Osteoprotective effects of salidroside in ovariectomized mice and diabetic mice

Effects of the combination of Epimedii Folium and Ligustri Lucidi Fructus on apoptosis and autophagy in SOP rats and osteoblasts via PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the combination of Epimedii Folium (EF) and Ligustri Lucidi Fructus (LLF) on regulating apoptosis and autophagy in senile osteoporosis (SOP) rats.

METHODS

Firstly, we identified the components in the decoction and drug-containing serum of EL (EF&LLF) by Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Secondly, SOP rats were treated with EF, LLF, EL and caltrate to evaluate the advantages of EL. Finally, H2O2-, chloroquine-, and MHY1485-induced osteoblasts were treated with different doses of EL to reveal the molecular mechanism of EL. We detected bone microstructure, oxidative stress levels, ALP activity and the expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase3, P53, Beclin-1, p-PI3K, PI3K, p-Akt, Akt, p-mTOR, mTOR, and LC3 in vivo and in vitro.

RESULTS

36 compounds in EL decoction and 23 in EL-containing serum were identified, including flavonoids, iridoid terpenoids, phenylethanoid glycosides, polyols and triterpenoids. EL could inhibit apoptosis activity and increase ALP activity. In SOP rats and chloroquine-inhibited osteoblasts, EL could improve bone tissue microstructure and osteoblasts functions by upregulating Bcl-2, Beclin1, and LC3-II/LC3-I, while downregulating p53 in all treatment groups. In H2O2-induced osteoblasts, EL could upregulate the protein and mRNA expressions of Bcl-2 while downregulate LC3-II/LC3-I, p53 and Beclin1. Besides, EL was able to down-regulate PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway which activated in SOP rats and MHY1485-induced osteoblasts.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate that EL with bone protective effects on SOP rats by regulating autophagy and apoptosis via PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, which might be an alternative medicine for the treatment of SOP.

Oxidative stress: A common pathological state in a high-risk population for osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is becoming a major concern in the field of public health. The process of bone loss is insidious and does not directly induce obvious symptoms. Complications indicate an irreversible decrease in bone mass. The high-risk populations of osteoporosis, including postmenopausal women, elderly men, diabetic patients and obese individuals need regular bone mineral density testing and appropriate preventive treatment. However, the primary changes in these populations are different, increasing the difficulty of effective treatment of osteoporosis. Determining the core pathogenesis of osteoporosis helps improve the efficiency and efficacy of treatment among these populations. Oxidative stress is a common pathological state secondary to estrogen deficiency, aging, hyperglycemia and hyperlipemia. In this review, we divided oxidative stress into the direct effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the reduction of antioxidant enzyme activity to discuss their roles in the development of osteoporosis. ROS initiated mitochondrial apoptotic signaling and suppressed osteogenic marker expression to weaken osteogenesis. MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways mediated the positive effect of ROS on osteoclast differentiation. Antioxidant enzymes not only eliminate the negative effects of ROS, but also directly participate in the regulation of bone metabolism. Additionally, we also described the roles of proinflammatory factors and HIF-1α under the pathophysiological changes of inflammation and hypoxia, which provided a supplement of oxidative stress-induced osteoporosis. In conclusion, our review showed that oxidative stress was a common pathological state in a high-risk population for osteoporosis. Targeted oxidative stress treatment would greatly optimize the therapeutic schedule of various osteoporosis treatments.

Bioactivity Profiles on 15 Different Effect Mechanisms for 15 Golden Root Products via High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography, Planar Assays, and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Planar chromatography has recently been combined with six different effect-directed assays for three golden root (Rhodiola rosea L.) samples. However, the profiles obtained showed an intense tailing, making zone differentiation impossible. The profiling was therefore improved to allow for the detection of individual bioactive compounds, and the range of samples was extended to 15 commercial golden root products. Further effect-directed assays were studied providing information on 15 different effect mechanisms, i.e., (1) tyrosinase, (2) acetylcholinesterase, (3) butyrylcholinesterase, (4) β-glucuronidase, and (5) α-amylase inhibition, as well as endocrine activity via the triplex planar yeast antagonist-verified (6-8) estrogen or (9-11) androgen screen, (12) genotoxicity via the planar SOS-Umu-C bioassay, antimicrobial activity against (13) Gram-negative Aliivibrio fischeri and (14) Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis bacteria, and (15) antioxidative activity (DPPH• radical scavengers). Most of the golden root profiles obtained were characteristic, but some samples differed substantially. The United States Pharmacopeia reference product showed medium activity in most of the assays. The six most active compound zones were further characterized using high-resolution mass spectrometry, and the mass signals obtained were tentatively assigned to molecular formulae. In addition to confirming the known activities, this study is the first to report that golden root constituents inhibit butyrylcholinesterase (rosin was tentatively assigned), β-glucuronidase (rosavin, rosarin, rosiridin, viridoside, and salidroside were tentatively assigned), and α-amylase (stearic acid and palmitic acid were tentatively assigned) and that they are genotoxic (hydroquinone was tentatively assigned) and are both agonistic and antagonistic endocrine active.

