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Chen Q, Xu N, Zhao C, He Y, Kam SHT, Wu X, Huang P, Yang M, Wong CTT, Radis-Baptista G, Tang B, Fan G, Gong G, Lee SMY. A new invertebrate NPY-like polypeptide, ZoaNPY, from the Zoanthus sociatus, as a novel ligand of human NPY Y2 receptor rescues vascular insufficiency via PLC/PKC and Src- FAK-dependent signaling pathways. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107173. [PMID: 38580186 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Our recent multi-omics studies have revealed rich sources of novel bioactive proteins and polypeptides from marine organisms including cnidarians. In the present study, we initially conducted a transcriptomic analysis to review the composition profile of polypeptides from Zoanthus sociatus. Then, a newly discovered NPY-like polypeptide-ZoaNPY was selected for further in silico structural, binding and virtually pharmacological studies. To evaluate the pro-angiogenic effects of ZoaNPY, we employed an in vitro HUVECs model and an in vivo zebrafish model. Our results indicate that ZoaNPY, at 1-100 pmol, enhances cell survival, migration and tube formation in the endothelial cells. Besides, treatment with ZoaNPY could restore a chemically-induced vascular insufficiency in zebrafish embryos. Western blot results demonstrated the application of ZoaNPY could increase the phosphorylation of proteins related to angiogenesis signaling including PKC, PLC, FAK, Src, Akt, mTOR, MEK, and ERK1/2. Furthermore, through molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) verification, ZoaNPY was shown to directly and physically interact with NPY Y2 receptor. In view of this, all evidence showed that the pro-angiogenic effects of ZoaNPY involve the activation of NPY Y2 receptor, thereby activating the Akt/mTOR, PLC/PKC, ERK/MEK and Src- FAK-dependent signaling pathways. Furthermore, in an excision wound model, the treatment with ZoaNPY was shown to accelerate the wound healing process in mice. Our findings provide new insights into the discovery and development of novel pro-angiogenic drugs derived from NPY-like polypeptides in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Chen
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China; State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
| | - Nan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
| | - Chen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
| | - Yulin He
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Sandy Hio Tong Kam
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
| | - Xue Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
| | - Pan Huang
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China
| | - Min Yang
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China
| | - Clarence Tsun Ting Wong
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | | | - Benqin Tang
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China; Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Guangyi Fan
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China
| | - Guiyi Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China; Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China.
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China; Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom 999077, Hong Kong, SAR China.
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Li L, He YL, Xu N, Wang XF, Song B, Tang BQ, Lee SMY. A natural small molecule aspidosperma-type alkaloid, hecubine, as a new TREM2 activator for alleviating lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation in vitro and in vivo. Redox Biol 2024; 70:103057. [PMID: 38325196 PMCID: PMC10863309 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2024.103057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), highly expressed by microglia in the central nervous system (CNS), can modulate neuroinflammatory responses. Currently, there are no approved drugs specifically targeting TREM2 for CNS diseases. Aspidosperma alkaloids have shown potential as anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective agents. This study aimed to elucidate the potential therapeutic effect of Hecubine, a natural aspidosperma-type alkaloid, as a TREM2 activator in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated neuroinflammation in in vitro and in vivo models. In this study, molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay (CTSA) were employed to investigate the interaction between Hecubine and TREM2. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence, Western blotting, and shRNA gene knockdown were used to assess the anti-neuroinflammatory and antioxidant effects of Hecubine in microglial cells and zebrafish. Our results revealed that Hecubine directly interacted with TREM2, leading to its activation. Knockdown of TREM2 mRNA expression significantly abolished the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Hecubine on LPS-stimulated proinflammatory mediators (NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) and oxidative stress in microglia cells. Furthermore, Hecubine upregulated Nrf2 expression levels while downregulating TLR4 signaling expression levels both in vivo and in vitro. Silencing TREM2 upregulated TLR4 and downregulated Nrf2 signaling pathways, mimicking the effect of Hecubine, further supporting TREM2 as the drug target by which Hecubine inhibits neuroinflammation. In conclusion, this is the first study to identify a small molecule, namely Hecubine directly targeting TREM2 to mediate anti-neuroinflammation and anti-oxidative effects, which serves as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of neural inflammation-associated CNS diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Yu-Lin He
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Xiu-Fen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China; Department of Medical Science, Shunde Polytechnic, Foshan, 528333, China
| | - Bing Song
- Department of Dermatology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, 110001, Shenyang, China; School of Dentistry, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XY, UK; Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ben-Qin Tang
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China; Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China; Department of Medical Science, Shunde Polytechnic, Foshan, 528333, China.
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China; Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China.
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3
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Li J, Liu Z, Wu X, Lee SMY, Seto SW, Zhang J, Zhou GC, Leung GPH. Anti-metastatic effects of AGS-30 on breast cancer through the inhibition of M2-like macrophage polarization. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 172:116269. [PMID: 38367549 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
AGS-30, a new andrographolide derivative, showed significant anticancer and anti-angiogenic characteristics. However, its role in controlling macrophage polarization and tumor immune response is unknown. Thus, the main goals of this study are to investigate how AGS-30 regulates macrophage polarization and how it suppresses breast cancer metastasis. AGS-30 inhibited IL-4 and IL-13-induced RAW 264.7 and THP-1 macrophages into M2-like phenotype. However, AGS-30 did not affect the LPS and IFN-γ-induced polarization of M1-like macrophages. AGS-30 reduced the mRNA expressions of CD206, Arg-1, Fizz-1, Ym-1, VEGF, IL-10, MMP2, and MMP9 in M2-like macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner. In contrast, andrographolide treatment at 5 μM did not affect M1-like and M2-like macrophage polarization. The conditioned medium from M2-like macrophages increased 4T1 breast cancer cell migration and invasion, whereas AGS-30 inhibited these effects. In the 4T1 breast tumor xenograft mice, the tumor volume and weight were reduced without affecting body weight after receiving AGS-30. AGS-30 treatment also reduced lung and liver metastasis, with reduced STAT6, CD31, VEGF, and Ki67 protein expressions. Moreover, the tumors had considerably fewer M2-like macrophages and Arg-1 expression, but the proportion of M1-like macrophages and iNOS expression increased after AGS-30 treatment. Same results were found in the tail vein metastasis model. In conclusion, this study shows that AGS-30 inhibits breast cancer growth and metastasis, probably through inhibiting M2-like macrophage polarization. Our findings suggest that AGS-30 may be a potential immunotherapeutic alternative for metastatic breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China; The Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Zhuyun Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China; School of Pharmacy, Taizhou Polytechnic College, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China; The Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Sai-Wang Seto
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China; The Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Jinming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Guo-Chun Zhou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China.
| | - George Pak-Heng Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
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Pan Z, Shao M, Zhao C, Yang X, Li H, Cui G, Liang X, Yu CW, Ye Q, Gao C, Di L, Chern JW, Zhou H, Lee SMY. J24335 exerts neuroprotective effects against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesions in PC12 cells and mice. Eur J Pharm Sci 2024; 194:106696. [PMID: 38199443 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2024.106696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is the second most prevalent age-related neurodegenerative disease and disrupts the lives of people aged >60 years. Meanwhile, single-target drugs becoming inapplicable as PD pathogenesis diversifies. Mitochondrial dysfunction and neurotoxicity have been shown to be relevant to the pathogenesis of PD. The novel synthetic compound J24335 (11-Hydroxy-1-(8-methoxy-5-(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-2-yl)undecan-1-one oxime), which has been researched similarly to J2326, has the potential to be a multi-targeted drug and alleviate these lesions. Therefore, we investigated the mechanism of action and potential neuroprotective function of J24335 against 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity in mice, and in PC12 cell models. The key target of action of J24335 was also screened. MTT assay, LDH assay, flow cytometry, RT-PCR, LC-MS, OCR and ECAR detection, and Western Blot analysis were performed to characterize the neuroprotective effects of J24335 on PC12 cells and its potential mechanism. Behavioral tests and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate behavioral changes and brain lesions in mice. Moreover, bioinformatics was employed to assess the drug-likeness of J24335 and screen its potential targets. J24335 attenuated the degradation of mitochondrial membrane potential and enhanced glucose metabolism and mitochondrial biosynthesis to ameliorate 6-OHDA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Animal behavioral tests demonstrated that J24335 markedly improved motor function and loss of TH-positive neurons and dopaminergic nerve fibers, and contributed to an increase in the levels of dopamine and its metabolites in brain tissue. The activation of both the CREB/PGC-1α/NRF-1/TFAM and PKA/Akt/GSK-3β pathways was a major contributor to the neuroprotective effects of J24335. Furthermore, bioinformatics predictions revealed that J24335 is a low toxicity and highly BBB permeable compound targeting 8 key genes (SRC, EGFR, ERBB2, SYK, MAPK14, LYN, NTRK1 and PTPN1). Molecular docking suggested a strong and stable binding between J24335 and the 8 core targets. Taken together, our results indicated that J24335, as a multi-targeted neuroprotective agent with promising therapeutic potential for PD, could protect against 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity via two potential pathways in mice and PC12 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijian Pan
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Min Shao
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Chen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau
| | - Xuanjun Yang
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China
| | - Haitao Li
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Guozhen Cui
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Xiaonan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau
| | - Chao-Wu Yu
- School of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10050, Taiwan, China
| | - Qingqing Ye
- School of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10050, Taiwan, China
| | - Cheng Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau
| | - Lijun Di
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Ji-Wang Chern
- School of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10050, Taiwan, China
| | - Hefeng Zhou
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, China.
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China.
