Amelioratory effect of neoandrographolide on myocardial ischemic-reperfusion injury by its anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities

Paeonol Improves Cardiac Remodelling in MI Mice by Suppressing NOX2 mRNA Expression to Mitigate Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Myocardial infarction (MI), a primary contributor to mortality from cardiovascular diseases, continues to pose a significant challenge in clinical treatment. In this study, our objective was to investigate the cardioprotective effects of paeonol (PAE) on mice with MI, and to delve into the precise mechanisms underlying these effects. We developed the MI model by ligating the left anterior descending artery in mice and replicated this model in vitro by stimulating H9C2 cells with levarterenol (LN). Cardiac function, infarct size, cardiomyocyte size, apoptosis, and mitochondrial structure were evaluated through echocardiography, Masson's trichrome staining, WGA staining, TUNEL assay, and electron microscopy, respectively. Colorimetry, Western blotting, flow cytometry, RT-PCR, and the dual-luciferase reporter assay were employed to explore the underlying mechanisms. Compared with the model group, PAE significantly ameliorated cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophy, diminished infarct size, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and apoptosis, mitigated mitochondrial structural damage, lowered levels of malondialdehyde and NOX2, reduced ROS production, and NOX activity, while enhancing the activities of T-SOD, GSH-PX, and mitochondrial complexes I-V in mice with MI or H9C2 cells subjected to LN intervention. Ultimately, PAE was found to negatively regulate the transcription of NOX2 mRNA in H9C2 cells, partly through inhibition of phospho-STAT3-Y705 protein expression. These results imply that PAE's transcriptional inhibition of NOX2 mRNA expression primarily confers a cardioprotective effect, mitigating myocardial remodelling following MI by improving oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. This indicates that PAE holds therapeutic promise for the treatment of patients post-MI.

Andrographolide and its Derivatives in Cardiovascular Disease: A Comprehensive Review

Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of mortality worldwide. Andrographolide represents an important category of natural phytochemicals that has significant therapeutic potential in various conditions such as acute lung injury, heart disease, and viral infections due to its anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. This compound plays a protective role in human pathophysiology. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the effects of andrographolide on cardiovascular disease and examines its essential roles and mechanisms in cardiovascular disease and other vascular dysfunctions. The data collected in this review serve as a comprehensive reference for the role of andrographolide in cardiovascular disease and provide valuable insights for further research and the development of andrographolide as a novel therapeutic approach for cardiovascular disease.

Neoandrographolide inhibits mature osteoclast differentiation to alleviate bone loss and treat osteoporosis

Background

Osteoporosis (OP), as the prevalent systemic metabolic bone disease worldwide, progresses insidiously and slowly. The clinical discomfort and complications associated with OP impose a significant burden on patients. Therefore, finding more effective treatments for OP remains an urgent challenge.

Method

We first conducted in vitro experiments to determine whether Neoandrographolide (NEO) exhibits cytotoxic or proliferative effects on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) and to explore the specific timeframe during which NEO exerts its inhibitory action on osteoclast (OC) differentiation. Through Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis, we examined the relative expression levels of genes and proteins associated with OC differentiation like CTSK,c-Fos,MMP9,NFATc1, and verified the underlying mechanisms. Finally, we performed in vivo experiments to further investigate the inflammation.

Results

NEO exhibits no significant cytotoxic effects on BMMs at concentrations less than or equal to 30 μM while exerting inhibitory effects on OC differentiation during its early and middle stages. RT-PCR and Western blot results reveal that NEO suppresses the expression of genes and proteins including CTSK,c-Fos,MMP9,NFATc1. Western blot findings also indicate that NEO inhibits the phosphorylation of ERK, P38, JNK, and P65 but does not reverse the degradation of IκB-α. Additionally, NEO affects the phosphorylation of proteins in the PI3K/AKT, GSK3β, and PPARγ signaling pathways, demonstrating that NEO can inhibit OC formation through multiple pathways and targets. In vivo experiments further validated the in vitro findings by constructing an OP model, showing that NEO can mitigate bone loss induced by OC differentiation.