Salidroside alleviates dexamethasone-induced inhibition of bone formation via transforming growth factor-beta/Smad2/3 signaling pathway

Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis is the third epidemic osteoporosis following postmenopausal and senileosteoporosis. According to one study, salidroside made ovariectomized rats' bones strong. Salidroside's potential for treating glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis remains unproven. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of salidroside on dexamethasone-induced osteogenic differentiation and bone formation in MC3T3-E1 cells and zebrafish. The study proved that salindroside had no harmful impact on MC3T3E1 cells. Salidroside significantly relieved dexamethasone-induced inhibition of ALP (alkaline phosphatase) activity and mineralization in MC3T3-E1 cells, and promoted osteogenic differentiation of cells. Salidroside increased the expression of osteopontin (OPN), runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osterix (Osx), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) proteins and promoted the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 in MC3T3-E1 cells treated with dexamethasone. In addition, the effect of salidroside in relieving dexamethasone-induced inhibition of osteogenic differentiation in MC3T3-E1 cells can be blocked by TGF-β receptor type I/II inhibitor (LY2109761). At the same time, we found that salidroside significantly alleviated the inhibition of dexamethasone-induced bone formation in zebrafish and promoted the mineralization of zebrafish skulls. LY2109761 reversed the protective impact of salidroside on dexamethasone-mediated bone impairment in zebrafish. These findings suggested that salidroside alleviated dexamethasone-induced inhibition of osteogenic differentiation and bone formation via TGF-β/Smad2/3 signaling pathway.

Discovery of potential active ingredients of Er-Zhi-Wan, a famous traditional Chinese formulation, in model rat serum for treating osteoporosis with kidney-yin deficiency by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS and molecular docking

Er-Zhi-Wan (EZW), a classical traditional Chinese formulation, has attracted more and more attention. This study was carried out to analyze the constituents of EZW absorbed into blood and find out the potential active ingredients for treating osteoporosis (OP) with kidney-yin deficiency (KYD). The rat model of OP with KYD was achieved by ovariectomies and using the mixture of thyroxine and reserpine. Then ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS) combined with statistical analysis was used to analyze the constituents of EZW absorbed into blood and differential components between the normal and OP with KYD rats. Finally, the components identified in OP with KYD rats were docked with targets of OP with KYD found in online databases. The results of molecular docking were adopted to find the potential active ingredients and further verified in vitro experiment. A total of 21 prototype compounds and 69 metabolites were identified in serum. Among them, 63 components in model rats and 50 components in normal rats were summarized, respectively. Most of the identified metabolites in serum of model rats were produced by hydrolysis, oxidation or glucuronidation, while in serum of normal rats were produced by hydrolysis, oxidation and methylation. According to the results of molecular docking, specnuezhenide, salidroside, tyrosol, echinacoside and verbascoside could be classified as potential active ingredients. The activity of salidroside and a metabolite was verified by pharmacodynamics analysis. In summary, UPLC-Q/TOF-MS system was combined with molecular docking to search the potential active ingredients from model rats of OP with KYD, which provided a new idea for the research on the pharmacodynamic material basis of other traditional medicine. Moreover, the result of this study lays the foundation for further study regarding the mechanism of EZW in treating OP with KYD.

