Guhong Injection promotes fracture healing by activating Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro

Progress of Wnt Signaling Pathway in Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, one of the serious health diseases, involves bone mass loss, bone density diminishing, and degeneration of bone microstructure, which is accompanied by a tendency toward bone fragility and a predisposition to fracture. More than 200 million people worldwide suffer from osteoporosis, and the cost of treating osteoporotic fractures is expected to reach at least $25 billion by 2025. The generation and development of osteoporosis are regulated by genetic factors and regulatory factors such as TGF-β, BMP, and FGF through multiple pathways, including the Wnt signaling pathway, the Notch signaling pathway, and the MAPK signaling pathway. Among them, the Wnt signaling pathway is one of the most important pathways. It is not only involved in bone development and metabolism but also in the differentiation and proliferation of chondrocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, osteoclasts, and osteoblasts. Dkk-1 and SOST are Wnt inhibitory proteins that can inhibit the activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway and block the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts. Therefore, they may serve as potential targets for the treatment of osteoporosis. In this review, we analyzed the mechanisms of Wnt proteins, β-catenin, and signaling molecules in the process of signal transduction and summarized the relationship between the Wnt signaling pathway and bone-related cells. We hope to attract attention to the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in osteoporosis and offer new perspectives and approaches to making a diagnosis and giving treatment for osteoporosis.

Exosomes as Part of the Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Secretome- Opening New Perspectives for Cell-Free Regenerative Applications

Human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) represent a great resource for regenerative medicine based on their accessibility, self-renewal potential, low immunogenicity, high proliferative rate and potential to differentiate on multiple lineages. Their secretome is rich in chemokines, cytokines and protein growth factors that are actively involved in regeneration processes. In addition, part of this secretome are also the exosomes (hASC-exos), which display high content in proteins, messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Due to their content, exosomes promote tissue regeneration by different mechanisms, either by activating or inhibiting several signaling pathways involved in wound healing, extracellular matrix remodeling, immunomodulation, angiogenesis, anti-apoptotic activity and cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. The use of hASC-exos may provide an improved alternative to standard therapies used in regenerative medicine, as a cell-free new approach with multiple possibilities to be modulated according to the patient needs. This review offers an updated overview on the functions and applications of hASC-exos in all areas of tissue regeneration, aiming to highlight to the reader the benefits of using hASCs in modern tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

The effect of Guanxin Shutong capsule on alleviating the myocardial fibrosis in heart failure rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Guanxin Shutong (GXST) capsule is a renowned traditional Chinese medicine widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in the clinic. However, no pharmacological experimental studies of GXST has been reported on the treatment of pressure overload-induced heart failure. This study aimed to investigate the effects of GXST capsule on ameliorating myocardial fibrosis conditions in pressure overload-induced heart failure rats.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: Normal group, Model group, GXST-treated group at a dose of 0.5 g/kg, 1 g/kg, 2 g/kg, respectively, and digoxin positive control group at a dose of 1 mg/kg. After 4 weeks of administration, cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography. Cardiac injury and fibrotic conditions were evaluated by H&E staining, Masson staining, and Sirius Red staining. Myocardial fibrosis was evaluated by immunohistochemistry staining and Western blot.

RESULTS

GXST significantly inhibited cardiac fibrosis, reduced the excessive deposition of collagen, and finally improved cardiac function. GXST reversed ventricular remodeling might be through the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway.

CONCLUSION

GXST capsule demonstrated a strong anti-fibrosis effect in heart failure rats by inhibiting the TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway.

Design Space Calculation and Continuous Improvement Considering a Noise Parameter: A Case Study of Ethanol Precipitation Process Optimization for Carthami Flos Extract

The optimization of process parameters in the pharmaceutical industry is often carried out according to the Quality by Design (QbD) concept. QbD also emphasizes that continuous improvement should be performed in life cycle management. Process parameters that are difficult to control in actual production can be regarded as noise parameters. In this study, based on the QbD concept, the ethanol precipitation process of Carthami Flos extract was optimized, considering a noise parameter. The density of the concentrated extract, ethanol concentration, the volume ratio of ethanol to concentrated extract, stirring time after ethanol addition, and refrigeration temperature were selected as critical process parameters (CPPs), using a definitive screening design. The mathematical models among CPPs and evaluation indicators were established. Considering that the refrigeration temperature of industrial ethanol precipitation is often difficult to control with seasonal changes, refrigeration temperature was treated as a noise parameter. A calculation method for the design space in the presence of the noise parameter was proposed. The design space was calculated according to the probability of reaching the standards of evaluation indicators. Controlling parameters within the design space was expected to reduce the influence of noise parameter fluctuations on the quality of the ethanol precipitation supernatant. With more data obtained, the design space was updated. In industry, it is also recommended to adopt a similar idea: that is, continuing to collect industrial data and regularly updating mathematical models, which can further update the design space and make it more stable and reliable.

MicroRNAs and fracture healing: Pre-clinical studies

During the past several years, pre-clinical experiments have established that microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs, serve as key regulatory molecules of fracture healing. Their easy modulation with agonists and antagonists make them highly desirable targets for future therapeutic strategies, especially for pathophysiologic fractures that either do not heal (nonunions) or are delayed. It is now well documented that these problematic fractures lead to human suffering and impairment of life quality. Additionally, financial difficulties are also encountered as work productivity decreases and income is reduced. Moreover, targeting miRNAs may also be an avenue to enhancing normal physiological fracture healing. Herein we present the most current knowledge of the involvement of miRNAs during fracture healing in pre-clinical studies. Following a brief description on the nature of miRNAs and of the fracture healing process, we present data from studies focusing specifically, on miRNA regulation of osteoblast differentiation and osteogenesis (within the context of known signaling pathways), chondrocytes, angiogenesis, and apoptosis, all critical to successful bone repair. Further, we also discuss miRNAs and exosomes. We hope that this manuscript serves as a comprehensive review that will facilitate basic/translational scientists in the orthopaedic arena to realize and further decipher the biological and future therapeutic impact of these small regulatory RNA molecules, especially as they relate to the molecular events of each of the major phases of fracture healing.

Compounds isolated from Euonymus spraguei Hayata induce ossification through multiple pathways

The process of bone metabolism includes catabolism of old or mature bone and anabolism of new bone, carried out by osteoclasts and osteoblasts respectively. Any imbalance in this process results in loss of bone mass or osteoporosis. Drugs available to combat osteoporosis have certain adverse effects and are unable to improve bone formation, hence identifying new agents to fulfil these therapeutic gaps is required. To expand the scope of potential agents that enhance bone formation, we identified Euonymus spraguei Hayata as a plant material that possesses robust osteogenic potential using human osteoblast cells. We isolated three compounds, syringaresinol (1), syringin (2), and (−)-epicatechin (3), from E. spraguei. Results demonstrated that syringin (2), and (−)-epicatechin (3), increased alkaline phosphatase activity significantly up to 131.01% and 130.67%, respectively; they also elevated mineral deposition with respective values of up to 139.39% and 138.33%. In addition, 2 and 3 modulated autophagy and the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 signaling pathway. Our findings demonstrated that 2 and 3 induced osteogenesis by targeting multiple pathways and therefore can be considered as potent multi-targeted drugs for bone formation against osteoporosis.