Conclusion

NEO has the potential to serve as a therapeutic agent for OP by targeting multiple sites and inhibiting the formation of mature OC through various signaling pathways.

Identification of the Pharmacological Components and Its Targets of Sanghuang by Integration of Nontarget Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology Analysis

The objective of this study is to comprehensively to identify the core pharmacological components and their respective targets of three medicinal fungi Sanghuangs including Sanghuangporus vaninii (SV), Sanghuangporus lonicericola (SL), and Inonotus hispidus (IH). Metabolomics analysis indicated that a total of 495 and 660 differential metabolites were obtained in mycelium and fermentation broth samples among three Sanghuangs, respectively. The network pharmacology analysis showed that 6-[1]-ladderane hexanol, R-nostrenol, candidone, ellagic acid, and quercetin were the overlapping active ingredients of three Sanghuang species for diabetes mellitus, immune system disease, and neoplasm. Certonardosterol A, dalamid, and ethylene brassylate are unique active ingredients in SV, and certonardosterol K, kaempferide, and esculetin are unique active ingredients in SL. Asbestinine, neoandrographolide, isosakuranetin, and daucosterin are unique active ingredients in IH. Accordingly, the common core targets of active ingredients of the three Sanghuangs were ESR1, PIK3CA, and LYN. PRKCA, EGFR, and STAT3 were the unique targets of SV, SL, and IH, respectively. The primary active components and their respective targets, in addition to the component-target interaction of Sanghuangs that have been identified in the present study, provide a foundation for future research on the prevention and treatment of disease using Sanghuangs.

Integrating Transcriptome and Chemical Analyses to Provide Insights into Biosynthesis of Terpenoids and Flavonoids in the Medicinal Industrial Crop Andrographis paniculate and Its Antiviral Medicinal Parts

Andrographis paniculata is a medicinal plant traditionally used to produce diterpene lactones and flavonoids, which possess various biological activities. Widely distributed in China, India, and other Southeast Asia countries, A. paniculata has become an important economic crop, significantly treating SARS-CoV-2, and is being cultivated on a large scale in southern China. The biosynthesis of active ingredients in A. paniculata are regulated and controlled by genes, but their specific roles are still not fully understood. To further explore the growth regulation factors and utilization of its medicinal parts of this industrial crop, chemical and transcriptome analyses were conducted on the roots, stems, and leaves of A. paniculata to identify the biosynthesis pathways and related candidate genes of the active ingredients. The chemical analysis revealed that the main components of A. paniculata were diterpene lactones and flavonoids, which displayed potential ability to treat SARS-CoV-2 through molecular docking. Moreover, the transcriptome sequencing annotated a total of 40,850 unigenes, including 7962 differentially expressed genes. Among these, 120 genes were involved in diterpene lactone biosynthesis and 60 genes were involved in flavonoid biosynthesis. The expression of diterpene lactone-related genes was the highest in leaves and the lowest in roots, consistent with our content determination results. It is speculated that these highly expressed genes in leaves may be involved in the biosynthesis pathway of diterpenes. Furthermore, two class Ⅰ terpene synthases in A. paniculata transcriptome were also annotated, providing reference for the downstream pathway of the diterpene lactone biosynthesis. With their excellent market value, our experiments will promote the study of the biosynthetic genes for active ingredients in A. paniculata and provide insights for subsequent in vitro biosynthesis.

The crosstalk between Nrf2 and NF-κB pathways in coronary artery disease: Can it be regulated by SIRT6?