Amelioration of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi and its phenol glycosides on hypercalciuria via stimulating PTH1R/PKA/TRPV5 signaling

BACKGROUND

Our early studies performed on aged rats, ovariectomized (OVX) rats and diabetic mice, indicated the calciotropic role of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL), the fruit of Ligustrum lucidum Ait., in mediating calcium homeostasis which was partially attributed to its stimulation on renal calcium reabsorption.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explicate the underlying molecular mechanism and explore the potential bioactive ingredients in FLL.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The OVX C57BL/6 J mice were orally administered with low (FL, 75 mg/kg), middle (FM, 225 mg/kg) or high (FH, 675 mg/kg) dose of extract of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi for 10 weeks. The biological properties of trabecular bone were measured by micro-CT and H&E staining. The molecular expression was assessed by immunoblotting and immunostaining. The potential active components were identified by cell membrane chromatography (CMC) and explored in renal tubular cells with Fluo-3/AM fluorescent staining to indicate intracellular calcium level. The male mice fed with high calcium diet (1.2% Ca) and orally treated with active components for 3 weeks.

RESULTS

Treatment of OVX mice with FLL extract suppressed the elevation in urinary calcium level (FH, 0.081 ± 0.012, vs. OVX, 0.189 ± 0.038 mg/mg), and increased bone mineral density (FH, 62.41 ± 2.57, vs. OVX, 43.72 ± 8.43 mg/ccm) and percentage of trabecular bone area. It also decreased circulating PTH level (FH, 66.69 ± 10.94, vs. OVX, 303.50 ± 26.56 pg/ml) and up-regulated TRPV5 expression in renal cortex of OVX mice as well as enhanced the expression of PTH receptor (PTH1R) and the ratio of p-PKA/PKA. The PKA inhibitor H89 abolished the induction of serum, prepared from rats treated with FLL extract, on PKA/TRPV5 signaling in renal tubular cells. The CMC identified phenol glycosides, including salidroside and oleuropein, which increased intracellular calcium content, promoted expression of PTH1R and TRPV5 and ratio of p-PKA/PKA as well as decreased calcium excretion in urine of mice fed with high calcium diet.

CONCLUSION

Salidroside and oleuropein are major ingredients contributing to the anti-hypercalciuria effects of FLL via acting on PTH1R/PKA/TRPV5 signaling in kidney. Further translational research would be required.

Understanding of Diabetes in Tibetan, Mongolian, Miao, Dai, Uygur, and Yi Medicine and Collation of Prevention and Cure Medicines

Diabetes seriously endangers human health and causes a huge economic burden. With the improvement of people's living standard, the prevalence of diabetes is getting higher and higher, and age is becoming younger. It is an increasingly serious global problem. Therefore, it is imperative to find the drugs to treat diabetes. Ethnic medicine is an important part of the world's medicinal treasure house and has its own unique system. This study systematically combined the theoretical understanding of the prevention and treatment of diabetes of Tibetan, Mongolian, Miao, Dai, Uygur, and Yi people by searching the existing literature studies published until 2021, library collection resources (related ethnic monographs, medical books, standards of medicinal materials, etc.), CNKI, PubMed, and other databases and collected and sorted the relevant medicines. A total of 112 kinds of ethnic medicines for the prevention and treatment of diabetes have been discovered, including plant medicines (105 kinds), animal medicines (6 kinds), and fungal medicines (1 kind). The composition of family and genus, medicinal parts, and life forms of medicinal plants were analyzed, and the number of drugs used in the prevention and treatment of diabetes in each ethnic group was statistically analyzed. The results showed that Rosaceae was at the top of the list, and the drugs used in underground parts accounted for 33.90% of the total, and the medicinal plants were mainly herbaceous, and the Mongolians have the largest number of diabetes medicines. In addition, CNKI, PubMed, and other databases selected “medicinal materials name,” “diabetes,” and “hypoglycemia” as keywords, the top 30 medicinal materials reported in existing literature were listed, and their Chinese name, the Latin name of the original plant, family and genus, nationality used, medicinal parts, and active ingredients related to the prevention and treatment of diabetes were introduced in detail. Among the 30 medicines, Astragalus membranaceus, Pueraria lobata, and Coptis chinensis are the most commonly used. Through literature research, this study summarized the existing theories of ethnic medicine for the prevention and treatment of diabetes, collected and sorted out ethnic medicine, clarified the potential mechanism of ethnic medicine, and provided effective data compilation. Ethnic medicine has a long history of treating diabetes, and there are abundant medicinal materials, to provide a new idea and basis for treating diabetes.

