Curcumol suppresses endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition via inhibiting the AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway and alleviates pulmonary arterial hypertension in rats

Curcumol Ameliorates Cisplatin-induced Nephrotoxicity by Targeting TAK1 and Inhibiting MAPK and NF-κB Pathways

BACKGROUND

Although cisplatin (Cis) is a foundational chemotherapeutic agent, its dose-limiting nephrotoxicity lacks clinically effective drugs. Curcumol (CUR), a bioactive sesquiterpenoid derived from Curcuma zedoariae rhizome, exhibits multi-organ protective effects. However, its therapeutic potential and molecular targets in Cis-provoked acute kidney injury (AKI) remain unexplored.

PURPOSE

This study systematically investigated the nephroprotection and underlying mechanism of CUR in Cis-induced nephrotoxicity.

METHODS

C57BL/6 mice received intraperitoneal administration of 20 mg/kg Cis to induce AKI. Dual-concentration CUR (40/80 mg/kg) was administered pre- and post-treatment in Cis-challenged mice, with longitudinal monitoring of renal function. Human tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) were used to evaluate CUR's nephroprotection in vitro. RNA-sequencing transcriptomics identified pathway-level mechanisms, while structure-based molecular docking (MOD) prioritized target proteins.

RESULTS

CUR exhibited dose-responsive nephroprotection, reducing apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation more effectively than N-acetylcysteine in pre- and post-Cis treatment regimens. Mechanistically, we revealed that nephroprotection of CUR primarily involves suppression of phosphorylation-mediated MAPK/NF-κB pathway activation, thereby mitigating the inflammatory response. Notably, MOD and Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) data suggested a direct interaction between CUR and TAK1. Functional validation experiments demonstrated that TAK1 silencing attenuated cisplatin-induced tubular cell injury, and TAK1 activity was essential for CUR's protective effects.

CONCLUSION

CUR ameliorated Cis-triggered AKI by targeting TAK1 and inhibiting MAPK and NF-κB pathways. These findings suggest that CUR may serve as a promising adjuvant to overcome the primary limitation of Cis.

Tianlong Kechuanling decoction attenuates pulmonary hypertension by inhibiting endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious and progressive disease, posing a significant challenge to patient survival and quality of life. However, current treatments have limited effectiveness. Tianlong Kechuanling (TL) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound formulation commonly used in clinical practice for the treatment of pulmonary heart disease, but its underlying mechanism is unknown.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to validate the mitigating effect of TL on PH and to further investigate its mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A rat model of PH was induced by SU5416 combined with hypoxia (SuHx). The effects of TL on PH were evaluated through right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), Right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) and histopathological analysis. The serum levels of HIF-1α, VEGFA in rats were detected by ELISA; VEGFR2, Vimentin and CD31 were detected by immunohistochemistry to explore the mechanism of action of TL. Human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAECs) were induced by hypoxia, and the effects of TL were confirmed by RT-PCR and Western Blotting. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis was used to identify the chemical composition of TL.

RESULTS

TL ameliorated PH through modulation of the HIF-1α/VEGFA pathway and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (End-MT). The study also identified the key chemical components responsible for these effects.

CONCLUSIONS

The study demonstrates that TL can improve PH by inhibiting End-MT, supporting the further development of TL as an effective therapeutic option for PH.

Network pharmacology provides new insights into the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine and natural products used to treat pulmonary hypertension

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare cardiovascular disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. It is characterized by increased pulmonary arterial pressure. Current research into relevant therapeutic drugs and targets for PH, however, is insufficient still. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and natural products have a long history as therapeutics for PH. Network pharmacology is an approach that integrates drug-target interactions and signaling pathways based on biomarkers information obtained from drug and disease databases. The concept of network pharmacology shows many similarities with the TCM philosophy. Network pharmacology help elucidate the mechanisms of TCM in PH. This review presents representative applications of network pharmacology in the study of the mechanisms of TCM and natural products for the treatment of PH.

METHODS

In this review, we used ("pulmonary hypertension" OR "pulmonary arterial hypertension" OR "chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension") AND ("network pharmacology" OR "systematic pharmacology") as keywords to search for reports from PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases from ten years ago. The studies were screened and those chosen are summarized here. The TCM and natural products inPH and their corresponding targets and signaling pathways are described. Additionally, we discuss the application of network pharmacology in the study of TCM in PH to provide insights for future application strategies.

RESULTS

Network pharmacology have shown that AKT-related pathways, HIF-1 signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, TGF-β-Smad pathway, cell cycle-related pathways and inflammation-related pathways are the main signaling pathways enriched in the PH targets of TCM. Reservatrol, curcumol, genistin, formononetin, wogonin, luteolin, baicalein, berberine, triptolide and tanshinone llA are active ingredients specific for PH treatment. A number of databases and tools specific for the treatment of PH are used in network pharmacology and natural product research.