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Gong G, Kam H, Bai Y, Cheang WS, Wu S, Cheng X, Giesy JP, Lee SMY. 6-benzylaminopurine causes endothelial dysfunctions to human umbilical vein endothelial cells and exacerbates atorvastatin-induced cerebral hemorrhage in zebrafish. Environ Toxicol 2024; 39:1258-1268. [PMID: 37929299 DOI: 10.1002/tox.24012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA), a multifunctional plant growth regulator, which is frequently used worldwide to improve qualities of various crops, is an important ingredient in production of "toxic bean sprouts." Although there is no direct evidence of adverse effects, its hazardous effects, as well as joint toxicity with other chemicals, have received particular attention and aroused furious debate between proponents and environmental regulators. By use of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), adverse effects of 6-BA to human-derived cells were first demonstrated in this study. A total of 25-50 mg 6-BA/L inhibited proliferation, migration, and formation of tubular-like structures by 50% in vitro. Results of Western blot analyses revealed that exposure to 6-BA differentially modulated the MAPK signal transduction pathway in HUVECs. Specifically, 6-BA decreased phosphorylation of MEK and ERK, but increased phosphorylation of JNK and P38. In addition, 6-BA exacerbated atorvastatin-induced cerebral hemorrhage via increasing hemorrhagic occurrence by 60% and areas by 4 times in zebrafish larvae. In summary, 6-BA elicited toxicity to the endothelial system of HUVECs and zebrafish. This was due, at least in part, to discoordination of MAPK signaling pathway, which should pose potential risks to the cerebral vascular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiyi Gong
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Hiotong Kam
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yubin Bai
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Wai San Cheang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Shuilong Wu
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xiaoning Cheng
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, China
| | - John P Giesy
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China
- Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States
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Kwok CTK, Chow FWN, Cheung KYC, Zhang XY, Mok DKW, Kwan YW, Chan GHH, Leung GPH, Cheung KW, Lee SMY, Wang N, Li JJ, Seto SW. Medulla Tetrapanacis water extract alleviates inflammation and infection by regulating macrophage polarization through MAPK signaling pathway. Inflammopharmacology 2024; 32:393-404. [PMID: 37429999 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-023-01266-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Medulla Tetrapanacis (MT) is a commonly used herb to promote lactation and manage mastitis in lactating mothers. However, its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects are currently unknown. We hypothesized that MT water extract possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects by modulating macrophage polarization to reduce the release of inflammatory mediators and phagocytosis via inactivation of MAPKs pathways. The chemical composition of the MT water extract was analyzed by UPLC-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry. The anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties of the MT water extract were examined using LPS-stimulated inflammation and Staphylococcus aureus infection model in RAW 264.7 cells, respectively. The underlying mechanism of action of the MT water extract was also investigated. We identified eight compounds by UPLC-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry that are abundant within the MT water extract. MT water extract significantly suppressed LPS-induced nitric oxide, TNF-α and IL-6 secretion in RAW 264.7 cells which was accompanied by the promotion of macrophage polarization from pro-inflammatory towards anti-inflammatory phenotypes. MT water extract significantly suppressed the LPS-induced MAPK activation. Finally, MT water extract decreased the phagocytic capacity of the RAW 264.7 cells against S. aureus infection. MT water extract could suppress LPS-induced inflammation by promoting macrophages towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype. In addition, MT also inhibited the growth of S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Tsun-Ka Kwok
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Franklin Wang-Ngai Chow
- Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Karry Yuen-Ching Cheung
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
- Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiao-Yi Zhang
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Daniel Kam-Wah Mok
- Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yiu-Wa Kwan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gabriel Hoi-Huen Chan
- College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - George Pak-Heng Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ka-Wang Cheung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, China
| | - Ning Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Jing-Jing Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sai-Wang Seto
- Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
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Li J, Nie X, Panthakarn Rangsinth, Wu X, Zheng C, Cheng Y, Shiu PHT, Li R, Lee SMY, Fu C, Zhang J, Leung GPH. Structure and activity relationship analysis of xanthones from mangosteen: Identifying garcinone E as a potent dual EGFR and VEGFR2 inhibitor. Phytomedicine 2024; 122:155140. [PMID: 37939410 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xanthones are among the most fundamental phytochemicals in nature. The anti-cancer activities of xanthones and their derivatives have been extensively studied. Recently, we found that garcinone E (GE), an effective anti-cancer phytochemical isolated from mangosteen (Garcinia mangostanal.), showed promising anti-cancer effects in vitro and in vivo. However, little is known about its effects on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) activity. PURPOSE This study aimed to identify potent dual EGFR and VEGFR2 inhibitors from mangosteen-derived xanthones using structure-activity relationship analyses. STUDY DESIGN The interaction of xanthones with EGFR and VEGFR2 was analyzed using molecular docking experiments. The kinase activities of EGFR and VEGFR2 were determined using bioluminescence assays. The rat aortic ring and Matrigel plug angiogenesis assays were used to evaluate blood vessel formation ex vivo and in vivo. A breast tumor-bearing nude mouse model was established to examine the anti-tumor effects of different xanthones. RESULTS Molecular docking analysis showed that GE bound tightly to EGFR and VEGFR2, with binding energies of -9.73 and -9.56 kcal/mol, respectively. Kinase activity assessment showed that GE strongly inhibited both EGFR and VEGFR2 kinase activity, with IC50 values of 315.4 and 158.2 nM, respectively. Moreover, GE significantly abolished the EGF- and VEGF-induced phosphorylation of EGFR and VEGFR2, respectively. GE also showed strong inhibitory effects on cancer cell growth, endothelial cell migration, invasion, and tube formation. Ex vivo and in vivo angiogenesis assays showed that GE dose-dependently suppressed blood vessel formation in the rat aorta, Matrigel plugs, and transgenic zebrafish embryos, with the lowest effective concentration of 0.25 μM. Furthermore, GE (2 mg/kg) strongly inhibited tumor growth and reduced tumor weight in MDA-MB-231 breast tumor-xenografted mice. GE significantly reduced microvessel density and downregulated the expression of VEGFR2, EGFR, and Ki67 in tumor tissues. CONCLUSION The present study demonstrated that GE was the most potent dual inhibitor of EGFR and VEGFR2 among all xanthones tested. These findings may provide valuable information for the future development of novel and effective dual inhibitors of EGFR and VEGFR2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China; Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xin Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Panthakarn Rangsinth
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chengwen Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yanfen Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Polly Ho-Ting Shiu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Renkai Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- Department of Food Science and Nutrient, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chaomei Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
| | - George Pak-Heng Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Pan Z, Yu CW, Zhao C, Shao M, Yang X, Liang X, Li H, Lu Y, Ye Q, Chern JW, Lu J, Zhou H, Lee SMY. Antagonizing pathological α-synuclein-mediated neurodegeneration by J24335 via the activation of immunoproteasome. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2023; 480:116745. [PMID: 37931757 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2023.116745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of misfolded proteins, such as α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease (PD), occurs intracellularly or extracellularly in the majority of neurodegenerative diseases. The immunoproteasome has more potent chymotrypsin-like activity than normal proteasome. Thus, degradation of α-synuclein aggregation via immunoproteasome is an attractive approach for PD drug development. Herein, we aimed to determine if novel compound, 11-Hydroxy-1-(8-methoxy-5-(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-2-yl)undecan-1-one oxime (named as J24335), is a promising candidate for disease-modifying therapy to prevent the pathological progression of neurodegenerative diseases, such as PD. The effects of J24335 on inducible PC12/A53T-α-syn cell viability and cytotoxicity were evaluated by MTT assay and LDH assay, respectively. Evaluation of various proteasome activities was done by measuring the luminescence of enzymatic activity after the addition of different amounts of aminoluciferin. Immunoblotting and real-time PCR were employed to detect the expression of various proteins and genes, respectively. We also used a transgenic mouse model for behavioral testing and immunochemical analysis, to assess the neuroprotective effects of J24335. J24335 inhibited wild-type and mutant α-synuclein aggregation without affecting the growth or death of neuronal cells. The inhibition of α-synuclein aggregation by J24335 was caused by activation of immunoproteasome, as mediated by upregulation of LMP7, and increased cellular chymotrypsin-like activity in 20S proteasome. J24335-enhanced immunoproteasome activity was mediated by PKA/Akt/mTOR pathway activation. Moreover, animal studies revealed that J24335 treatment markedly mitigated both the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH-) neurons and impaired motor skill development. This is the first report to use J24335 as an immunoproteasome enhancing agent to antagonize pathological α-synuclein-mediated neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijian Pan
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Chao-Wu Yu
- School of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10050, Taiwan, China
| | - Chen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Min Shao
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuanjun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China; Department of Biology, South University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaonan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Haitao Li
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Yucong Lu
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Qingqing Ye
- School of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10050, Taiwan, China
| | - Ji-Wang Chern
- School of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10050, Taiwan, China
| | - Jiahong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Hefeng Zhou
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macao.
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Xu M, Zha H, Chen J, Lee SMY, Wang Q, Wang R, Zheng Y. "Ice and Fire" Supramolecular Cell-Conjugation Drug Delivery Platform for Deep Tumor Ablation and Boosted Antitumor Immunity. Adv Mater 2023; 35:e2305287. [PMID: 37547984 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202305287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Cancer recurrence and metastasis are two major challenges in the current clinical therapy. In this work, a novel diketopyrrolopyrrole-based photothermal reagent (DCN) with unique J-aggregation-induced redshift is synthesized to achieve efficient tumor thermal ablation under safe power (0.33 W cm-2 ). Meanwhile, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) is co-loaded with near-infrared-absorbing DCN in amphiphilic polymers to realize heat-induced massive release of nitric oxide (NO), which can form oxidant peroxynitrite (ONOO- ) to active matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), thereby degrading the compact tumor extracellular matrix to improve the ablation depth and infiltration of immune cells. Through a facile supramolecular assembly method, the DCN/SNAP nanoparticles are anchored to liquid-nitrogen-frozen cancer cells, achieving enhanced antitumor immune responses and effective inhibition of distant tumors and pulmonary metastases after only one treatment. The safety and effectiveness of this supramolecular cell-conjugation platform are verified by 2D/3D cellular experiments and bilateral tumor model, confirming the thermal-ablation-gas-permeation-antigen-presentation therapeutic mode has promising anticancer prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Xu
- State Key Laboratory, of Quality Research, in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Haidong Zha
- State Key Laboratory, of Quality Research, in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Jiamao Chen
- State Key Laboratory, of Quality Research, in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory, of Quality Research, in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory, of Quality Research, in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
- State Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Ruibing Wang
- State Key Laboratory, of Quality Research, in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Ying Zheng
- State Key Laboratory, of Quality Research, in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China
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Nie X, Fu L, Cheng Y, Wu X, Lv K, Li R, Wu Y, Leung GPH, Fu C, Lee SMY, Seto SW, Zhang J, Li J. Garcinone E suppresses breast cancer growth and metastasis by modulating tumor-associated macrophages polarization via STAT6 signaling. Phytother Res 2023; 37:4442-4456. [PMID: 37259475 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Cancer metastasis remains the most common cause of death in breast cancer patients. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Despite the good anti-cancer activity of garcinone E (GE), there are no reports on its therapeutic effects on breast cancer metastasis. The objective of this study was to examine the anti-cancer effects of GE on metastatic breast cancer. RAW 264.7 and THP-1 cells were polarized to M2 macrophages by IL-4/IL-13 in vitro. A 4T1 mouse breast cancer model and the tail vein breast cancer metastasis model were used to explore the effect of GE on breast cancer growth and metastasis in vivo. In vitro studies showed that GE dose-dependently suppressed IL-4 + IL-13-induced expression of CD206 in both RAW 264.7 cells and differentiated THP-1 macrophages. However, GE did not affect the LPS + IFN-γ-induced polarization to the M1-like macrophages in vitro. GE inhibited the expression of the M2 macrophage specific genes in RAW 264.7 cells, and simultaneously impaired M2 macrophage-induced breast cancer cell proliferation and migration, and angiogenesis. In animal studies, GE significantly suppressed tumor growth, angiogenesis, and lung metastasis in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, without causing toxicity. In both tumor and lung tissues, the proportion of M2-like TAMs was significantly decreased while the proportion of M1-like TAMs was markedly increased by GE treatment. Mechanistically, GE inhibited phosphorylation of STAT6 in vitro and in vivo. Our results demonstrate for the first time that GE suppresses breast cancer growth and pulmonary metastasis by modulating M2-like macrophage polarization through the STAT6 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, SAR, China
| | - Li Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanfen Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Kongpeng Lv
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, China
| | - Renkai Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Yihan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - George Pak-Heng Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Chaomei Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, SAR, China
| | - Sai-Wang Seto
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
- The Research Center for Chinese Medicine Innovation, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Jinming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- The Research Center for Chinese Medicine Innovation, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
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11
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Liu Y, Nie X, Wu Y, Lin L, Liao Q, Li J, Lee SMY, Li H, Zhang J. Carrier-Free Gambogic Acid Dimer Self-Assembly Nanomedicines for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment. Int J Nanomedicine 2023; 18:5457-5472. [PMID: 37771407 PMCID: PMC10522496 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s422096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The insufficient targeting delivery of therapeutic agents greatly impeded the treatment outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Despite the recognized therapeutic advantages of gambogic acid (GBA) in inflammatory diseases, its high delivery efficiency to inflammatory site still limits its clinical application. Self-assembly of drug dimers into carrier-free nanoparticles (NPs) has become a straightforward and attractive approach to develop nanomedicines for RA treatment. Herein, homodimers of GBA were designed to form the carrier-free NPs by self-assembly for RA treatment. Methods The synthetic gambogic acid dimers (GBA2) were self-assembled into NPs using a one-step solvent evaporation method. The size distribution, morphology, drug-loading efficiency (DLE) and storage stability were evaluated. A molecular dynamic simulation was conducted to gain further insight into the self-assembly mechanisms of GBA2/NPs. Besides, we investigated the cytotoxicity, apoptosis and cellular uptake profiles of GBA2/NPs in macrophages and osteoclasts. Finally, the specific biodistribution on the ankles of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) mice, and the anti-RA efficacy of the AIA rat model were assessed. Results GBA2/NPs exhibited the uniform spherical structure, possessing excellent colloidal stability, high self-assembly stability, high drug loading and low hemolytic activity. Comparing with GBA, GBA2/NPs showed higher cytotoxicity, cellular uptake and apoptosis rate against osteoclasts. In addition, GBA2/NPs exhibited much higher accumulation in ankle joints in vivo. As expected, the systematic administration of GBA2/NPs resulted in the greater alleviation of arthritic symptoms, cartilage protection, and inflammation, notably the reduced systemic toxicity compared to free GBA. Conclusion GBA2/NPs formed GBA dimers exhibited the superior accumulation in the inflamed joint and anti-RA activity, potentially attributing to the similar extravasation through leaky vasculature and subsequent inflammatory cell-mediated sequestration ("ELVIS") effects in inflamed joint and the enhanced cellular uptake in macrophages and osteoclasts. Our findings provide substantial evidence that self-assembly of GBA2/NPs would be a promising therapeutic alternative for RA treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuling Liu
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Pharmacy School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macau Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yihan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Pharmacy School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Longfei Lin
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qian Liao
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingjing Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macau Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hui Li
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Industry, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Pharmacy School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
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12
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Li MY, Wu YZ, Qiu JG, Lei JX, Li MX, Xu N, Liu YH, Jin Z, Su ZR, Lee SMY, Zheng XB, Xiao-Qi H. Huangqin Decoction ameliorates ulcerative colitis by regulating fatty acid metabolism to mediate macrophage polarization via activating FFAR4-AMPK-PPARα pathway. J Ethnopharmacol 2023; 311:116430. [PMID: 36997133 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Huangqin Decoction (HQD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula chronicled in Shang Han Lun, is safe and effective for treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). AIM OF THE STUDY To investigate the effect of HQD against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC mice by regulating gut microbiota and metabolites, and further explore the mechanism of fatty acid metabolism on macrophage polarization. MATERIALS AND METHODS Based on 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC mice model, clinical symptoms observation (body weight, DAI, and colon length) and histological inspection were used to evaluate the efficacy of HQD and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from HQD-treated mice. The gut microbiota and metabolites were detected by 16S rRNA sequencing and metabolomics analysis. The parameters of fatty acid metabolism, macrophage polarization, and FFAR1/FFAR4-AMPK-PPARα pathway were analyzed by immunofluorescence analysis, western blotting, and real-time PCR. Then, the effects of FFAR1 and FFAR4 on macrophage polarization were examined by agonists based on LPS-induced RAW264.7 cell model. RESULTS The results showed that FMT, like HQD, ameliorated UC by improving weight loss, restoring colon length, and reducing DAI scores and histopathological scores. Besides, HQD and FMT both enhanced the richness of gut microbiota, and modulated intestinal bacteria and metabolites to achieve a new balance. Untargeted metabolomics analysis revealed that fatty acids, especially long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), dominated in HQD against DSS-induced UC by regulating the gut microenvironment. Further, FMT and HQD recovered the expression of fatty acid metabolism-related enzymes, and simultaneously activated FFAR1/FFAR4-AMPK-PPARα pathway but suppressed NF-κB pathway. Combined with cell experiment, HQD and FMT promoted macrophage polarization from M1 toward M2, which were well associated with anti-inflammatory cytokines and combined with the activated FFAR4. CONCLUSIONS The mechanism of HQD against UC was related to regulating fatty acid metabolism to mediate M2 macrophage polarization by activating the FFAR4-AMPK-PPARα pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Yao Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Dongguan Institute of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Dongguan, China
| | - Yu-Zhu Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Dongguan Institute of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Dongguan, China
| | - Jian-Guo Qiu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Dongguan Institute of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Dongguan, China
| | - Jun-Xuan Lei
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Dongguan Institute of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Dongguan, China
| | - Mu-Xia Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Hospital Chinese Medicine Preparation, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Nan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yu-Hong Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Jin
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zi-Ren Su
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao
| | - Xue-Bao Zheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Dongguan Institute of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Dongguan, China.
| | - Huang Xiao-Qi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Dongguan Institute of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Dongguan, China.
