Alleviation of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis in Rats by Ethanolic Reynoutria multiflora (Thunb.) Moldenke Extract

Secondary osteoporosis is frequently due to the use of high-dose glucocorticoids (GCs). The existing strategy for managing glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) is considered insufficient and remains in a state of ongoing evolution. Therefore, it is crucial to develop more precise and effective agents for the treatment of GIOP. The constituents of Reynoutria multiflora (Thunb.) Moldenke, specifically Polygonum multiflorum (PM) Thunb, have previously shown promise in mitigating osteopenia. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of an ethanolic PM extract (PMR30) against GIOP in male rats. Prednisone (6 mg/kg/day, GC) was continuously administered to rats to induce GIOP, and they were subjected to treatment with or without ethanolic PMR30 for a duration of 120 days. Serum was collected for biochemical marker analysis. Bone histomorphometric, histological, and TUNEL analyses were performed on tibia samples. The protein expressions of LC3, Agt5, and Beclin 1 in the femur underwent examination through western blotting. Prolonged and excessive GC treatment significantly impeded bone formation, concomitant with reduced bone mass and body weight. It also suppressed OCN and OPG/RANKL in serum, and decreased Beclin 1 and LC3 in bone. Simultaneously, there was an elevation in bone resorption markers and apoptosis. Treatments with both high dose and low dose of PMR30 alleviated GIOP, stimulated bone formation, and upregulated OCN and OPG/RANKL, while suppressing TRACP-5b, CTX-I, and apoptosis. The impact of PMR30 possibly involves the enhancement of autophagy proteins (LC3, Agt5, and Beclin 1) and the inhibition of apoptosis within the bone. PMR30 holds promise as a prospective therapeutic agent for preventing and treating GIOP.

Transformation of Stilbene Glucosides From Reynoutria multiflora During Processing

The root of Reynoutria multiflora Thunb. Moldenke (RM, syn.: Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.) has been widely used in TCM clinical practice for centuries. The raw R. multiflora (RRM) should be processed before use, in order to reduce toxicity and increase efficiency. However, the content of trans-2, 3, 5, 4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (trans-THSG), which is considered to be the main medicinal ingredient, decreases in this process. In order to understand the changes of stilbene glycosides raw R. multiflora (RRM) and processed R. multiflora (PRM), a simple and effective method was developed by ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive plus orbitrap MS/MS). The content and quantity of stilbene glycosideshave undergone tremendous changes during the process. Seven parent nucleus of stilbene glycosides and 55 substituents, including 5-HMF and a series of derivatives, were identified in PM. 146 stilbene glycosides were detected in RRM, The number of detected compounds increased from 198 to 219 as the processing time increased from 4 to 32 h. Among the detected compounds, 102 stilbene glycosides may be potential new compounds. And the changing trend of the compounds can be summarized in 3 forms: gradually increased, gradually decreased, first increased and then decreased or decreased first. The content of trans-THSG was indeed decreased during processing, as it was converted into a series of derivatives through the esterification reaction with small molecular compounds. The clarification of secondary metabolite group can provide a basis for the follow-up study on the mechanism of pharmacodynamics and toxicity of PM, and for screening of relevant quality markers.

Lipidomics Analysis Indicates Disturbed Hepatocellular Lipid Metabolism in Reynoutria multiflora-Induced Idiosyncratic Liver Injury

The root of Reynoutria multiflora (Thunb.) Moldenke (syn.: Polygonum multiflorum Thunb., HSW) is a distinguished herb that has been popularly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Evidence of its potential side effect on liver injury has accumulated and received much attention. The objective of this study was to profile the metabolic characteristics of lipids in injured liver of rats induced by HSW and to find out potential lipid biomarkers of toxic consequence. A lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat model of idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (IDILI) was constructed and evident liver injury caused by HSW was confirmed based on the combination of biochemical, morphological, and functional tests. A lipidomics method was developed for the first time to investigate the alteration of lipid metabolism in HSW-induced IDILI rat liver by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/Q-exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry coupled with multivariate analysis. A total of 202 characterized lipids, including phosphatidylcholine (PC), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), sphingomyelin (SM), phosphatidylinositol (PI), lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphoglycerols (PG), and ceramide (Cer), were compared among groups of LPS and LPS + HSW. A total of 14 out 26 LPC, 22 out of 47 PC, 19 out of 29 LPE, 16 out of 36 PE, and 10 out of 15 PI species were increased in HSW-treated rat liver, which indicated that HSW may cause liver damage via interfering the phospholipid metabolism. The present work may assist lipid biomarker development of HSW-induced DILI and it also provide new insights into the relationships between phospholipid perturbation and herbal-induced idiosyncratic DILI.