CONCLUSION

Through the reasonable combination of molecular docking, omics technology and bioinformatics technology, the mechanism of multi-targets can be explained more comprehensively. Analyzing the complex mechanism of TCM from the clinical perspective may be a potential development trend of network pharmacology. Combination of predicted targets and traditional pharmacology improves efficiency of drug development.

Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA)-mediated lactate generation promotes pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension

BACKGROUND

High levels of lactate are positively associated with prognosis and mortality in pulmonary hypertension (PH). Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is a key enzyme for the production of lactate. This study is undertaken to investigate the role and molecular mechanisms of lactate and LDHA in PH.

METHODS

Lactate levels were measured by a lactate assay kit. LDHA expression and localization were detected by western blot and Immunofluorescence. Proliferation and migration were determined by CCK8, western blot, EdU assay and scratch-wound assay. The right heart catheterization and right heart ultrasound were measured to evaluate cardiopulmonary function.

RESULTS

In vitro, we found that lactate promoted proliferation and migration of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) in an LDHA-dependent manner. In vivo, we found that LDHA knockdown reduced lactate overaccumulation in the lungs of mice exposed to hypoxia. Furthermore, LDHA knockdown ameliorated hypoxia-induced vascular remodeling and right ventricular dysfunction. In addition, the activation of Akt signaling by hypoxia was suppressed by LDHA knockdown both in vivo and in vitro. The overexpression of Akt reversed the inhibitory effect of LDHA knockdown on proliferation in PASMCs under hypoxia. Finally, LDHA inhibitor attenuated vascular remodeling and right ventricular dysfunction in Sugen/hypoxia mouse PH model, Monocrotaline (MCT)-induced rat PH model and chronic hypoxia-induced mouse PH model.

CONCLUSIONS

Thus, LDHA-mediated lactate production promotes pulmonary vascular remodeling in PH by activating Akt signaling pathway, suggesting the potential role of LDHA in regulating the metabolic reprogramming and vascular remodeling in PH.

Curcumol: a review of its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, drug delivery systems, structure-activity relationships, and potential applications

Curcumol (Cur), a guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid hemiketal, is an important and representative bioactive component extracted from the essential oil of the rhizomes of Curcumae rhizoma which is also known as "Ezhu" in traditional Chinese medicine. Recently, Cur has received considerable attention from the research community due to its favorable pharmacological activities, including anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-convulsant, and other activities, and has also exerted therapeutic effect on various cancers, liver diseases, inflammatory diseases, and infectious diseases. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that Cur is rapidly distributed in almost all organs of rats after intragastric administration with high concentrations in the small intestine and colon. Several studies focusing on structure-activity relationship (SAR) of Cur have shown that some Cur derivatives, chemically modified at C-8 or C-14, exhibited more potent anti-cancer activity and lower toxicity than Cur itself. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the latest advances in the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of Cur in the last decade with a focus on its anti-cancer and hepatoprotective potentials, as well as the research progress in drug delivery system and potential applications of Cur to date, to provide researchers with the latest information, to highlighted the limitations of relevant research at the current stage and the aspects that should be addressed in future research. Our results indicate that Cur and its derivatives could serve as potential novel agents for the treatment of a variety of diseases, particularly cancer and liver diseases.

A ROCK inhibitor suppresses the transforming growth factor-beta-2-induced endothelial-mesenchymal transition in Schlemm's canal endothelial cells

In the normal eye, most of the aqueous humor drains through the trabecular meshwork (TM) and Schlemm's canal (SC). The concentration of transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF-β2) is increased in the aqueous humor of primary open angle glaucoma patients. TGF-β2 increases outflow resistance by affecting the TM and SC, and endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) of SC cells is involved in these changes. Here, we investigated the effect of a ROCK inhibitor on TGF-β2-induced EndMT in SC cells. The ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 suppressed the TGF-β2-induced increase in the trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TER) and proliferation of SC cells. Y-27632 suppressed the expression of α-SMA, N-cadherin, and Snail, which are upregulated by TGF-β2. Moreover, TGF-β2 decreased mRNA levels of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 4 and increased those of the BMP antagonist gremlin (GREM1), but Y-27632 significantly suppressed these changes. Y-27632 also inhibited TGF-β2-induced phosphorylation of p-38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). BMP4 and the p-38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 suppressed the TGF-β2-induced TER elevation in SC cells. Moreover, SB203580 suppressed TGF-β2-induced upregulation of fibronectin, Snail, and GREM1. These results indicate that a ROCK inhibitor inhibited the TGF-β2-induced EndMT in SC cells, implying the involvement of p38 MAPK and BMP4 signaling.