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Gong G, Kam H, Bai Y, Zhao H, Giesy JP, Lee SMY. 6-Benzylaminopurine causes lipid dyshomeostasis via disruption of glycerophospholipid metabolism in zebrafish. Sci Total Environ 2023; 878:163194. [PMID: 37001669 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BA) is ubiquitous in agricultural production and is accessible to humans through diets. The modulation of lipid metabolism by 6-BA has been previously demonstrated in plants and oleaginous microorganisms. Therefore, whether it alters lipid homeostasis in other living organisms requires further investigation. In this study, doses ≥10 mg 6-BA/L caused malformation of the yolk sac, steatosis, and other hepatopathies in zebrafish larvae. Exposure to 25 mg 6-BA/L resulted in increased levels of triglyceride and total cholesterol. Results of transcriptomic analysis indicated that 6-BA alters genes associated with fatty acid and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Among them, the expression levels of hmgcra, elovl7b, and apobb.2 were downregulated, whereas those of lpcat3, bco1l, cyp7al, fabp1b.1, elp6, pde6ha, apoa4b.2_2, sgk1, dgkaa, and mogat2 were upregulated. Correspondingly, a study of the metabolome identified lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) as the major differentially expressed metabolite in response to 6-BA treatment. Therefore, abnormal accumulation of LPCs and dyshomeostasis of glycerophospholipid metabolism were identified as potential mechanisms causing the toxicity of 6-BA, which should be assessed to understand the risks of 6-BA and the products contaminated by it. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: 6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BA), an important residue in "toxic bean sprouts," is ubiquitous in agricultural production and is common in typical diets. Its regulation of lipid metabolism has been demonstrated in plants and oleaginous microorganisms. Whether it alters lipid homeostasis in other organisms and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. The worldwide use of 6-BA and the potential exposure of humans have aroused public attention owing to its hazardous effects; thus, its hazardous effects, particularly those on lipid homeostasis, deserve careful clarification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiyi Gong
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang 524045, China; State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao.
| | - Hiotong Kam
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
| | - Yubin Bai
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang 524045, China
| | - Hongxia Zhao
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang 524045, China
| | - John P Giesy
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B3, Canada; Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada; Department of Environmental Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, United States
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao
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Skiba A, Pellegata D, Morozova V, Kozioł E, Budzyńska B, Lee SMY, Gertsch J, Skalicka-Woźniak K. Pharmacometabolic Effects of Pteryxin and Valproate on Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizures in Zebrafish Reveal Vagus Nerve Stimulation. Cells 2023; 12:1540. [PMID: 37296660 PMCID: PMC10252891 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) assays provide a versatile pharmacological platform to test compounds on a wide range of behaviors in a whole organism. A major challenge lies in the lack of knowledge about the bioavailability and pharmacodynamic effects of bioactive compounds in this model organism. Here, we employed a combined methodology of LC-ESI-MS/MS analytics and targeted metabolomics with behavioral experiments to evaluate the anticonvulsant and potentially toxic effects of the angular dihydropyranocoumarin pteryxin (PTX) in comparison to the antiepileptic drug sodium valproate (VPN) in zebrafish larvae. PTX occurs in different Apiaceae plants traditionally used in Europe to treat epilepsy but has not been investigated so far. To compare potency and efficacy, the uptake of PTX and VPN into zebrafish larvae was quantified as larvae whole-body concentrations together with amino acids and neurotransmitters as proxy pharmacodynamic readout. The convulsant agent pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) acutely reduced the levels of most metabolites, including acetylcholine and serotonin. Conversely, PTX strongly reduced neutral essential amino acids in a LAT1 (SLCA5)-independent manner, but, similarly to VPN specifically increased the levels of serotonin, acetylcholine, and choline, but also ethanolamine. PTX dose and time-dependent manner inhibited PTZ-induced seizure-like movements resulting in a ~70% efficacy after 1 h at 20 µM (the equivalent of 4.28 ± 0.28 µg/g in larvae whole-body). VPN treated for 1 h with 5 mM (the equivalent of 18.17 ± 0.40 µg/g in larvae whole-body) showed a ~80% efficacy. Unexpectedly, PTX (1-20 µM) showed significantly higher bioavailability than VPN (0.1-5 mM) in immersed zebrafish larvae, possibly because VPN in the medium dissociated partially to the readily bioavailable valproic acid. The anticonvulsive effect of PTX was confirmed by local field potential (LFP) recordings. Noteworthy, both substances specifically increased and restored whole-body acetylcholine, choline, and serotonin levels in control and PTZ-treated zebrafish larvae, indicative of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which is an adjunctive therapeutic strategy to treat refractory epilepsy in humans. Our study demonstrates the utility of targeted metabolomics in zebrafish assays and shows that VPN and PTX pharmacologically act on the autonomous nervous system by activating parasympathetic neurotransmitters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Skiba
- Department of Chemistry of Natural Products, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Daniele Pellegata
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland (V.M.)
| | - Veronika Morozova
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland (V.M.)
| | - Ewelina Kozioł
- Department of Chemistry of Natural Products, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Barbara Budzyńska
- Independent Laboratory of Behavioral Studies, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao 519020, China;
| | - Jürg Gertsch
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland (V.M.)
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15
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Cheng Y, Zhong X, Nie X, Gu H, Wu X, Li R, Wu Y, Lv K, Leung GPH, Fu C, Lee SMY, Zhang J, Li J. Glycyrrhetinic acid suppresses breast cancer metastasis by inhibiting M2-like macrophage polarization via activating JNK1/2 signaling. Phytomedicine 2023; 114:154757. [PMID: 37011418 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer metastasis is leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have been considered as potential targets for treating breast cancer metastasis because they promote tumor growth and development. Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is one of the most important phytochemicals of licorice which has shown promising anti-cancer efficacies in pre-clinical trials. However, the regulatory effect of GA on the polarization of TAMs remains elusive. PURPOSE To investigate the role of GA in regulating the polarization of M2 macrophages and inhibiting breast cancer metastasis, and to further explore its underlying mechanisms of action. STUDY DESIGN IL-4 / IL-13-treated RAW 264.7 and THP-1 cells were used as the M2-polarized macrophages in vitro. A 4T1 mouse breast cancer model and the tail vein breast cancer metastasis model were applied to study the effect of GA on breast cancer growth and metastasis in vivo. RESULTS In vitro studies showed that GA significantly inhibited IL-4 / IL 13-induced M2-like polarization in RAW 264.7 and THP-1 macrophages without affecting M1-like polarization. GA strongly decreased the expression of M2 macrophage markers CD206 and Arg-1, and reduced the levels of the pro-angiogenic molecules VEGF, MMP9, MMP2 and IL-10 in M2 macrophages. GA also increased the phosphorylation of JNK1/2 in M2 macrophages. Moreover, GA significantly suppressed M2 macrophage-induced cell proliferation and migration in 4T1 cancer cells and HUVECs. Interestingly, the inhibitory effects of GA on M2 macrophages were abolished by a JNK inhibitor. Animal studies showed that GA significantly suppressed tumor growth, angiogenesis, and lung metastasis in BALB/c mice bearing breast tumor. In tumor tissues, GA reduced the number of M2 macrophages but elevated the proportion of M1 macrophages, accompanied by activation of JNK signaling. Similar results were found in the tail vein breast cancer metastasis model. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated for the first time that GA could effectively suppress breast cancer growth and metastasis by inhibiting macrophage M2 polarization via activating JNK1/2 signaling. These findings indicate that GA could be served as the lead compound for the future development of anti-breast cancer drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfen Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuemei Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xin Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
| | - Huan Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Renkai Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yihan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Kongpeng Lv
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, China
| | - George Pak-Heng Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chaomei Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
| | - Jinming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China; Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Cheng Y, Tao J, Zhang Y, Xi L, Han R, Xu M, Lee SMY, Ge W, Gan Y, Zheng Y. Shape and Shear Stress Impact on the Toxicity of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles: In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence. Mol Pharm 2023. [PMID: 37167021 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are widely used in the biomedical field because of their unique and excellent properties. However, the potential toxicity of different shaped MSNs via injection has not been fully studied. This study aims to systematically explore the impact of shape and shear stress on the toxicity of MSNs after injection. An in vitro blood flow model was developed to investigate the cytotoxicity and the underlying mechanisms of spherical MSNs (S-MSN) and rodlike MSNs (R-MSN) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The results suggested that the interactions between MSNs and HUVECs under the physiological flow conditions were significantly different from that under static conditions. Whether under static or flow conditions, R-MSN showed better cellular uptake and less oxidative damage than S-MSN. The main mechanism of cytotoxicity induced by R-MSN was due to shear stress-dependent mechanical damage of the cell membrane, while the toxicity of S-MSN was attributed to mechanical damage and oxidative damage. The addition of fetal bovine serum (FBS) alleviated the toxicity of S-MSN by reducing cellular uptake and oxidative stress under static and flow conditions. Moreover, the in vivo results showed that both S-MSN and R-MSN caused cardiovascular toxicity in zebrafish and mouse models due to the high shear stress, especially in the heart. S-MSN led to severe oxidative damage at the accumulation site, such as liver, spleen, and lung in mice, while R-MSN did not cause significant oxidative stress. The results of in vitro blood flow and in vivo models indicated that particle shape and shear stress are crucial to the biosafety of MSNs, providing new evidence for the toxicity mechanisms of the injected MSNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Jinsong Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Yaqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Long Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Run Han
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Meng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Yong Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Excipients, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ying Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
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Deng J, Ye Z, Zheng W, Chen J, Gao H, Wu Z, Chan G, Wang Y, Cao D, Wang Y, Lee SMY, Ouyang D. Machine learning in accelerating microsphere formulation development. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2023; 13:966-982. [PMID: 36454434 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-022-01253-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Microspheres have gained much attention from pharmaceutical and medical industry due to the excellent biodegradable and long controlled-release characteristics. However, the drug release behavior of microspheres is influenced by complicated formulation and manufacturing factors. The traditional formulation development of microspheres is intractable and inefficient by the experimentally trial-and-error methods. This research aims to build a prediction model to accelerate microspheres product development for small-molecule drugs by machine learning (ML) techniques. Two hundred eighty-six microsphere formulations with small-molecule drugs were collected from the publications and pharmaceutical company, including the dissolution temperature at both 37 ℃ and 45 ℃. After the comparison of fourteen ML approaches, the consensus model achieved accurate predictions for the validation set at 37 ℃ and 45 ℃ (R2 = 0.880 vs. R2 = 0.958), indicating the good performance to predict the in vitro drug release profiles at both 37 ℃ and 45 ℃. Meanwhile, the models revealed the feature importance of formulations, which offered meaningful insights to the microspheres development. Experiments of microsphere formulations further validated the accuracy of the consensus model. Furthermore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation provided a microscopic view of the preparation process of microspheres. In conclusion, the prediction model of microsphere formulations for small-molecule drugs was successfully built with high accuracy, which is able to accelerate microspheres product development and promote the quality control of microspheres for the pharmaceutical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS), University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Zhuyifan Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS), University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Wenwen Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Zhuhai Livzon Microsphere Technology Co., Ltd, Zhuhai, China
| | - Haoshi Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS), University of Macau, Macau, China
- Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Zheng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS), University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Ging Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS), University of Macau, Macau, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Yongjun Wang
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Dongsheng Cao
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yanqing Wang
- Zhuhai Livzon Microsphere Technology Co., Ltd, Zhuhai, China.
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS), University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.
| | - Defang Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS), University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.