Fructus Ligustri Lucidi aqueous extract promotes calcium balance and short-chain fatty acids production in ovariectomized rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL) is an edible herb with anti-osteoporotic activity, yet whether and how the aqueous extract of this herb affect calcium metabolism in preservation of bone quality remain unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To investigate the effects of FLL aqueous extract on calcium balance and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

OVX rats were daily and orally administrated with FLL aqueous extract (3.5 g/kg) for 14 weeks. The levels of N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen (PINP) and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTx-I) in rat serum were evaluated by ELISA assays. The concentration of calcium in serum, urine, and feces were determined by biochemical assays. Bone quality was determined by Micro-CT, a three-point bending assay, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometry. The expressions of Calbindin D28K and Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) in kidney as well as the Vitamin D receptor (VDR), the transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 6 (TRPV6), Calbindin D9k in the duodenum were measured by immunohistochemistry, western blotting, or real-time PCR. The short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels in the feces of the cecum were tested by gas chromatograghy.

RESULTS

The administration of FLL to OVX rats resulted in a significant improvement in bone mineral density and biomechanical strength as well as in maintaining bone microstructures and material quality. Meanwhile, the decreased levels of PINP and increased levels of CTx-I in OVX rats were restored by FLL treatment. Additionally, FLL treatment increased calcium absorption, upregulated VDR, TRPV6, Calbindin D9k expressions in the duodenum, Calbindin D28K in kidney, and down-regulated CaSR expression in the kidney, as well as enhanced SCFAs levels in the feces of OVX rats.

CONCLUSIONS

FLL aqueous extract may preserve bone quality through regulation of the calcium balance and intestinal SCFAs production in OVX rats. This offers translational value of FLL into osteoporosis clinical trial.

Plant-microbial interaction: The mechanism and the application of microbial elicitor induced secondary metabolites biosynthesis in medicinal plants

Plants and microbes interact with each other via different chemical signaling pathways. At the risophere level, the microbes can secrete molecules, called elicitors, which act on their receptors located in plant cells. The so-called elicitor molecules as well as their actions differ according to the mcirobes and induce different bilogical responses in plants such as the synthesis of secondary metabolites. Microbial compounds induced phenotype changes in plants are known as elicitors and signaling pathways which integrate elicitor's signals in plants are called elicitation. In this review, the impact of microbial elicitors on the synthesis and the secretion of secondary metabolites in plants was highlighted. Moreover, biological properties of these bioactive compounds were also highlighted and discussed. Indeed, several bacteria, fungi, and viruses release elicitors which bind to plant cell receptors and mediate signaling pathways involved in secondary metabolites synthesis. Different phytochemical classes such as terpenoids, phenolic acids and flavonoids were synthesized and/or increased in medicinal plants via the action of microbial elicitors. Moreover, these compounds compounds exhibit numerous biological activities and can therefore be explored in drugs discovery.

Therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicines and their extracts on diabetes

With the improvement of people's living standards and changes in the environment, the incidence of diabetes has increased rapidly. It has gradually become one of the main diseases threatening the health and life of modern people, bringing a great burden to the society. Although the existing treatment methods can effectively control the symptoms of diabetes and delay its progression, they have not brought satisfactory improvement in the quality of life and treatment of patients. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines and their extracts combine thousands of years of experience and the scientific basis provided by modern experimental research, which is expected to bring a qualitative leap in the clinical management of diabetes. Therefore, this article systematically reviews studies on the effects of Chinese herbal medicine and its extracts on diabetes and its complications, and aims to bring new ideas and options for the clinical treatment of diabetes.

The Therapeutic Effects and Mechanisms of Salidroside on Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases: An Updated Review

The increasing incidence of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases has severely affected global human health and life safety. In recent years, some effective drugs with remarkable curative effects and few side effects found in natural compounds have attracted attention. Salidroside (SAL), a phenylpropane glycoside, is the main active ingredient of the plateau plant Rhodiola. So far, many animal experiments proved that SAL has good biological activity against some metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. However, most of these reports are scattered. This review systematically summarizes the pharmacological progress of SAL in the treatment of several metabolic (e. g., diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) and cardiovascular (e. g., atherosclerosis) diseases in a timely manner to promote the clinical application and basic research of SAL. Accumulating evidence proves that SAL has beneficial effects on these diseases. It can improve glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and β-cell and liver functions, and inhibit adipogenesis, inflammation and oxidative stress. Overall, SAL may be a valuable and potential drug candidate for the treatment of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. However, more studies especially clinical trials are needed to further confirm its therapeutic effects and molecular mechanisms.

