Cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA enhance IL-15-induced natural killer cell differentiation

The Anticancer Properties of Tanshinones and the Pharmacological Effects of Their Active Ingredients

Cancer is a common malignant disease worldwide with an increasing mortality in recent years. Salvia miltiorrhiza, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases for thousands of years. The liposoluble tanshinones in S. miltiorrhiza are important bioactive components and mainly include tanshinone IIA, dihydrodanshinone, tanshinone I, and cryptotanshinone. Previous studies showed that these four tanshinones exhibited distinct inhibitory effects on tumor cells through different molecular mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. The mechanisms mainly include the inhibition of tumor cell growth, metastasis, invasion, and angiogenesis, apoptosis induction, cell autophagy, and antitumor immunity, and so on. In this review, we describe the latest progress on the antitumor functions and mechanisms of these four tanshinones to provide a deeper understanding of the efficacy. In addition, the important role of tumor immunology is also reviewed.

Tanshinone IIA Exerts Anti-Inflammatory and Immune-Regulating Effects on Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaque Partially via the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB Signal Pathway

Background: Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA), a lipophilic constituent from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has shown a promising cardioprotective effect including anti-atherosclerosis. This study aims at exploring Tan IIA’s anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating roles in stabilizing vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque in ApoE-deficient (ApoE^−/−) mice.

Methods: Male ApoE^−/− mice (6 weeks) were fed with a high-fat diet for 13 weeks and then randomized to the model group (MOD) or Tan IIA groups [high dose: 90 mg/kg/day (HT), moderate dose: 30 mg/kg/day (MT), low dose: 10 mg/kg/day (LT)] or the atorvastatin group (5 mg/kg/day, ATO) for 13 weeks. Male C57BL/6 mice (6 weeks) were fed with ordinary rodent chow as control. The plaque stability was evaluated according to the morphology and composition of aortic atherosclerotic (AS) plaque in H&E staining and Movat staining sections by calculating the area of extracellular lipid, collagenous fiber, and foam cells to the plaque. The expression of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signal pathway in aorta fractions was determined by immunohistochemistry. Serum levels of blood lipid were measured by turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay. The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were detected by cytometric bead array.

Results: Tan IIA stabilized aortic plaque with a striking reduction in the area of extracellular lipid (ATO: 13.15 ± 1.2%, HT: 12.2 ± 1.64%, MT: 13.93 ± 1.59%, MOD: 18.84 ± 1.46%, P < 0.05) or foam cells (ATO: 16.05 ± 1.26%, HT: 14.88 ± 1.79%, MT: 16.61 ± 1.47%, MOD: 22.08 ± 1.69%, P < 0.05) to the plaque, and an evident increase in content of collagenous fiber (ATO: 16.22 ± 1.91%, HT: 17.58 ± 1.33%, MT: 15.71 ± 2.26%, LT:14.92 ± 1.65%, MOD: 9.61 ± 0.7%, P < 0.05) to the plaque than that in the model group, concomitant with down-regulation of the protein expression of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB p65, and serum level of MCP-1 and TNF-α in a dose-dependent manner. There were no differences in serum TC, LDL, HDL, or TG levels between ApoE^–/– mice and those treated with atorvastatin.

Conclusions: These results suggest that Tan IIA could stabilize vulnerable AS plaque in ApoE^−/− mice, and this anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating effect may be achieved via the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.