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Gao C, Kwong CHT, Wang Q, Kam H, Xie B, Lee SMY, Chen G, Wang R. Conjugation of Macrophage-Mimetic Microalgae and Liposome for Antitumor Sonodynamic Immunotherapy via Hypoxia Alleviation and Autophagy Inhibition. ACS Nano 2023; 17:4034-4049. [PMID: 36739531 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a noninvasive technique for local antitumor treatment; however, its clinical application is often limited by the low tumor accumulation of SDT agents, tumor's hypoxic microenvironment, and cytoprotective effects of autophagy. To address these issues, herein we developed surface-engineered chlorella (Chl, a green algae) as a targeted drug carrier and sustainable oxygen supplier (via photosynthesis) for significantly improved SDT via hypoxia alleviation as well as autophagy inhibition of chloroquine phosphate. In this design, the macrophage membrane was coated onto Chl to form macrophage-mimetic Chl (MChl) to increase its biocompatibility and targeted tumor accumulation driven by the inflammatory-homing effects of macrophage membranes. In addition, the membrane coating on Chl allowed lipid insertion to yield β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) modified MChl (CD-MChl). Subsequently, supramolecular conjugates of MChl-NP were constructed via host-guest interactions between CD-MChl and adamantane (ADA)-modified liposome (ADA-NP), and the anchored liposome went with CD-MChl hand-in-hand to the tumor tissues for co-delivery of Chl, hematoporphyrin, and chloroquine phosphate (loaded in ADA-NP). The synergistic therapy achieved via local oxygenation, SDT, and autophagy inhibition maximally improved the therapeutic efficacy of MChl-CQ-HP-NP against melanoma. Tumor rechallenging results revealed that the changes of tumor microenvironment including hypoxia alleviation, SDT induced immunogenic cell death, and autophagy inhibition collectively induced a strong antitumor immune response and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Cheryl H T Kwong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Qingfu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Hiotong Kam
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Beibei Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Guosong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ruibing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China
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19
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Liu Q, Telezhkin V, Jiang W, Gu Y, Wang Y, Hong W, Tian W, Yarova P, Zhang G, Lee SMY, Zhang P, Zhao M, Allen ND, Hirsch E, Penninger J, Song B. Electric field stimulation boosts neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells for spinal cord injury treatment via PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin activation. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:4. [PMID: 36624495 PMCID: PMC9830810 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-00954-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neural stem cells (NSCs) are considered as candidates for cell replacement therapy in many neurological disorders. However, the propensity for their differentiation to proceed more glial rather than neuronal phenotypes in pathological conditions limits positive outcomes of reparative transplantation. Exogenous physical stimulation to favor the neuronal differentiation of NSCs without extra chemical side effect could alleviate the problem, providing a safe and highly efficient cell therapy to accelerate neurological recovery following neuronal injuries. RESULTS With 7-day physiological electric field (EF) stimulation at 100 mV/mm, we recorded the boosted neuronal differentiation of NSCs, comparing to the non-EF treated cells with 2.3-fold higher MAP2 positive cell ratio, 1.6-fold longer neuronal process and 2.4-fold higher cells ratio with neuronal spontaneous action potential. While with the classical medium induction, the neuronal spontaneous potential may only achieve after 21-day induction. Deficiency of either PI3Kγ or β-catenin abolished the above improvement, demonstrating the requirement of the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin cascade activation in the physiological EF stimulation boosted neuronal differentiation of NSCs. When transplanted into the spinal cord injury (SCI) modelled mice, these EF pre-stimulated NSCs were recorded to develop twofold higher proportion of neurons, comparing to the non-EF treated NSCs. Along with the boosted neuronal differentiation following transplantation, we also recorded the improved neurogenesis in the impacted spinal cord and the significantly benefitted hind limp motor function repair of the SCI mice. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, we demonstrated physiological EF stimulation as an efficient method to boost the neuronal differentiation of NSCs via the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin activation. Pre-treatment with the EF stimulation induction before NSCs transplantation would notably improve the therapeutic outcome for neurogenesis and neurofunction recovery of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Liu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China. .,School of Dentistry, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XY, UK.
| | - Vsevolod Telezhkin
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,School of Dental Sciences, Farmington Place, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4BW, UK
| | - Wenkai Jiang
- School of Dentistry, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XY, UK.,State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yu Gu
- School of Dentistry, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XY, UK
| | - Yan Wang
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Hong
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institution, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weiming Tian
- Bio-X Centre, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
| | - Polina Yarova
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,School of Dental Sciences, Farmington Place, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4BW, UK
| | - Gaofeng Zhang
- School of Dentistry, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XY, UK
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Min Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Nicholas D Allen
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Emilio Hirsch
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Josef Penninger
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, VBC - Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Bing Song
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China. .,School of Dentistry, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XY, UK.
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20
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Cheng Y, Wu X, Nie X, Wu Y, Zhang C, Lee SMY, Lv K, Leung GPH, Fu C, Zhang J, Li J. Natural compound glycyrrhetinic acid protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Phytomedicine 2022; 106:154407. [PMID: 36070662 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As one of the most classic antineoplastic agents, doxorubicin (Dox) is extensively used to treat a wide range of cancers. Nevertheless, the clinical outcomes of Dox-based therapies are severely hampered due to the significant cardiotoxicity. Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is the major biologically active compound of licorice, one of the most well-known food additives and medicinal plants in the world. We previously demonstrated that GA has the potential capability to protect mice from Dox-induced cardiac injuries. However, the underlying cardioprotective mechanism remains unexplored. PURPOSE To investigate the cardioprotective benefits of GA against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity and to elucidate its mechanisms of action. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS H9c2 cardiomyoblasts and AC16 cardiomyocytes were used as the cell models in vitro. A transgenic zebrafish model and a 4T1 mouse breast cancer model were applied to explore the cardioprotective effects of GA in vivo. RESULTS In vitro, GA inhibited Dox-induced cell death and LDH release in H9c2 and AC16 cells without affecting the anti-cancer effects of Dox. GA significantly alleviated Dox-induced ROS generation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis in H9c2 cells. Moreover, GA abolished the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins and restored Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in Dox-treated H9c2 cells. On the contrary, Nrf2 knockdown strongly abrogated the cardioprotective effects of GA on Dox-treated H9c2 cells. In vivo, GA attenuated Dox-induced cardiac dysfunction by restoring stroke volume, cardiac output, and fractional shortening in the transgenic zebrafish embryos. In a 4T1 mouse breast cancer model, GA dramatically prevented body weight loss, attenuated cardiac dysfunction, and prolonged survival rate in Dox-treated mice, without compromising Dox's anti-tumor efficacy. Consistently, GA attenuated oxidative injury, reduced cardiomyocytes apoptosis, and restored the expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 in Dox-treated mouse hearts. CONCLUSION GA protects against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity by suppressing oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis via upregulating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. These findings could provide solid evidence to support the further development of GA as a feasible and safe adjuvant to Dox chemotherapy for overcoming Dox-induced cardiotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfen Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Xin Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yihan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
| | - Kongpeng Lv
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, China
| | - George Pak-Heng Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Chaomei Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China; Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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21
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Tao J, Wei Z, Cheng Y, Xu M, Li Q, Lee SMY, Ge W, Luo KQ, Wang X, Zheng Y. Apoptosis-Sensing Xenograft Zebrafish Tumor Model for Anticancer Evaluation of Redox-Responsive Cross-Linked Pluronic Micelles. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:39775-39786. [PMID: 36006680 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c09005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A suitable animal model for preclinical screening and evaluation in vivo could vastly increase the efficiency and success rate of nanomedicine development. Compared with rodents, the transparency of the zebrafish model offers unique advantages of real-time and high-resolution imaging of the whole body and cellular levels in vivo. In this research, we established an apoptosis-sensing xenograft zebrafish tumor model to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of redox-responsive cross-linked Pluronic polymeric micelles (CPPMs) visually and accurately. First, doxorubicin (Dox)-loaded CPPMs were fabricated and characterized with glutathione (GSH)-responsive drug release. Then, the B16F10 xenograft zebrafish tumor model was established to mimic the tumor microenvironment with angiogenesis and high GSH generation for redox-responsive tumor-targeting evaluation in vivo. The high GSH generation was first verified in the xenograft zebrafish tumor model. Compared with ordinary Pluronic polymeric micelles, Dox CPPMs had a much higher accumulation in zebrafish tumor sites. Finally, the apoptosis-sensing B16F10-C3 xenograft zebrafish tumor model was established for visual, rapid, effective, and noninvasive assessment of anti-cancer effects at the cellular level in vivo. The Dox CPPMs significantly inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells and induced apoptosis in the B16F10-C3 xenograft zebrafish tumor model. Therefore, the redox-responsive cross-linked Pluronic micelles showed effective anti-cancer therapy in the xenograft zebrafish tumor model. This xenograft zebrafish tumor model is available for rapid screening and assessment of anti-cancer effects in preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsong Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Zhengjie Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Yaxin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Meng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Qiuxia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Kathy Qian Luo
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Xueqing Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery System, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Ying Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
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22
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Chan GHH, Chan E, Kwok CTK, Leung GPH, Lee SMY, Seto SW. The role of p53 in the alternation of vascular functions. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:981152. [PMID: 36147350 PMCID: PMC9485942 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.981152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ageing is a risk factor for many degenerative diseases. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are usually big burdens for elderly, caregivers and the health system. During the aging process, normal functions of vascular cells and tissue progressively lost and eventually develop vascular diseases. Endothelial dysfunction, reduced bioavailability of endothelium-derived nitric oxide are usual phenomena observed in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Myriad of studies have been done to investigate to delay the vascular dysfunction or improve the vascular function to prolong the aging process. Tumor suppressor gene p53, also a transcription factor, act as a gatekeeper to regulate a number of genes to maintain normal cell function including but not limited to cell proliferation, cell apoptosis. p53 also crosstalk with other key transcription factors like hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha that contribute to the progression of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, in recent three decades, p53 has drawn scientists’ attention on its effects in vascular function. Though the role of tumor suppressor gene p53 is still not clear in vascular function, it is found to play regulatory roles and may involve in vascular remodeling, atherosclerosis or pulmonary hypertension. p53 may have a divergent role in endothelial and vascular muscle cells in those conditions. In this review, we describe the different effects of p53 in cardiovascular physiology. Further studies on the effects of endothelial cell-specific p53 deficiency on atherosclerotic plaque formation in common animal models are required before the therapeutic potential can be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Hoi-Huen Chan
- Division of Science, Engineering and Health Studies, College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Enoch Chan
- School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Carsten Tsun-Ka Kwok
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - George Pak-Heng Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, China
| | - Sai-Wang Seto
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Sai-Wang Seto,
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Hao S, Ge Q, Shao Y, Tang B, Fan G, Qiu C, Wu X, Li L, Liu X, Shi C, Lee SMY. Chromosomal-level genome of velvet bean ( Mucuna pruriens) provides resources for L-DOPA synthetic research and development. DNA Res 2022; 29:6671216. [PMID: 35980175 PMCID: PMC9479889 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsac031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Mucuna pruriens, commonly called velvet bean, is the main natural source of levodopa (L-DOPA), which has been marketed as a psychoactive drug for the clinical management of Parkinson’s disease and dopamine-responsive dystonia. Although velvet bean is a very important plant species for food and pharmaceutical manufacturing, the lack of genetic and genomic information about this species severely hinders further molecular research thereon and biotechnological development. Here, we reported the first velvet bean genome, with a size of 500.49 Mb and 11 chromosomes encoding 28,010 proteins. Genomic comparison among legume species indicated that velvet bean speciated ∼29 Ma from soybean clade, without specific genome duplication. Importantly, we identified 21 polyphenol oxidase coding genes that catalyse l-tyrosine to L-DOPA in velvet bean, and two subfamilies showing tandem expansion on Chr3 and Chr7 after speciation. Interestingly, disease-resistant and anti-pathogen gene families were found contracted in velvet bean, which might be related to the expansion of polyphenol oxidase. Our study generated a high-quality genomic reference for velvet bean, an economically important agricultural and medicinal plant, and the newly reported L-DOPA biosynthetic genes could provide indispensable information for the biotechnological and sustainable development of an environment-friendly L-DOPA biosynthesis processing method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Hao
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen , Qingdao 266555, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 101408, China
| | - Qijin Ge
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen , Qingdao 266555, China
| | - Yunchang Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau , Macao 999078, China
- BGI-Shenzhen , Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Benqin Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau , Macao 999078, China
| | - Guangyi Fan
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen , Qingdao 266555, China
- BGI-Shenzhen , Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Canyu Qiu
- BGI-Shenzhen , Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Xue Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau , Macao 999078, China
| | - Liangwei Li
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen , Qingdao 266555, China
| | | | | | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau , Macao 999078, China
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24