Role of Fzd6 in Regulating the Osteogenic Differentiation of Adipose-derived Stem Cells in Osteoporotic Mice

OBJECTIVE

Although it has been demonstrated that adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) from osteoporotic mice (OP-ASCs) exhibited impaired osteogenic differentiation potential, the molecular mechanism has not yet been elucidated. We found that Fzd6 was decreased in OP-ASCs compared with ASCs. This study investigates effects and underlying mechanisms of Fzd6 in the osteogenic potential of OP-ASCs, and explores methods to enhance osteogenic capacity of OP-ASCs.

METHODS

Fzd6 overexpression and silencing lentiviruses were used to evaluate the role of Fzd6 in the osteogenic differentiation of OP-ASCs. Real-time PCR (qPCR) and western blotting (WB) was performed to detect the expression of Fzd6 and bone-related molecules, including runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and osteopontin (Opn). Alizarin red staining and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining were performed following osteogenic induction. Microscopic CT (Micro-CT), hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE) staining, and Masson staining were used to assess the role of Fzd6 in osteogenic differentiation of osteoporosis (OP) mice in vivo.

RESULTS

Expression of Fzd6 was decreased significantly in OP-ASCs. Fzd6 silencing down-regulated the osteogenic ability of OP-ASCs in vitro. Overexpression of Fzd6 rescued the impaired osteogenic capacity in OP-ASCs in vitro. We obtained similar results in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Fzd6 plays an important role in regulating the osteogenic ability of OP-ASCs both in vivo and in vitro. Overexpression of Fzd6 promotes the osteogenic ability of OP-ASCs, which provides new insights for the prevention and treatment of OP mice.

Ferroptosis Is a Potential Novel Diagnostic and Therapeutic Target for Patients With Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyocyte death is a fundamental progress in cardiomyopathy. However, the mechanism of triggering the death of myocardial cells remains unclear. Ferroptosis, which is the nonapoptotic, iron-dependent, and peroxidation-driven programmed cell death pathway, that is abundant and readily accessible, was not discovered until recently with a pharmacological approach. New researches have demonstrated the close relationship between ferroptosis and the development of many cardiovascular diseases, and several ferroptosis inhibitors, iron chelators, and small antioxidant molecules can relieve myocardial injury by blocking the ferroptosis pathways. Notably, ferroptosis is gradually being considered as an important cell death mechanism in the animal models with multiple cardiomyopathies. In this review, we will discuss the mechanism of ferroptosis and the important role of ferroptosis in cardiomyopathy with a special emphasis on the value of ferroptosis as a potential novel diagnostic and therapeutic target for patients suffering from cardiomyopathy in the future.

Femur absorptiometry changes determined by X-ray image segmentation in mice under experimental diabetes and ovariectomy

AIM

The aim of the present work was to determine if both ovariectomy (OVX) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can change X-ray absorptiometry until reach the osteoporosis condition.

RESULTS

The segmentation allowed us to quantitatively determine the X-ray absorption in the femurs of mice subjected to OVX, T2DM and both pathologies together.

CONCLUSIONS

The test subjects suffering from the mentioned pathologies separately or together, did not reach the osteoporosis condition when they were 30 weeks old.