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Oxidative stress and inflammation are major mechanisms responsible for the progression of CAD. Nuclear transcription factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that modulates the cellular redox status. Nrf2 upregulation increases the expression of antioxidant genes, decreases the expression of Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), and increases free radical metabolism. Activated NF-kB increases the production of inflammatory cytokines causing endothelial dysfunction. The two pathways of Nrf2 and NF-kB can regulate the expression of each other. Foremost, the Nrf2 pathway can decrease the level of active NF-κB by increasing the level of antioxidants and cytoprotective enzymes. Furthermore, the Nrf2 pathway prevents IκB-α degradation, an inhibitor of NF-kB, and thus inhibits NF-κB mediated transcription. Also, NF-kB transcription inhibits Nrf2 activation by reducing the antioxidant response element (ARE) transcription. Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) is a member of the Sirtuins family that was found to protect against cardiovascular diseases. SIRT6 can suppress the production of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) through deacetylation of NRF2 which results in NRF2 activation. Furthermore, SIRT6 can inhibit the inflammatory process through the downregulation of NF-kB transcription. Therefore, targeting sirtuins could be a therapeutic strategy to treat CAD. This review describes the potential role of SIRT6 in regulating the crosstalk between NRF2 and NF-kB signaling pathways in CAD.

Insulin-like growth factor II receptor alpha overexpression in heart aggravates hyperglycemia-induced cardiac inflammation and myocardial necrosis

Diabetes-induced cardiovascular complications are mainly associated with high morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. Insulin-like growth factor II receptor α (IGF-IIRα) is a cardiac risk factor. In this study, we hypothesized IGF-IIRα could also deteriorate diabetic heart injury. The results presented that both in vivo transgenic Sprague-Dawley rat model with specific IGF-IIRα overexpression in the heart and in vitro myocardium H9c2 cells were used to investigate the negative function of IGF-IIRα in diabetic hearts. The results showed that IGF-IIRα overexpression aided hyperglycemia in creating more myocardial injury. Pro-inflammatory factors, such as Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, Interleukin-6, Cyclooxygenase-2, Inducible nitric oxide synthase, and Nuclear factor-kappaB inflammatory cascade, are enhanced in the diabetic myocardium with cardiac-specific IGF-IIRα overexpression. Correspondingly, IGF-IIRα overexpression in the diabetic myocardium also reduced the PI3K-AKT survival axis and activated mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis. Finally, both ejection fraction and fractional shortening were be significantly decrease in diabetic rats with cardiac-specific IGF-IIRα overexpression. Overall, all results provid clear evidence that IGF-IIRα can enhance cardiac damage and is a harmful factor to the heart under high-blood glucose conditions. However, the pathophysiology of IGF-IIRα under different stresses and its downstream regulation in the heart still require further research.

Integrating UPLC-HR-MS/MS, Network Pharmacology, and Experimental Validation to Uncover the Mechanisms of Jin'gan Capsules against Breast Cancer

In the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), "liver-qi" stagnation and heat-induced toxicity represent the main etiologies of breast cancer. Recently, several TCMs with heat-clearing and detoxification efficacy have shown inhibitory effects on breast cancer. Jin'gan capsules (JGCs), initially approved to treat colds in China, are a heat-clearing and detoxification TCM formula. However, the anticancer activity of JGCs against breast cancer and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. First, we assessed the antiproliferative activity of JGCs in breast cancer cell lines and evaluated their effects on cell apoptosis and the cell cycle by flow cytometry. Furthermore, we identified the potential bioactive components of JGCs and their corresponding target genes and constructed a bioactive compound-target interaction network by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-HR-MS/MS) and network pharmacology analysis. Finally, the underlying mechanism was investigated through gene function enrichment analysis and experimental validation. We found that JGCs significantly inhibited breast cancer cell growth with IC₅₀ values of 0.56 ± 0.03, 0.16 ± 0.03, and 0.94 ± 0.09 mg/mL for MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, and MCF-7, respectively. In addition, JGC treatment dramatically induced apoptosis and S phase cell cycle arrest in breast cancer cells. Western blot analysis confirmed that JGCs could regulate the protein levels of apoptosis- and cell cycle-related genes. Utilizing UPLC-HR-MS/MS analysis and network pharmacology, we identified 7 potential bioactive ingredients in JGCs and 116 antibreast cancer targets. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the antitumor effects of JGCs were strongly associated with apoptosis and the Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway. Western blot analysis validated that JGC treatment markedly decreased the expression levels of p-JAK2, p-STAT3, and STAT3. Our findings suggest that JGCs suppress breast cancer cell proliferation and induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis partly by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, highlighting JGCs as a potential therapeutic candidate against breast cancer.