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Li G, Li D, Wu C, Li S, Chen F, Li P, Ko CN, Wang W, Lee SMY, Lin L, Ma DL, Leung CH. Homocysteine-targeting compounds as a new treatment strategy for diabetic wounds via inhibition of the histone methyltransferase SET7/9. Exp Mol Med 2022; 54:988-998. [PMID: 35859119 PMCID: PMC9356058 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00804-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In hypoxia and hyperglycemia, SET7/9 plays an important role in controlling HIF-1α methylation and regulating the transcription of HIF-1α target genes, which are responsible for angiogenesis and wound healing. Here, we report the Ir(III) complex Set7_1a bearing acetonitrile (ACN) ligands as a SET7/9 methyltransferase inhibitor and HIF-1α stabilizer. Interestingly, Set7_1a could engage SET7/9 and strongly inhibit SET7/9 activity, especially after preincubation with homocysteine (Hcy), which is elevated in diabetes. We hypothesize that Set7_1a exchanges ACN subunits for Hcy to disrupt the interaction between SET7/9 and SAM/SAH, which are structurally related to Hcy. Inhibition of SET7/9 methyltransferase activity by Set7_1a led to reduced HIF-1α methylation at the lysine 32 residue, causing increased HIF-1α level and recruitment of HIF-1α target genes that promote angiogenesis, such as VEGF, GLUT1, and EPO, in hypoxia and hyperglycemia. Significantly, Set7_1a improved wound healing in a type 2 diabetic mouse model by activating HIF-1α signaling and downstream proangiogenic factors. To our knowledge, this is the first Hcy-targeting iridium compound shown to be a SET7/9 antagonist that can accelerate diabetic wound healing. More importantly, this study opens a therapeutic avenue for the treatment of diabetic wounds by the inhibition of SET7/9 lysine methyltransferase activity. Animal trials have demonstrated the potential of a new drug strategy to heal the wounds associated with diabetes, especially in the feet,which often lead to chronic damage, sometimes treatable only by amputation. Leung CH and Lin L at the University of Macau, China, and Ma DL at the Hong Kong Baptist University tested the new therapy on a mouse model of type 2 diabetes. The treatment uses a homocysteine-targeting metal complex that inhibits a key enzyme SET7/9 involved in the processes that cause diabetic wounds. The treatment activated a molecular signalling cascade involved in generating the new blood vessels needed for wounds to heal. It could help address the urgent need for better treatments for this serious problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guodong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.,Zhuhai UM Science and Technology Research Institute, Zhuhai, 519031, China
| | - Dan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Chun Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shengnan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Feng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Peng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Chung-Nga Ko
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wanhe Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China.,Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Ligen Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
| | - Dik-Lung Ma
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Chung-Hang Leung
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China. .,Zhuhai UM Science and Technology Research Institute, Zhuhai, 519031, China. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
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25
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Li J, Li R, Wu X, Zheng C, Shiu PHT, Rangsinth P, Lee SMY, Leung GPH. An Update on the Potential Application of Herbal Medicine in Promoting Angiogenesis. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:928817. [PMID: 35928282 PMCID: PMC9345329 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.928817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Angiogenesis, the formation of new capillaries from pre-existing vascular networks, plays an important role in many physiological and pathological processes. The use of pro-angiogenic agents has been proposed as an attractive approach for promoting wound healing and treating vascular insufficiency-related problems, such as ischemic heart disease and stroke, which are the leading causes of death worldwide. Traditional herbal medicine has a long history; however, there is still a need for more in-depth studies and evidence-based confirmation from controlled and validated trials. Many in vitro and in vivo studies have reported that herbal medicines and their bioactive ingredients exert pro-angiogenic activity. The most frequently studied pro-angiogenic phytochemicals include ginsenosides from Panax notoginseng, astragalosides and calycosin from Radix Astragali, salvianolic acid B from Salvia miltiorrhiza, paeoniflorin from Radix Paeoniae, ilexsaponin A1 from Ilex pubescens, ferulic acid from Angelica sinensis, and puerarin from Radix puerariae. This review summarizes the progress in research on these phytochemicals, particularly those related to pro-angiogenic mechanisms and applications in ischemic diseases, tissue repair, and wound healing. In addition, an outline of their limitations and challenges during drug development is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Renkai Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chengwen Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Polly Ho-Ting Shiu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Panthakarn Rangsinth
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa Macao SAR, China
| | - George Pak-Heng Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- *Correspondence: George Pak-Heng Leung,
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Chen Q, Liang Z, Yue Q, Wang X, Siu SWI, Pui-Man Hoi M, Lee SMY. A Neuropeptide Y/F-like Polypeptide Derived from the Transcriptome of Turbinaria peltata Suppresses LPS-Induced Astrocytic Inflammation. J Nat Prod 2022; 85:1569-1580. [PMID: 35694811 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are a group of neuronal signaling molecules that regulate physiological and behavioral processes in animals. Here, we used in silico mining to predict the polypeptide composition of available transcriptomic data of Turbinaria peltata. In total, 118 transcripts encoding putative peptide precursors were discovered. One neuropeptide Y/F-like peptide, named TpNPY, was identified and selected for in silico structural, in silico binding, and pharmacological studies. In our study, the anti-inflammation effect of TpNPY was evaluated using an LPS-stimulated C8-D1A astrocyte cell model. Our results demonstrated that TpNPY, at 0.75-3 μM, inhibited LPS-induced NO production and reduced the expression of iNOS in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, TpNPY reduced the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Additionally, treatment with TpNPY reduced LPS-mediated elevation of ROS production and the intracellular calcium concentration. Further investigation revealed that TpNPY downregulated the IKK/IκB/NF-κB signaling pathway and inhibited expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Through molecular docking and using an NPY receptor antagonist, TpNPY was shown to have the ability to interact with the NPY Y1 receptor. On the basis of these findings, we concluded that TpNPY might prevent LPS-induced injury in astrocytes through activation of the NPY-Y1R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Zirong Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Qian Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Xiufen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Shirley Weng In Siu
- Institute of Science and Environment, University of Saint Joseph, Macao, China
| | - Maggie Pui-Man Hoi
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
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27
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Li J, Cheng Y, Li R, Wu X, Zheng C, Shiu PHT, Chan JCK, Rangsinth P, Liu C, Leung SWS, Lee SMY, Zhang C, Fu C, Zhang J, Cheung TMY, Leung GPH. Protective Effects of Amauroderma rugosum on Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity through Suppressing Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Apoptosis, and Activating Akt/mTOR and Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathways. Oxid Med Cell Longev 2022; 2022:9266178. [PMID: 35693699 PMCID: PMC9177334 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9266178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Clinical outcomes for doxorubicin (Dox) are limited by its cardiotoxicity but a combination of Dox and agents with cardioprotective activities is an effective strategy to improve its therapeutic outcome. Natural products provide abundant resources to search for novel cardioprotective agents. Ganoderma lucidum (GL) is the most well-known edible mushroom within the Ganodermataceae family. It is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine or as a healthcare product. Amauroderma rugosum (AR) is another genus of mushroom from the Ganodermataceae family, but its pharmacological activity and medicinal value have rarely been reported. In the present study, the cardioprotective effects of the AR water extract against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity were studied in vitro and in vivo. Results showed that both the AR and GL extracts could potentiate the anticancer effect of Dox. The AR extract significantly decreased the oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis seen in Dox-treated H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes. However, knockdown of Nrf2 by siRNA abolished the protective effects of AR in these cells. In addition, Dox upregulated the expression of proapoptotic proteins and downregulated the Akt/mTOR and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways, and these effects could be reversed by the AR extract. Consistently, the AR extract significantly prolonged survival time, reversed weight loss, and reduced cardiac dysfunction in Dox-treated mice. In addition, oxidative stress and apoptosis were suppressed, while Nrf2 and HO-1 expressions were elevated in the heart tissues of Dox-treated mice after treatment with the AR extract. However, the GL extract had less cardioprotective effect against Dox in both the cell and animal models. In conclusion, the AR water extract demonstrated a remarkable cardioprotective effect against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity. One of the possible mechanisms for this effect was the upregulation of the mTOR/Akt and Nrf2/HO-1-dependent pathways, which may reduce oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. These findings suggested that AR may be beneficial for the heart, especially in patients receiving Dox-based chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yanfen Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Renkai Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chengwen Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Polly Ho-Ting Shiu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jacqueline Cho-Ki Chan
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Panthakarn Rangsinth
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Conghui Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Susan Wai-Sum Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Chaomei Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | | | - George Pak-Heng Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Xiong P, Lee SMY, Chan G. Deep Learning for Detecting and Locating Myocardial Infarction by Electrocardiogram: A Literature Review. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:860032. [PMID: 35402563 PMCID: PMC8990170 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.860032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Myocardial infarction is a common cardiovascular disorder caused by prolonged ischemia, and early diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) is critical for lifesaving. ECG is a simple and non-invasive approach in MI detection, localization, diagnosis, and prognosis. Population-based screening with ECG can detect MI early and help prevent it but this method is too labor-intensive and time-consuming to carry out in practice unless artificial intelligence (AI) would be able to reduce the workload. Recent advances in using deep learning (DL) for ECG screening might rekindle this hope. This review aims to take stock of 59 major DL studies applied to the ECG for MI detection and localization published in recent 5 years, covering convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), convolutional recurrent neural network (CRNN), gated recurrent unit (GRU), residual neural network (ResNet), and autoencoder (AE). In this period, CNN obtained the best popularity in both MI detection and localization, and the highest performance has been obtained from CNN and ResNet model. The reported maximum accuracies of the six different methods are all beyond 97%. Considering the usage of different datasets and ECG leads, the network that trained on 12 leads ECG data of PTB database has obtained higher accuracy than that on smaller number leads data of other datasets. In addition, some limitations and challenges of the DL techniques are also discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Ging Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- Department of Public Health and Medicinal Administration, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
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29
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Li R, Mak WWS, Li J, Zheng C, Shiu PHT, Seto SW, Lee SMY, Leung GPH. Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of 4-((4-(2-fluorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl)-6-imino-N-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-amine (FPMINT) Analogues as Inhibitors of Human Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporters. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:837555. [PMID: 35264969 PMCID: PMC8899516 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.837555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs) play a vital role in nucleotide synthesis, regulation of adenosine function and chemotherapy. Current inhibitors of ENTs are mostly ENT1-selective. Our previous study has demonstrated that 4-((4-(2-fluorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl)-6-imino-N-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-amine (FPMINT) is a novel inhibitor of ENTs, which is more selective to ENT2 than to ENT1. The present study aimed to screen a series of FPMINT analogues and study their structure-activity relationship. Nucleoside transporter-deficient cells transfected with cloned human ENT1 and ENT2 were used as in vitro models. The results of the [3H]uridine uptake study showed that the replacement of the naphthalene moiety with the benzene moiety could abolish the inhibitory effects on ENT1 and ENT2. The addition of chloride to the meta position of this benzene moiety could restore only the inhibitory effect on ENT1 but had no effect on ENT2. However, the addition of the methyl group to the meta position or the ethyl or oxymethyl group to the para position of this benzene moiety could regain the inhibitory activity on both ENT1 and ENT2. The presence of a halogen substitute, regardless of the position, in the fluorophenyl moiety next to the piperazine ring was essential for the inhibitory effects on ENT1 and ENT2. Among the analogues tested, compound 3c was the most potent inhibitor. Compound 3c reduced V max of [3H]uridine uptake in ENT1 and ENT2 without affecting K m. The inhibitory effect of compound 3c could not be washed out. Compound 3c did not affect cell viability, protein expression and internalization of ENT1 and ENT2. Therefore, similar to FPMINT, compound 3c was an irreversible and non-competitive inhibitor. Molecular docking analysis also showed that the binding site of compound 3c in ENT1 may be different from that of other conventional inhibitors. It is expected that structural modification may further improve its potency and selectivity and lead to the development of useful pharmacological agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renkai Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Winston Wing-Shum Mak
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chengwen Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Polly Ho-Ting Shiu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sai-Wang Seto
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, China
| | - George Pak-Heng Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Gong G, Kam H, Chen H, Chen Y, Cheang WS, Giesy JP, Zhou Q, Lee SMY. Role of endocrine disruption in toxicity of 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) to early-life stages of Zebrafish. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2022; 232:113287. [PMID: 35149407 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA), classified as a "plant hormone", is an important ingredient in production of "toxic bean sprouts". Although there is no direct evidence of adverse effects, its hazardous effects have received some attention and aroused furious debate between proponents and environmental regulators. In this study, potential adverse effects of 6-BA were investigated by exposing zebrafish in vivo to 0.2 - 25 mg 6-BA/L. Results indicated that, when exposure was limited to early-life stage (4-36 hpf), 20 mg 6-BA/L caused early hatching, abnormal spontaneous movement, and precocious hyperactivity in zebrafish embryos/larvae. While under a continuous exposure regime, 6-BA at 0.2 mg/L was able to cause hyperactive locomotion and transcription of genes related to neurogenesis (gnrh3 and nestin) and endocrine systems (cyp19a and fshb) in 5 dpf larvae. Quantification by use of LC/MS indicated bioaccumulation of 6-BA in zebrafish increased when exposed to 0.2 or 20 mg 6-BA/L. These results suggested that 6-BA could accumulate in aquatic organisms and disrupt neuro-endocrine systems. Accordingly, exposure to 0.2 mg 6-BA/L increased production of estradiol (E2) and consequently E2/T ratio in zebrafish larvae, which directly indicated 6-BA is estrogenic. In silico simulations demonstrated potential for binding of 6-BA to estrogen receptor alpha (ERa) and cytochrome P450 aromatase (CYP19A). Therefore, induction of estrogenic effects, via potential interactions with hormone receptors or disturbance of downstream transcription signaling, was possible mechanism underlying the toxicity of 6-BA. Taken together, these findings demonstrate endocrine disrupting properties of 6-BA, which suggest concerns about risks posed to endocrine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiyi Gong
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang 524045, China; State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
| | - Hiotong Kam
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Hanbin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Wai San Cheang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - John P Giesy
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Saskatchewan S7N 5B3, Canada; Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada; Department of Environmental Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, United States
| | - Qiaohong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
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Bian Y, Chen Y, Wang X, Cui G, Ung COL, Lu JH, Cong W, Tang B, Lee SMY. Oxyphylla A ameliorates cognitive deficits and alleviates neuropathology via the Akt-GSK3β and Nrf2-Keap1-HO-1 pathways in vitro and in vivo murine models of Alzheimer's disease. J Adv Res 2022; 34:1-12. [PMID: 35024177 PMCID: PMC8655137 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive brain disorder, and one of the most common causes of dementia and amnesia. Due to the complex pathogenesis of AD, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Although scientists have made increasing efforts to develop drugs for AD, no effective therapeutic agents have been found. Objectives Natural products and their constituents have shown promise for treating neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. Thus, in-depth study of medical plants, and the main active ingredients thereof against AD, is necessary to devise therapeutic agents. Methods In this study, N2a/APP cells and SAMP8 mice were employed as in vitro and in vivo models of AD. Multiple molecular biological methods were used to investigate the potential therapeutic actions of oxyphylla A, and the underlying mechanisms. Results Results showed that oxyphylla A, a novel compound extracted from Alpinia oxyphylla, could reduce the expression levels of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and amyloid beta (Aβ) proteins, and attenuate cognitive decline in SAMP8 mice. Further investigation of the underlying mechanisms showed that oxyphylla A exerted an antioxidative effect through the Akt-GSK3β and Nrf2-Keap1-HO-1 pathways. Conclusions. Taken together, our results suggest a new horizon for the discovery of therapeutic agents for AD.