Inhibition of tanshinone IIA on renin activity protected against osteoporosis in diabetic mice

Context: Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. (Labiatae) (SMB) is applied clinically for management of diabetic osteoporosis in China, and research results has suggested its potential action on renin-angiotensin system (RAS).Objective: This study screens and explores naturally occurring bioactive constituents from the root of SMB acting on renin activity and evaluates its osteoprotective efficacy in diabetic mice.Materials and methods: Human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells, engineered to express human renin, were used as an in vitro model to identify bioactive compound, tanshinone IIA, inhibiting renin activity. The C57BL/6 mice (n = 10 in each group) with diabetes induced by streptozotocin (STZ) were intraperitoneally injected with tanshinone IIA (10 and 30 mg/kg). The mice without STZ treatment and the diabetic mice treated with aliskiren were used as non-diabetic control and positive control, respectively.Results: Tanshinone IIA was found to display inhibitory effects on renin activity of HEK-293 cells; moreover, it down-regulated protein expression of ANG II in human renin-expressed HEK-293 cells. Treatment of diabetic mice with tanshinone IIA with both doses could significantly decrease ANG II level in serum (from 16.56 ± 1.70 to 10.86 ± 0.68 and 9.14 ± 1.31 pg/mL) and reduce ANG II expression in bone, consequently improving trabecular bone mineral density and micro-structure of proximal tibial end and increasing trabecular bone area of distal femoral end in diabetic mice.Conclusions: This study revealed beneficial effects of tanshinone IIA on bone of diabetic mice, and potentially suggested the application of Salvia miltiorrhiza in the treatment of osteoporosis and drug development of tanshinone IIA as a renin inhibitor.

Distinct Types of Cell Death and the Implication in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a chronic complication of diabetes mellitus, characterized by abnormalities of myocardial structure and function. Researches on the models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus as well as the application of genetic engineering technology help in understanding the molecular mechanism of DCM. DCM has multiple hallmarks, including hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, increased free radical production, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, endothelial dysfunction, and cell death. Essentially, cell death is considered to be the terminal pathway of cardiomyocytes during DCM. Morphologically, cell death can be classified into four different forms: apoptosis, autophagy, necrosis, and entosis. Apoptosis, as type I cell death, is the fastest form of cell death and mainly occurs depending on the caspase proteolytic cascade. Autophagy, as type II cell death, is a degradation process to remove damaged proteins, dysfunctional organelles and commences by the formation of autophagosome. Necrosis is type III cell death, which contains a great diversity of cell death processes, such as necroptosis and pyroptosis. Entosis is type IV cell death, displaying “cell-in-cell” cytological features and requires the engulfing cells to execute. There are also some other types of cell death such as ferroptosis, parthanatos, netotic cell death, lysosomal dependent cell death, alkaliptosis or oxeiptosis, which are possibly involved in DCM. Drugs or compounds targeting the signals involved in cell death have been used in clinics or experiments to treat DCM. This review briefly summarizes the mechanisms and implications of cell death in DCM, which is beneficial to improve the understanding of cell death in DCM and may propose novel and ideal strategies in future.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Rhodiola rosea L.: A review

Rhodiola rosea L., a worldwide botanical adaptogen, has been confirmed to possess protective effects of inflammatory injury for many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, sepsis, and cancer. This paper is to review the recent clinical and experimental researches about the anti-inflammatory effects and the related mechanisms of Rhodiola rosea L. extracts, preparations, and the active compounds. From the collected information reviewed, this paper will provide the theoretical basis for its clinical application, and provide the evidences or guidance for future studies and medicinal exploitations of Rhodiola rosea L.

Tetrahydroxy stilbene glucoside protected against diabetes-induced osteoporosis in mice with streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia

Tetrahydroxy stilbene glucoside (TSG), an active component from medicinal herb Polygonum multiflorum Thunb, could block the activity of the tissue renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which plays a critical role in development of diabetic osteoporosis. This study aimed to determine if TSG therapy could alleviate bone deteriorations in diabetic mouse model induced by streptozotocin. The diabetic mice showed the loss of trabecular bone mass and the changes of trabecular bone microarchitectural parameters as well as the increase in amount of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive osteoclasts at the distal metaphysis of femur when compared with those of nondiabetic mice. Treatment with TSG significantly elevated calcium content in serum and bone and improved biological parameters of trabecular bone, accompanied by increasing messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of RUNX-2, COL-I, and OCN and protein expression of β-catenin as well as down-regulating protein expression of RAS components including renin and AT1R. In addition, TSG repressed diabetes-induced decrease in ratio of OPG/RANKL expression and increase in sclerostin expression in bone. The similar effects of TSG on osteoblasts-specific genes were found in MC3T3-E1 cells. Taken together, the present study demonstrated the osteopreserve effects of TSG in diabetic mice, and the underlying mechanism might be attributed to its regulation on osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis.