Lipidomics Indicates the Hepatotoxicity Effects of EtOAc Extract of Rhizoma Paridis

Rhizoma Paridis is a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used in the clinical treatment of gynecological diseases. Previous studies have shown that aqueous extracts of Rhizoma Paridis exhibit some hepatotoxicity to hepatocytes. Here, using lipidomics analysis, we investigated the potential hepatotoxicity of Rhizoma Paridis and its possible mechanism. The hepatic damaging of different solvent extracts of Rhizoma Paridis on zebrafish larvae were determined by a combination of mortality dose, biochemical, morphological, and functional tests. We found that ethyl acetate extracts (AcOEtE) were the most toxic fraction. Notably, lipidomic responsible for the pharmacological effects of AcOEtE were investigated by Q-Exactive HF-X mass spectrometer (Thermo Scientific high-resolution) coupled in tandem with a UHPLC system. Approximately 1958 unique spectral features were detected, of which 325 were identified as unique lipid species. Among these lipid species, phosphatidylethanolamine cardiolipin Ceramide (Cer), lysophosphatidylinositol sphingosine (Sph), etc., were significantly upregulated in the treated group. Pathway analysis indicates that Rhizoma Paridis may cause liver damage via interfering with the glycerophospholipid metabolism. Collectively, this study has revealed previously uncharacterized lipid metabolic disorder involving lipid synthesis, metabolism, and transport that functionally determines hepatic fibrosis procession.

An Overview on the Conservative Management of Endometriosis from a Naturopathic Perspective: Phytochemicals and Medicinal Plants

Background: Endometriosis is a chronic and debilitating disease, which affects millions of young women worldwide. Although medicine has incontestably evolved in the last years, there is no common ground regarding the early and accurate diagnosis of this condition, its pathogenic mechanisms, and curative treatment. Even though the spontaneous resolution of endometriosis is sometimes possible, recent reports suggested that it can be a progressive condition. It can associate chronic pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, infertility, or malignant degenerescence. Conventional treatments could produce many side effects, and despite treatment, the symptoms may reappear. In recent years, experimental evidence suggested that plant-based medicine could exert beneficial effects on endometriosis and endometriosis-related symptoms. This study aims to highlight the pharmaceutical activity of phytochemicals and medicinal plants against endometriosis and to provide a source of information regarding the alternative treatment of this condition. Methods: For this review, we performed a research using PubMed, GoogleScholar, and CrossRef databases. We selected the articles published between January 2000 and July 2020, written in English. Results: We found 17 medicinal plants and 13 phytochemicals, which have demonstrated their beneficial effects against endometriosis. Several of their biological activities consist of antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory effects, and oxidative-stress reduction. Conclusion: Medicinal herbs and their bioactive compounds exhibit antiangiogenic, antioxidant, sedative and pain-alleviating properties and the effects recorded until now encourage their use for the conservative management of endometriosis.

WGCNA reveals key gene modules regulated by the combined treatment of colon cancer with PHY906 and CPT11

Irinotecan (CPT11) is one of the most effective drugs for treating colon cancer, but its severe side effects limit its application. Recently, a traditional Chinese herbal preparation, named PHY906, has been proved to be effective for improving therapeutic effect and reducing side effects of CPT11. The aim of the present study was to provide novel insight to understand the molecular mechanism underlying PHY906-CPT11 intervention of colon cancer. Based on the GSE25192 dataset, for different three treatments (PHY906, CPT11, and PHY906-CPT11), we screened out differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and constructed a co-expression network by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify hub genes. The key genes of the three treatments were obtained by merging the DEGs and hub genes. For the PHY906-CPT11 treatment, a total of 18 key genes including Eif4e, Prr15, Anxa2, Ddx5, Tardbp, Skint5, Prss12 and Hnrnpa3, were identified. The results of functional enrichment analysis indicated that the key genes associated with PHY906-CPT11 treatment were mainly enriched in ‘superoxide anion generation’ and ‘complement and coagulation cascades’. Finally, we validated the key genes by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and RT-PCR analysis, the results indicated that EIF4E, PRR15, ANXA2, HNRNPA3, NCF1, C3AR1, PFDN2, RGS10, GNG11, and TMSB4X might play an important role in the treatment of colon cancer with PHY906-CPT11. In conclusion, a total of 18 key genes were identified in the present study. These genes showed strong correlation with PHY906-CPT11 treatment in colon cancer, which may help elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism of PHY906-CPT11 treatment in colon cancer.

Novel strategies for the treatment of acetaminophen hepatotoxicity

INTRODUCTION

Acetaminophen (APAP) hepatotoxicity is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the western world. Despite extensive investigations into the mechanisms of cell death, only a single antidote, N-acetylcysteine, is in clinical use. However, there have recently been more efforts made to translate mechanistic insight into identification of therapeutic targets and potential new drugs for this indication.