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Key Words
- AD, Alzheimer’s disease
- AOE, ethanolic extract of Alpinia oxyphylla
- APP, amyloid precursor protein
- ARE, antioxidant response element
- ARE, antioxidant responsive element
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyloid beta proteins
- Aβ, amyloid beta
- GSK3, glycogen synthase kinase 3
- HO-1, heme oxygenase-1
- Keap1, Keleh-like ECH-associated protein
- MWM, Morris Water Maze
- NFTs, neurofibrillary tangles
- NQO1, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase1
- Nrf2, erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2
- Oxidative stress
- PD, Parkinson’s disease
- PHF, paired helical filaments
- RLU, relative luciferase units
- ROS, reactive oxygen species
- SAMP8
- SAMP8 mice, senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8
- oxyphylla A
- pRL-TK, Renilla luciferase reporter plasmid
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqi Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Xiufen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Guozhen Cui
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Carolina Oi Lam Ung
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Jia-Hong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Weihong Cong
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Benqin Tang
- Department of Medical Science, Shunde Polytechnic, Foshan, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
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Liu Z, Wu X, Dai K, Li R, Zhang J, Sheng D, Lee SMY, Leung GPH, Zhou GC, Li J. The new andrographolide derivative AGS-30 induces apoptosis in human colon cancer cells by activating a ROS-dependent JNK signalling pathway. Phytomedicine 2022; 94:153824. [PMID: 34763314 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The anti-cancer activity of andrographolide (Andro) has been extensively demonstrated in recent years. It is supposed that modifying the chemical structure of Andro can improve its efficacy and reduce its toxicity. PURPOSE In this study, the anti-cancer effect of a 14β-(2'-chlorophenoxy) derivative of andrographolide known as AGS-30 was investigated, and its underlying mechanisms were also explored. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS Different cancer cells were used to evaluate and compare the in vitro anti-cancer effects of Andro and AGS-30. Human colon cancer cells HT-29 and HCT-116 were used to study the underlying anti-cancer mechanisms of AGS-30. HT-29 cells xenografted in nude mouse model was used to compare the in vivo anti-tumour efficacies of Andro and AGS-30. RESULT In vitro studies showed that AGS-30 possessed an anti-cancer effect by inhibiting the viability, colony formation and migration of cancer cells. It significantly induced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), caused the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and triggered the apoptosis in colon cancer cells. These effects of AGS-30 were more potent than those of Andro. In addition, the expression levels of proteins associated with apoptosis, including phospho-JNK1/2 as well as cleaved caspase 9, caspase 3, and poly(ADP ribose) polymerase, were elevated in AGS-30-treated colon cancer cells. Moreover, these elevated levels of the proteins were inhibited by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine and the JNK inhibitor SP600125, suggesting the involvement of ROS/JNK-dependent mechanisms in AGS-30-induced apoptosis. The in vitro anti-cancer effect could be reproduced in an HT-29 colon cancer cell xenografted nude mouse model. CONCLUSION The anti-cancer effect of AGS-30 is stronger than that of Andro. AGS-30 induces apoptosis of colon cancer cells through ROS/JNK-dependent pathway. Our findings may provide insights for the future development of derivatives of Andro as novel chemotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuyun Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China; School of Pharmacy, Taizhou Polytechnic College, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kun Dai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
| | - Renkai Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jinming Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Dekuan Sheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - George Pak-Heng Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Guo-Chun Zhou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Jingjing Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
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Wang X, Liao Q, Chen H, Gong G, Siu SWI, Chen Q, Kam H, Ung COL, Cheung KK, Rádis-Baptista G, Wong CTT, Lee SMY. Toxic Peptide From Palythoa caribaeorum Acting on the TRPV1 Channel Prevents Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Epilepsy in Zebrafish Larvae. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:763089. [PMID: 34925021 PMCID: PMC8672801 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.763089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PcActx peptide, identified from the transcriptome of zoantharian Palythoa caribaeorum, was clustered into the phylogeny of analgesic polypeptides from sea anemone Heteractis crispa (known as APHC peptides). APHC peptides were considered as inhibitors of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1). TRPV1 is a calcium-permeable channel expressed in epileptic brain areas, serving as a potential target for preventing epileptic seizures. Through in silico and in vitro analysis, PcActx peptide was shown to be a potential TRPV1 channel blocker. In vivo studies showed that the linear and oxidized PcActx peptides caused concentration-dependent increases in mortality of zebrafish larvae. However, monotreatment with PcActx peptides below the maximum tolerated doses (MTD) did not affect locomotor behavior. Moreover, PcActx peptides (both linear and oxidized forms) could effectively reverse pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure-related behavior in zebrafish larvae and prevent overexpression of c-fos and npas4a at the mRNA level. The excessive production of ROS induced by PTZ was markedly attenuated by both linear and oxidized PcActx peptides. It was also verified that the oxidized PcActx peptide was more effective than the linear one. In particular, oxidized PcActx peptide notably modulated the mRNA expression of genes involved in calcium signaling and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic-glutamatergic signaling, including calb1, calb2, gabra1, grm1, gria1b, grin2b, gat1, slc1a2b, gad1b, and glsa. Taken together, PcActx peptide, as a novel neuroactive peptide, exhibits prominent anti-epileptic activity, probably through modulating calcium signaling and GABAergic-glutamatergic signaling, and is a promising candidate for epilepsy management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Qiwen Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hanbin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Guiyi Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Shirley Weng In Siu
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Qian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Hiotong Kam
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Carolina Oi Lam Ung
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Kwok-Kuen Cheung
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gandhi Rádis-Baptista
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute for Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Clarence Tsun Ting Wong
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
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Yuen SC, Lee SMY, Leung SW. Putative Factors Interfering Cell Cycle Re-Entry in Alzheimer's Disease: An Omics Study with Differential Expression Meta-Analytics and Co-Expression Profiling. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 85:1373-1398. [PMID: 34924393 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuronal cell cycle re-entry (CCR) is a mechanism, along with amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins, contributing to toxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the putative factors in CCR based on evidence corroboration by combining meta-analysis and co-expression analysis of omic data. METHODS The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and CCR-related modules were obtained through the differential analysis and co-expression of transcriptomic data, respectively. Differentially expressed microRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were extracted from the differential miRNA expression studies. The dysregulations of DEGs and DEmiRNAs as binary outcomes were independently analyzed by meta-analysis based on a random-effects model. The CCR-related modules were mapped to human protein-protein interaction databases to construct a network. The importance score of each node within the network was determined by the PageRank algorithm, and nodes that fit the pre-defined criteria were treated as putative CCR-related factors. RESULTS The meta-analysis identified 18,261 DEGs and 36 DEmiRNAs, including genes in the ubiquitination proteasome system, mitochondrial homeostasis, and CCR, and miRNAs associated with AD pathologies. The co-expression analysis identified 156 CCR-related modules to construct a protein-protein interaction network. Five genes, UBC, ESR1, EGFR, CUL3, and KRAS, were selected as putative CCR-related factors. Their functions suggested that the combined effects of cellular dyshomeostasis and receptors mediating Aβ toxicity from impaired ubiquitination proteasome system are involved in CCR. CONCLUSION This study identified five genes as putative factors and revealed the significance of cellular dyshomeostasis in the CCR of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sze Chung Yuen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Siu-Wai Leung
- Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen, China.,Edinburgh Bayes Centre for AI Research in Shenzhen, College of Science and Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Ling D, Chen H, Chan G, Lee SMY. Quantitative measurements of zebrafish heartrate and heart rate variability: A survey between 1990-2020. Comput Biol Med 2021; 142:105045. [PMID: 34995954 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.105045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish is an essential model organism for studying cardiovascular diseases, given its advantages of fast proliferation and high gene homology with humans. Zebrafish embryos/larvae are valuable experimental models used in toxicology studies to analyze drug toxicity, including hepatoxicity, nephrotoxicity and cardiotoxicity, as well as for drug discovery and drug safety screening in the preclinical stage. Heart rate (HR) serves as a functional endpoint in studies of cardiotoxicity, while heart rate variability (HRV) serves as an indicator of cardiac arrhythmia. Cardiotoxicity is a major cause of early and late termination of drug trials, so a more comprehensive understanding of zebrafish HR and HRV is important. This review summarized HR and HRV in a specific range of applications and fields, focusing on zebrafish heartbeat detection procedures, signal analysis technology and well-established commercial software, such as LabVIEW, Rvlpulse, and ZebraLab. We also compared HR detection algorithms and electrocardiography (ECG)-based methods of heart signal extraction. The relationship between HR and HRV was also systematically analyzed; HR was shown to have an inverse correlation with HRV. Applications to drug testing are also highlighted in this review. Furthermore, HR and HRV were shown to be regulated by the automatic nervous system; their connections with ECG measurements are also summarized herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmin Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Science, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Huanxian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Science, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Ging Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Science, University of Macau, Macao, China; Department of Public Health and Medicinal Administration, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Science, University of Macau, Macao, China; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
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Tang BQ, Li ZW, Li L, Li BJ, Bian YQ, Yu GD, Chang Y, Lee SMY, Zhang XQ. New iboga-type alkaloids from Ervatamia officinalis and their anti-inflammatory activity. Fitoterapia 2021; 156:105085. [PMID: 34793883 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2021.105085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Four new iboga-type alkaloids, ervaoffines H-K (1-4), along with five known compounds were obtained from the aerial parts of Ervatamia officinalis. The absolute configurations of 1-4 were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analyses. The isolates were tested for their anti-inflammatory activity. Compounds 1, 5, 6, and 9 showed potential inhibitory effect of NO production in LPS-stimulated BV2 and RAW264.7 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben-Qin Tang
- Department of Medical Science, Shunde Polytechnic, Foshan 528333, China.
| | - Zi-Wei Li
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of TCM, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Lin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR 999078, China
| | - Bao-Jing Li
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Ya-Qi Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR 999078, China
| | - Guo-Dong Yu
- Department of Medical Science, Shunde Polytechnic, Foshan 528333, China
| | - Yu Chang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of TCM, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR 999078, China
| | - Xiao-Qi Zhang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of TCM, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
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Dang YY, Luo H, Li YM, Zhou Y, Luo X, Lin SM, Liu SP, Lee SMY, Li CW, Dai XY. Curcumin prevents As 3+-induced carcinogenesis through regulation of GSK3β/Nrf2. Chin Med 2021; 16:116. [PMID: 34758851 PMCID: PMC8582166 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-021-00527-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Arsenic (As3+) is a carcinogen with considerable environmental and occupational relevancy. Its mechanism of action and methods of prevention remain to be investigated. Previous studies have demonstrated that ROS is responsible for As3+-induced cell transformation, which is considered as the first stage of As3+ carcinogenesis. The NF-E2 p45-related factor-2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway regulates the cellular antioxidant response, and activation of Nrf2 has recently been shown to limit oxidative damage following exposure to As3+ Methods and results In this study, molecular docking was used to virtually screen natural antioxidant chemical databases and identify molecules that interact with the ligand-binding site of Keap1 (PDB code 4L7B). The cell-based assays and molecular docking findings revealed that curcumin has the best inhibitory activity against Keap1-4L7B. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) results indicated that curcumin is a potent Keap1 Kelch domain-dependent Nrf2 activator that stabilizes Nrf2 by hindering its ubiquitination. The increased activation of Nrf2 and its target antioxidant genes by curcumin could significantly decrease As3+-generated ROS. Moreover, curcumin induced autophagy in As3+-treated BEAS-2B via inducing autophagy by the formation of a p62/LC-3 complex and increasing autophagic flux by promoting transcription factor EB (TFEB) and lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) expression. Knockdown of Nrf2 abolished curcumin-induced autophagy and downregulated ROS. Further studies showed that inhibition of autophagosome and lysosome fusion with bafilomycin a1 (BafA1) could block curcumin and prevented As3+-induced cell transformation. These results demonstrated that curcumin prevents As3+-induced cell transformation by inducing autophagy via the activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway in BEAS-2B cells. However, overexpression of Keap-1 showed a constitutively high level of Nrf2 in As3+-transformed BEAS-2B cells (AsT) is Keap1-independent regulation. Overexpression of Nrf2 in AsT demonstrated that curcumin increased ROS levels and induced cell apoptosis via the downregulation of Nrf2. Further studies showed that curcumin decreased the Nrf2 level in AsT by activating GSK-3β to inhibit the activation of PI3K/AKT. Co-IP assay results showed that curcumin promoted the interaction of Nrf2 with the GSK-3β/β-TrCP axis and ubiquitin. Moreover, the inhibition of GSK-3β reversed Nrf2 expression in curcumin-treated AsT, indicating that the decrease in Nrf2 is due to activation of the GSK-3β/β-TrCP ubiquitination pathway. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo results showed that curcumin induced cell apoptosis, and had anti-angiogenesis and anti-tumorigenesis effects as a result of activating the GSK-3β/β-TrCP ubiquitination pathway and subsequent decrease in Nrf2. Conclusions Taken together, in the first stage, curcumin activated Nrf2, decreased ROS, and induced autophagy in normal cells to prevent As3+-induced cell transformation. In the second stage, curcumin promoted ROS and apoptosis and inhibited angiogenesis via inhibition of constitutive expression of Nrf2 in AsT to prevent tumorigenesis. Our results suggest that antioxidant natural compounds such as curcumin can be evaluated as potential candidates for complementary therapies in the treatment of As3+-induced carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Ye Dang
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology and the State & NMPA Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, PR China
| | - Hua Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yong-Mei Li
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology and the State & NMPA Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, PR China
| | - Yang Zhou
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology and the State & NMPA Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, PR China
| | - Xiu Luo
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology and the State & NMPA Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, PR China
| | - Shui-Mu Lin
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology and the State & NMPA Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, PR China
| | - Shou-Ping Liu
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology and the State & NMPA Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, PR China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Chu-Wen Li
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology and the State & NMPA Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, PR China.
| | - Xiao-Yan Dai
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology and the State & NMPA Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, PR China.
