studied yet. In this study, the hydroperoxyl scavenging activity of SFR was examined by using density functional theory calculations. SFR is predicted to be an excellent HOO• scavenger in water at pH = 7.40 with k overall = 4.75 × 107 M-1 s-1, principally due to an increase in the activity of the anionic form following the single-electron transfer mechanism. Consistently, the activity of the neutral form is more prominent in the non-polar environment with k overall = 1.79 × 104 M-1 s-1 following the formal hydrogen transfer mechanism. Thus, it is predicted that SFR exhibits better HOO• antiradical activity than typical antioxidants such as resveratrol, ascorbic acid or Trolox in the lipid medium. The hydroperoxyl radical scavenging of SFR in the aqueous solution is approximately 530 times faster than that of Trolox and similar to ascorbic acid or resveratrol. This suggests that SFR is a promising radical scavenger in physiological environments.

Integrating Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology of Cotinus coggygria and Toxicodendron vernicifluum: What Predictions can be Made for the European Smoketree?

The smoketree (Cotinus coggygria) is a historically known medicinal plant from Southeast Europe. Its ethnomedicinal use in skin and mucosal lesions is commonly accepted across countries. Other utilizations reported locally include fever reduction, cardiac diseases, hypertension, urinary diseases, cough, asthma, hemorrhoids, diabetes, numbness of arm, liver disease, and cancer. Departing from the smoketree's traditional uses, this review summarizes investigations on the phytochemistry and bioactivity of the plant. In vitro and in vivo experiments supporting wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, cytotoxic, antioxidative, hepatoprotective, and antidiabetic effects are presented. Metabolites from smoketree that are responsible for the main pharmacological effects of smoketree are pointed out. Furthermore, the review performs a comparison between C. coggygria and the lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum). The latter is a comprehensively studied species used in Asian phytotherapy, with whom the European smoketree shares a consistent pool of secondary metabolites. The comparative approach aims to open new perspectives in the research of smoketree and anticipates an optimized use of C. coggygria in therapy. It also points out the relevance of a chemosystematic approach in the field of medicinal plants research.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a novel dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha/delta agonist for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease through anti-inflammatory mechanisms

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major feature of the final stage of nearly all cause types of diabetes mellitus (DM). To date, few safe and effective drugs are available to treat. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), comprised of three members: PPAR-α, PPAR-δ and PPAR-γ, play a protective role in the DKD through glycemic control and lipid metabolism, whereas systemic activation of PPAR-γ causes serious side-effects in clinical trials. GFT505 is a dual PPAR-α/δ agonist, and the selectivity against PPAR-γ is still to be improved. Sulfuretin has been shown to suppress the expression of PPAR-γ and improve the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. In this study, by hybridizing the carboxylic acid of GFT505 and the parent nucleus of sulfuretin, we pioneeringly designed and synthetized a series of novel dual PPAR-α/δ agonists, expecting to provide a better benefit/risk ratio for PPARs. Of all the synthesized compounds, compound 12 was identified with highly activity on PPAR-α/δ and higher selectivity against PPAR-γ than that of GFT505 (EC₅₀: hPPAR-α: 0.26 μM vs.0.76 μM; hPPAR-δ: 0.50 μM vs.0.73 μM; hPPAR-γ: 4.22 μM vs.2.79 μM). The molecular docking studies also depicted good binding affinity of compound 12 for PPAR-α and PPAR-δ compared to GFT505. Furthermore, compound 12 exhibited an evidently renoprotective effect on the DKD through inhibiting inflammatory process, which might at least partly via JNK/NF-κB pathways in vivo and in vitro. Overall, compound 12 hold therapeutic promise for DKD.

Atf3 induction is a therapeutic target for obesity and metabolic diseases

Activating transcription factor 3 (Atf3) has been previously demonstrated to impact obesity and metabolism. However, a metabolic role of Atf3 in mice remains debatable. We investigated the role of Atf3 in mice and further investigated Atf3 expression as a therapeutic target for obesity and metabolic diseases. Atf3 knockout (KO) mice fed with a high fat diet (HFD) aggravated weight gain and impaired glucose metabolism compared to littermate control wild type (WT) mice. Atf3 KO aged mice fed with a chow diet (CD) for longer than 10 months also displayed increased body weight and fat mass compared to WT aged mice. We also assessed requirements of Atf3 in a phytochemical mediated anti-obese effect. Effect of sulfuretin, a previously known phytochemical Atf3 inducer, in counteracting weight gain and improving glucose tolerance was almost completely abolished in the absence of Atf3, indicating that Atf3 induction can be a molecular target for preventing obesity and metabolic diseases. We further identified other Atf3 small molecule inducers that exhibit inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation in adipocytes. These data highlight the role of Atf3 in obesity and further suggest the use of chemical Atf3 inducers for prevention of obesity and metabolic diseases.