AREAS COVERED

After a short review of the key events in the pathophysiology of APAP-induced liver injury and recovery, the pros and cons of targeting individual steps in the pathophysiology as therapeutic targets are discussed. While the re-purposed drug fomepizole (4-methylpyrazole) and the new entity calmangafodipir are most advanced based on the understanding of their mechanism of action, several herbal medicine extracts and their individual components are also considered.

EXPERT OPINION

Fomepizole (4-methylpyrazole) is safe and has shown efficacy in preclinical models, human hepatocytes and in volunteers against APAP overdose. The safety of calmangafodipir in APAP overdose patients was shown but it lacks solid preclinical efficacy studies. Both drugs require a controlled phase III trial to achieve regulatory approval. All studies of herbal medicine extracts and components suffer from poor experimental design, which questions their clinical utility at this point.

Toxicity and Detoxification Effects of Herbal Caowu via Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics Analyzed using Pattern Recognition Method

Background:

Caowu (Radix Aconiti kusnezoffii, CW), the root of Aconitum kusnezoffii Reichb., has widely used clinically in rheumatic arthritis, painful joints, and tumors for thousands of years. However, the toxicity of heart and central nervous system induced by CW still limited the application.

Materials and Methods:

Metabolomics was performed to identify the sensitive and reliable biomarkers and to characterize the phenotypically biochemical perturbations and potential mechanisms of CW-induced toxicity, and the detoxification by combinatorial intervention of CW with Gancao (Radix Glycyrrhizae) (CG), Baishao (Radix Paeoniae Alba) (CB), and Renshen (Radix Ginseng) (CR) was also analyzed by pattern recognition methods.

Results:

As a result, the metabolites were characterized and responsible for pentose and glucuronate interconversions, tryptophan metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, fructose and mannose metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism, six networks of which were the same to the metabolic pathways of Chuanwu (Radix Aconiti, CHW) group. The ascorbate and aldarate metabolism was also characterized by CW group. The urinary metabolomics also revealed CW-induced serious toxicity to heart and liver. Thirteen significant metabolites were identified and had validated as phenotypic toxicity biomarkers of CW, five biomarkers of which were commonly owned in Aconitum. The changes of toxicity metabolites obtained from combinatorial intervention of CG, CB, and CR also were analyzed to investigate the regulation degree of toxicity biomarkers adjusted by different combinatorial interventions at 6^th month.

Conclusion:

Metabolomics analyses coupled with pattern recognition methods in the evaluation of drug toxicity and finding detoxification methods were highlighted in this work.

SUMMARY

Metabolomics was performed to characterize the biochemical potential mechanisms of Caowu toxicity

Thirteen significant metabolites were identified and validated as phenotypic toxicity biomarkers of Caowu

Metabolite changes of toxicity obtained can be adjusted by different combinatorial interventions.

Pattern recognition plot reflects the toxicity effects tendency of the urine metabolic fluctuations according to time after treatment of herbal Caowu.

Abbreviations used: CW: Caowu (Radix Aconiti kusnezoffii); CHW: Chuanwu (Radix Aconiti); TCM: Traditional Chinese Medicine; CG: Caowu and Gancao; CB: Caowu and Baishao; CR: Caowu and Renshen; QC: Quality control; UPLC: Ultra performance liquid chromatography; MS: Mass spectrometry; PCA: Principal component analysis; PLS-DA: Partial least squares-discriminant analysis; OPLS: Orthogonal projection to latent structures analysis.

Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.: ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of an important traditional Chinese medicine

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (Family Eucommiaceae), also known as Dù-zhòng (Chinese: ), Tuchong (in Japanese), is the sole species of the genus Eucommia. The leaf, stem, and bark as well as staminate flower of Eucommia ulmoides have been traditionally used to cure many diseases in China, Japan, Korea, among others. The aim of this review is to comprehensively outline the botanical description, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological activities, and toxicology of Eucommia ulmoides and to discuss possible trends for further study of Eucommia ulmoides.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Information on Eucommia ulmoides was gathered via the internet (using Pub Med, Elsevier, Baidu Scholar, Google Scholar, Medline Plus, ACS, CNKI, and Web of Science) and from books in local libraries.

RESULTS

One-hundred twelve compounds of Eucommia ulmoides, including the main active constituents, lignans and iridoids, have been isolated and identified. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that monomer compounds and extracts from Eucommia ulmoides possess wide-ranging pharmacological actions, especially in treating hypertension, hyperlipemia, diabetes, obesity, sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, aging, lupus-like syndrome, and immunoregulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Eucommia ulmoides has been used as a source of traditional medicine and as a beneficial health food. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies of Eucommia ulmoides have received much interest, and extracts and active compounds continue to be isolated and proven to exert various effects. Further toxicity and clinical studies are warranted to establish more detailed data on crude extracts and pure compounds, enabling more convenient preparations for patients. Therefore, this review on the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological activities, and toxicity of Eucommia ulmoides will provide helpful data for further studies as well as the commercial exploitation of this traditional medicine.