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Li P, Xin Q, Hui J, Yuan R, Wang Y, Miao Y, Lee SMY, Leng SX, Cong W. Efficacy and Safety of Tongxinluo Capsule as Adjunctive Treatment for Unstable Angina Pectoris: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:742978. [PMID: 34707500 PMCID: PMC8544810 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.742978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Tongxinluo capsule (TXLC) is a commonly used Chinese medicine for unstable angina pectoris (UA). This article aimed to clarify the safety and efficacy of TXLC as an adjunctive treatment for UA. Two reviewers searched 7 databases from inception to August 2021, and performed literature screening and information extraction independently. The meta-analysis was implemented after evaluating the methodological quality of each randomized controlled trial (RCT) by the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Sensitivity analyses were conducted for testing the stability of the results, and the Begg and Egger tests were performed for any potential publication bias. After eligibility assessment, 42 RCTs with a total of 5,421 participants were included. Evidence showed that TXLC reduced the rate of cardiovascular events [RR = 0.29, 95% CI (0.19, 0.45), p < 0.00001, I 2 = 0%] {including cardiovascular mortality [RR = 0.16, 95% CI (0.03, 0.88), p = 0.03, I 2 = 20%], the incidence of acute myocardial infarction [RR = 0.27, 95% CI (0.13, 0.57), p = 0.0006, I 2 = 0%] and the occurrence of revascularization [RR = 0.28, 95% CI (0.15,0.54), p = 0.0001, I 2 = 0%]}, all-cause mortality [RR = 0.25, 95% CI (0.06, 0.99), p = 0.05, I 2 = 19%], recurrence of angina [RR = 0.25, 95% CI (0.11, 0.61), p = 0.002, I 2 = 0%], the number of ST-segment depression [MD = -0.45, 95% CI (-0.69, -0.20), p = 0.0005, I 2 = 0%], the summation of ST-segment depression [MD = -0.70, 95% CI (-1.08, -0.32), p = 0.0003, I 2 = 70%] and the hypersensitive C-reactive protein level [MD = -2.86, 95% CI (-3.73, -1.99), p < 0.00001, I 2 = 86%], increased the nitric oxide level [MD = 11.67, 95% CI (8.33, 15.02), p < 0.00001, I 2 = 33%], improved the electrocardiogram change [RR = 1.23, 95% CI (1.16, 1.30), p < 0.00001, I 2 = 0%] and the clinical efficacy in UA [RR = 1.26, 95% CI (1.21, 1.32), p < 0.00001, I 2 = 24%], and relieved the symptoms of angina pectoris {including chest pain or tightness [RR = 1.13, 95% CI (0.97, 1.32), p = 0.12, I 2 = 30%], palpitations [RR = 1.47, 95% CI (1.18, 1.84), p = 0.0007, I 2 = 0%], shortness of breath [RR = 1.53, 95% CI (1.24, 1.88), p < 0.0001, I 2 = 0%], and asthenia [RR = 1.69, 95% CI (0.83, 3.43), p = 0.15, I 2 = 90%]}. The most common adverse effect was gastrointestinal symptoms which could be relieved and eliminated through dose reduction, medication time adjustment and symptomatic remedy. Collectively, TXLC was effective and considerably safe for UA. However, due to the unavoidable risk of bias, these results must be interpreted with caution and further verified by large-scale and high-quality RCTs. Systematic Review Registration: www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42021232771.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengqi Li
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Cardiology, Xiyuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Qiqi Xin
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Cardiology, Xiyuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaqi Hui
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Cardiology, Xiyuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Yuan
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Cardiology, Xiyuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ya Wang
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Cardiology, Xiyuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Miao
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Cardiology, Xiyuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, SAR China
| | - Sean X Leng
- Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Weihong Cong
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Cardiology, Xiyuan Hospital, Beijing, China
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Guo M, Liu G, Chen J, Ma J, Lin J, Fu Y, Fan G, Zhang L, Lee SMY. Corrigendum to "Dynamics of bacteriophages in gut of giant pandas reveal a potential regulation of dietary intake on bacteriophage composition" [Sci. Total Environ. 734 (2020) 139424]. Sci Total Environ 2021; 789:148661. [PMID: 34217529 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Min Guo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, China; State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Guilin Liu
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China
| | - Jianwei Chen
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China; Synthetic Biology Technology Innovation Center of Shandong Province, Qingdao, China
| | | | | | - Ying Fu
- Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Guangyi Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China; BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China; BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Libiao Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
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Tao J, Wei Z, Xu M, Xi L, Cheng Y, Lee SMY, Ge W, Zheng Y. Particle Integrity and Size Effect on the Journey of Polymeric Nanocarriers in Zebrafish Model and the Correlation with Mice. Small 2021; 17:e2103584. [PMID: 34528394 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202103584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Polymeric nanocarriers have high biocompatibility for potential drug delivery applications. After entering bloodstream, nanocarriers will circulate, interact with proteins, dissociate, or be cleared by reticuloendothelial system. Zebrafish as a visual animal model, can serve as a tool for screening nanomedicines and monitoring nanocarrier behaviors in vivo. However, a comprehensive correlation between zebrafish and rodent models is currently deficient. Here, different-sized poly(caprolactone) nanocarriers (PCL NCs) are fabricated with or without PEGylation to investigate correlation between zebrafish and mice regarding their biofate via Förster resonance energy transfer technique. Results show that PEGylated PCL NCs have higher integrity in both zebrafish and mice. Small PEG-PCL NCs have longer circulation, while large PEG-PCL NCs have dramatically higher macrophage sequestration in zebrafish and mice spleen, leading to poor circulation. PCL NCs dissociate rapidly with less macrophage sequestration. Moreover, in 7 days postfertilization (dpf) zebrafish, polymers are eliminated via hepatobiliary pathway, which is not fully functional at earlier stages of development. The effects of nanocarrier integrity on macrophage sequestration in zebrafish and good correlation with mice spleen are pioneered to be demonstrated. The findings suggest that 7 dpf zebrafish are suitable as an in vivo screening model of nanocarriers and predict their biofate in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsong Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Zhengjie Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Meng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Long Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Yaxin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Ying Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China
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Wong ESW, Li RWS, Li J, Li R, Seto SW, Lee SMY, Leung GPH. Relaxation effect of narirutin on rat mesenteric arteries via nitric oxide release and activation of voltage-gated potassium channels. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 905:174190. [PMID: 34015322 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Narirutin is one of the most common flavanones found in citrus fruits. The vascular effects of its analogues naringenin and naringin have been reported but its effects on the cardiovascular system are largely unknown. In this study, relaxation effect of narirutin and its mechanisms of action were investigated by measuring isometric tension in rat mesenteric arteries. Patch-clamping was also used to study the effect of narirutin on potassium channels in vascular smooth muscle cells. Moreover, its effects on phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, cAMP level and phosphodiesterase activity in rat mesenteric arteries were studied by Western blot and biochemical assays. The results showed that pre-incubation of rat mesenteric arteries with narirutin had no influence on acetylcholine-induced endothelial-dependent relaxation. However, narirutin caused a direct concentration-dependent relaxation in rat mesenteric arteries. This relaxation effect was comparable to that of narirutin's structural analogue naringenin. Narirutin-induced relaxation was reduced by the removal of endothelium, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), and 4-aminopyridine (a voltage-gated potassium channel blocker). In addition, narirutin increased the phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and increased the voltage-dependent potassium current in mesenteric arterial smooth muscle cells. These effects were abolished by protein kinase A inhibitor. Furthermore, narirutin could increase cAMP level and inhibit phosphodiesterase activity in rat mesenteric arteries. In conclusion, narirutin has vasorelaxing effect and the mechanism involves the inhibition of phosphodiesterase, which increases intracellular cAMP, thereby stimulating the endothelial nitric oxide synthase and activating the voltage-gated potassium channels in vascular smooth muscle cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Sze-Wan Wong
- Applied Science and Environmental Studies, Department of Science, School of Science and Technology, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Rachel Wai-Sum Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Jingjing Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Renkai Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Sai-Wang Seto
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
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Hu D, Lee SMY, Li K, Mok KM. Secondary Metabolite Production Potential of Mangrove-Derived Streptomyces olivaceus. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:332. [PMID: 34201365 PMCID: PMC8228178 DOI: 10.3390/md19060332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Mangroves are intertidal extreme environments with rich microbial communities. Actinobacteria are well known for producing antibiotics. The search for biosynthetic potential of Actinobacteria from mangrove environments could provide more possibilities for useful secondary metabolites. In this study, whole genome sequencing and MS/MS analysis were used to explore the secondary metabolite production potential of one actinobacterial strain of Streptomyces olivaceus sp., isolated from a mangrove in Macau, China. The results showed that a total of 105 gene clusters were found in the genome of S. olivaceus sp., and 53 known secondary metabolites, including bioactive compounds, peptides, and other products, were predicted by genome mining. There were 28 secondary metabolites classified as antibiotics, which were not previously known from S. olivaceus. ISP medium 2 was then used to ferment the S. olivaceus sp. to determine which predicted secondary metabolite could be truly produced. The chemical analysis revealed that ectoine, melanin, and the antibiotic of validamycin A could be observed in the fermentation broth. This was the first observation that these three compounds can be produced by a strain of S. olivaceus. Therefore, it can be concluded that Actinobacteria isolated from the mangrove environment have unknown potential to produce bioactive secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dini Hu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China;
| | - Kai Li
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;
| | - Kai Meng Mok
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macao, China
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Zhao C, Kam HT, Chen Y, Gong G, Hoi MPM, Skalicka-Woźniak K, Dias ACP, Lee SMY. Crocetin and Its Glycoside Crocin, Two Bioactive Constituents From Crocus sativus L. (Saffron), Differentially Inhibit Angiogenesis by Inhibiting Endothelial Cytoskeleton Organization and Cell Migration Through VEGFR2/SRC/FAK and VEGFR2/MEK/ERK Signaling Pathways. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:675359. [PMID: 33995106 PMCID: PMC8120304 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.675359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Crocetin and crocin are two important carotenoids isolated from saffron (Crocus sativus L.), which have been used as natural biomedicines with beneficial effects for improving the suboptimal health status associated with abnormal angiogenesis. However, the anti-angiogenic effects and underlying mechanisms of the effects of crocetin and crocin have not been investigated and compared. The anti-angiogenic effects of crocetin and crocin were tested on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro, and in zebrafish in vivo. In vivo, crocetin (20 μM) and crocin (50 and 100 μM) significantly inhibited subintestinal vein vessels formation, and a conversion process between them existed in zebrafish, resulting in a difference in their effective concentrations. In the HUVEC model, crocetin (10, 20 and 40 μM) and crocin (100, 200 and 400 μM) inhibited cell migration and tube formation, and inhibited the phosphorylation of VEGFR2 and its downstream pathway molecules. In silico analysis further showed that crocetin had a higher ability to bind with VEGFR2 than crocin. These results suggested that crocetin was more effective than crocin in inhibiting angiogenesis through regulation of the VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling pathway. These compounds, especially crocetin, are potential candidate natural biomedicines for the management of diseases associated with abnormal blood vessel growth, such as age-related macular degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Hio-Tong Kam
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Guiyi Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Maggie Pui-Man Hoi
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Krystyna Skalicka-Woźniak
- Independent Laboratory of Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmacognosy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Alberto Carlos Pires Dias
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences (CITAB-UM), AgroBioPlant Group, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
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Chen HB, Luo CD, Ai GX, Wang YF, Li CL, Tan LH, Lee SMY, Cheung AKK, Su ZR, Wu XL, Xie JH, Zeng HF. A comparative investigation of the interaction and pharmacokinetics of hemoglobin with berberine and its oxymetabolite. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021; 199:114032. [PMID: 33774454 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2021.114032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Berberine (BBR), isolated from Coptis chinensis, is one type of isoquinoline alkaloids. BBR exerts numerous of bioactivities but the plasma concentration is really low. In our previous study, a new oxymetabolite (OBB) has been discovered and showed superior anti-inflammatory effect comparing with BBR. The aim of this study is to investigate the interaction, metabolite and pharmacokinetics of BBR with hemoglobin. Sprague-Dawley rats were used to carry out the interaction, metabolite and pharmacokinetics of BBR and OBB in vivo. Fluorescence spectra were used to analyse the interaction in vitro. Results showed that OBB could be generated after intravenous injection or incubating with BBR in vitro and in vivo; Both BBR and OBB exerted much stronger binding interaction with hemoglobin than plasma and affect the conformation of bovine hemoglobin and change the fluorescence spectral properties; BBR and OBB were mainly presented and transported in the proteins-bound form. These results provide a new insight to understand the dynamic equilibrium of BBR and OBB within body from the perspective of new metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Bin Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, People's Republic of China; State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, People's Republic of China; Muscle Physiology Laboratory, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao-Dan Luo
- Guangxi Institute of Subtropical Agricultural Products Processing, Guangxi Subtropical Crops Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, 530001, People's Republic of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Gao-Xiang Ai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Fu Wang
- First School of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, People's Republic of China
| | - Cai-Lan Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai Campus, Zhuhai, 519041, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Hua Tan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, People's Republic of China
| | - Alex Kwok-Kuen Cheung
- Muscle Physiology Laboratory, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Zi-Ren Su
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Li Wu
- School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jian-Hui Xie
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, People's Republic of China; State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, People's Republic of China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangzhou, 510120, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hui-Fang Zeng
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, People's Republic of China.
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Lan Q, Ren Z, Chen Y, Cui G, Choi IC, Ung COL, Yu HH, Lee SMY. Hepatoprotective effect of Qushihuayu formula on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis induced by MCD diet in rat. Chin Med 2021; 16:27. [PMID: 33726778 PMCID: PMC7962269 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-021-00434-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an advanced form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) for which there is yet any standard pharmacotherapy. Traditional Chinese medicine formula such as Qushihuayu (QSHY) composing of multiple bioactive compounds has been used to treat NAFLD and NASH and shows beneficial effects over single compound treatment. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of hepatoprotective effect of QSHY formula using a rat model. Methods Six-weeks old male Wistar rats were given methionine/choline supplemented (MCS) diet for 8 weeks and used as the blank control. Another 7 rats, which received methionine/choline deficient (MCD) diet in the first 6 weeks and a MCS&MCD (1:1) mixture diet in the last 2 weeks, were used as the model group. The groups of QSHY pre-treatment, low dosage, medium dosage and high dosage were given the same diet as the model group. Except for pre-treatment group (1 week in advanced of other groups), all QSHY treatment groups received QSHY formula by gavage every day since the MCD diet started. Results In the MCD diet group, the QSHY formula decreased the serum ALT and AST levels, lipid droplets, inflammation foci, FAS and α-SMA protein expression than MCD diet group. MAPK pathways phospharylation were markedly depressed by the QSHY formula. Moreover, QSHY formula enhanced PPAR-γ and p-p65 translocating into nucleus. The administration of QSHY increased hepatic mRNA levels of Transcription Factor 1 alpha (HNF1A), Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 alpha (HNF4A) and Forkhead box protein A3 (FOXA3) which play a pivotal role in Hepatic stellate cell (HSCs) reprogramming. Conclusion These findings suggest that QSHY formula exerts a hepatoprotective effect against steatosis and fibrosis presumably via depressed MAPK pathways phosphorylation, reinforcement of PPAR-γ and p-p65 translocating into nucleus and enhanced HSCs reprogramming. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13020-021-00434-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingping Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Zhitao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Guozhen Cui
- Zun Yi Medical University- Zhuhai Campus, Zhuhai, China
| | - I Cheong Choi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kiang Wu Hospital, Macao, China
| | - Carolina Oi Lam Ung
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Hon Ho Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kiang Wu Hospital, Macao, China.
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China. .,Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Room 7003, N22 Building, Avenide da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China.
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Gong G, Kam H, Tse YC, Giesy JP, Seto SW, Lee SMY. Forchlorfenuron (CPPU) causes disorganization of the cytoskeleton and dysfunction of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and abnormal vascular development in zebrafish embryos. Environ Pollut 2021; 271:115791. [PMID: 33401215 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Forchlorfenuron (CPPU) has been used worldwide, to boost size and improve quality of various agricultural products. CPPU and its metabolites are persistent and have been detected frequently in fruits, water, sediments, and organisms in aquatic systems. Although the public became aware of CPPU through the exploding watermelon scandal of 2011 in Zhenjiang, China, little was known of its potential effects on the environment and wildlife. In this study, adverse effects of CPPU on developmental angiogenesis and vasculature, which is vulnerable to insults of persistent toxicants, were studied in vivo in zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio). Exposure to 10 mg CPPU/L impaired survival and hatching, while development was hindered by exposure to 2.5 mg CPPU/L. Developing vascular structure, including common cardinal veins (CCVs), intersegmental vessels (ISVs) and sub-intestinal vessels (SIVs), were significantly restrained by exposure to CPPU, in a dose-dependent manner. Also, CPPU caused disorganization of the cytoskeleton. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), CPPU inhibited proliferation, migration and formation of tubular-like structures in vitro. Results of Western blot analyses revealed that exposure to CPPU increased phosphorylation of FLT-1, but inhibited phosphorylation of FAK and its downstream MAPK pathway in HUVECs. In summary, CPPU elicited developmental toxicity to the developing endothelial system of zebrafish and HUVECs. This was do, at least in part due to inhibition of the FAK/MAPK signaling pathway rather than direct interaction with the VEGF receptor (VEGFR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiyi Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hiotong Kam
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau
| | - Yu-Chung Tse
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - John P Giesy
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5B3, Canada; Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5B4, Canada; Department of Environmental Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76706, United States
| | - Sai-Wang Seto
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemistry Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau.
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47
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Chen Y, Li G, Law HCH, Chen H, Lee SMY. Correction to Determination of Oxyphylla A Enantiomers in the Fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla by a Chiral High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Multiple Reaction Monitoring-Mass Spectrometry Method and Comparison of Their In Vivo Biological Activities. J Agric Food Chem 2021; 69:860. [PMID: 33400507 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c07860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
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48
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Gong G, Chen H, Kam H, Chan G, Tang YX, Wu M, Tan H, Tse YC, Xu HX, Lee SMY. In Vivo Screening of Xanthones from Garcinia oligantha Identified Oliganthin H as a Novel Natural Inhibitor of Convulsions. J Nat Prod 2020; 83:3706-3716. [PMID: 33296199 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.0c00963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder, characterized by recurrent, spontaneous, and transient seizures, and affects more than 70 million people worldwide. Although two dozen antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are approved and available in the market, seizures remain poorly controlled in one-third of epileptic patients who are suffering from drug resistance or various adverse effects. Recently, the xanthone skeleton has been regarded as an attractive scaffold for the discovery and development of emerging anticonvulsants. We had isolated several dihydroxanthone derivatives previously, including oliganthin H, oliganthin I, and oliganthin N, whose structures were similar and delicately elucidated by spectrum analysis or X-ray crystallographic data, from extracts of leaves of Garcinia oligantha. These xanthone analogues were evaluated for anticonvulsant activity, and a novel xanthone, oliganthin H, has been identified as a sound and effective natural inhibitor of convulsions in zebrafish in vivo. A preliminary structure-activity relationship analysis on the relationship between structures of the xanthone analogues and their activities was also conducted. Oliganthin H significantly suppressed convulsant behavior and reduced to about 25% and 50% of PTZ-induced activity, in 12.5 and 25 μM treatment groups (P < 0.01 and 0.001), respectively. Meanwhile, it reduced seizure activity, velocity, seizure duration, and number of bursts in zebrafish larvae (P < 0.05). Pretreatment of oliganthin H significantly restored aberrant induction of gene expressions including npas4a, c-fos, pyya, and bdnf, as well as gabra1, gad1, glsa, and glula, upon PTZ treatment. In addition, in silico analysis revealed the stability of the oliganthin H-GABAA receptor complex and their detailed binding pattern. Therefore, direct interactions with the GABAA receptor and involvement of downstream GABA-glutamate pathways were possible mechanisms of the anticonvulsant action of oliganthin H. Our findings present the anticonvulsant activity of oliganthin H, provide a novel scaffold for further modifications, and highlight the xanthone skeleton as an attractive and reliable resource for the development of emerging AEDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiyi Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hanbin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Hiotong Kam
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Ging Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Yue-Xun Tang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Man Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Hongsheng Tan
- Clinical Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yu-Chung Tse
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hong-Xi Xu
- Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
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49
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Zhang Y, Gao H, Li H, Guo J, Ouyang B, Wang M, Xu Q, Wang J, Lv M, Guo X, Liu Q, Wei L, Ren H, Xi Y, Guo Y, Ren B, Pan S, Liu C, Ding X, Xiang H, Yu Y, Song Y, Meng L, Liu S, Wang J, Jiang Y, Shi J, Liu S, Sabir JSM, Sabir MJ, Khan M, Hajrah NH, Ming-Yuen Lee S, Xu X, Yang H, Wang J, Fan G, Yang N, Liu X. The White-Spotted Bamboo Shark Genome Reveals Chromosome Rearrangements and Fast-Evolving Immune Genes of Cartilaginous Fish. iScience 2020; 23:101754. [PMID: 33251490 PMCID: PMC7677710 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Chondrichthyan (cartilaginous fish) occupies a key phylogenetic position and is important for investigating evolutionary processes of vertebrates. However, limited whole genomes impede our in-depth knowledge of important issues such as chromosome evolution and immunity. Here, we report the chromosome-level genome of white-spotted bamboo shark. Combing it with other shark genomes, we reconstructed 16 ancestral chromosomes of bamboo shark and illustrate a dynamic chromosome rearrangement process. We found that genes on 13 fast-evolving chromosomes can be enriched in immune-related pathways. And two chromosomes contain important genes that can be used to develop single-chain antibodies, which were shown to have high affinity to human disease markers by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We also found three bone formation-related genes were lost due to chromosome rearrangements. Our study highlights the importance of chromosome rearrangements, providing resources for understanding of cartilaginous fish diversification and potential application of single-chain antibodies. Inferred ancestral chromosome karyotypes of cartilaginous fish Chromosome rearrangements resulted in fast-evolving chromosomes and immune genes Chromosome rearrangements led to deletion of bone formation-related genes Proved that single-domain antibodies in shark have great potential application
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaolei Zhang
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China.,Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Haoyang Gao
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Hanbo Li
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Jiao Guo
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Bingjie Ouyang
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Meiniang Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Qiwu Xu
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Jiahao Wang
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Meiqi Lv
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Xinyu Guo
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Qun Liu
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Likun Wei
- City University of Hongkong, Kowloon, Hongkong SAR
| | - Han Ren
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Yang Xi
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Yang Guo
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Bingzhao Ren
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Shanshan Pan
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Chuxin Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Xiaoyan Ding
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Haitao Xiang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Yingjia Yu
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Yue Song
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Lingfeng Meng
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Jun Wang
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Yuan Jiang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,Complete Genomics, Inc., San Jose, CA 95134, USA
| | - Jiahai Shi
- City University of Hongkong, Kowloon, Hongkong SAR
| | - Shiping Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Jamal S M Sabir
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mumdooh J Sabir
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhummadh Khan
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nahid H Hajrah
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, Macao, China
| | - Xun Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Huanming Yang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,James D. Watson Institute of Genome Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jian Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,James D. Watson Institute of Genome Sciences, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Guangyi Fan
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, Macao, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Naibo Yang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,Complete Genomics, Inc., San Jose, CA 95134, USA
| | - Xin Liu
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China.,BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
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50
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Chen Y, Li G, Law HCH, Chen H, Lee SMY. Determination of Oxyphylla A Enantiomers in the Fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla by a Chiral High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Multiple Reaction Monitoring-Mass Spectrometry Method and Comparison of Their In Vivo Biological Activities. J Agric Food Chem 2020; 68:11170-11181. [PMID: 32840366 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c04031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
(R)-Oxyphylla A, a natural product isolated from Alpinia oxyphylla Miquel as a food and medicinal plant, has been reported previously as a novel chiral compound that possesses a potential therapeutic value for Parkinson's disease (PD). A chiral high-performance liquid chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry method was developed to separate oxyphylla A enantiomers and to identify the presence of natural (S)-oxyphylla A for the first time. Twelve samples of dried A. oxyphylla fruits were analyzed in which a large variation in the abundance of enantiomers was observed. Moreover, (S)-oxyphylla A was less abundant in all tested samples, whereas fruits harvested from Hainan and Guangdong tended to have relatively higher total concentrations of enantiomers. Additionally, enantiomers exhibited comparable neuroprotective effects in the zebrafish model of PD without observed toxicity phenotype. The optimized enantioseparation method will be crucial for the quality control of A. oxyphylla and research on bioactivities facilitates the development of oxyphylla A as a potential therapeutic for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Room 7003, N22 Building, Avenide da Universidade, Taipa, Macao 999078, China
| | - Guohui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Room 7003, N22 Building, Avenide da Universidade, Taipa, Macao 999078, China
| | - Henry Chun Hin Law
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Room 7003, N22 Building, Avenide da Universidade, Taipa, Macao 999078, China
| | - Huanxian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Room 7003, N22 Building, Avenide da Universidade, Taipa, Macao 999078, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Room 7003, N22 Building, Avenide da Universidade, Taipa, Macao 999078, China
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