Cordyceps militaris improves the survival of Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats possibly via influences of mitochondria and autophagy functions

Use of bailing capsules (cordyceps sinensis) in the treatment of chronic kidney disease: a meta-analysis and network pharmacology

The Bailing Capsule is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, its therapeutic effects and pharmacological mechanisms have not been fully explored. In this study, we integrated meta-analysis and network pharmacology to provide scientific evidence for the efficacy and pharmacological mechanism of Bailing Capsule in treating CKD. We conducted searches for randomized controlled studies matching the topic in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and the Wanfang Database, and screened them according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Dates from the included studies were extracted for meta-analysis, including renal function indicators, such as 24-h urinary protein (24UP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum creatinine (Scr), as well as inflammatory indicators like high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Network pharmacology was employed to extract biological information, including active drug ingredients and potential targets of the drugs and diseases, for network construction and gene enrichment. Our findings indicated that 24UP, BUN, and Scr in the treatment group containing Bailing Capsule were lower than those in the control group. In terms of inflammatory indicators, hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α, the treatment group containing Bailing Capsule also exhibited lower levels than the control group. Based on network pharmacology analysis, we identified 190 common targets of Bailing Capsule and CKD. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses suggested that the pharmacological mechanism of Bailing Capsule might be related to immune response, inflammatory response, vascular endothelial damage, cell proliferation, and fibrosis. This demonstrates that Bailing Capsule can exert therapeutic effects through multiple targets and pathways, providing a theoretical basis for its use.

Protective Mechanism of Cordyceps sinensis Treatment on Acute Kidney Injury-Induced Acute Lung Injury through AMPK/mTOR Signaling Pathway

OBJECTIVE

To investigate protective effect of Cordyceps sinensis (CS) through autophagy-associated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in acute kidney injury (AKI)-induced acute lung injury (ALI).

METHODS

Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups according to a random number table, including the normal saline (NS)-treated sham group (sham group), NS-treated ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) group (IRI group), and low- (5 g/kg·d) and high-dose (10 g/kg·d) CS-treated IRI groups (CS1 and CS2 groups), 12 rats in each group. Nephrectomy of the right kidney was performed on the IRI rat model that was subjected to 60 min of left renal pedicle occlusion followed by 12, 24, 48, and 72 h of reperfusion. The wet-to-dry (W/D) ratio of lung, levels of serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin- β and tumor necrosis factor- α, and biomarkers of oxidative stress such as superoxide dismutase, malonaldehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO), were assayed. Histological examinations were conducted to determine damage of tissues in the kidney and lung. The protein expressions of light chain 3 II/light chain 3 I (LC3-II/LC3-I), uncoordinated-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1), P62, AMPK and mTOR were measured by Western blot and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

RESULTS

The renal IRI induced pulmonary injury following AKI, resulting in significant increases in W/D ratio of lung, and the levels of Scr, BUN, inflammatory cytokines, MDA and MPO (P<0.01); all of these were reduced in the CS groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the IRI groups, the expression levels of P62 and mTOR were significantly lower (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while those of LC3-II/LC3-I, ULK1, and AMPK were significantly higher in the CS2 group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

CS had a potential in treating lung injury following renal IRI through activation of the autophagy-related AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway in AKI-induced ALI.

Effect of Cordyceps militaris on formation of short-chain fatty acids as postbiotic metabolites

The aim of the current study was to determine the growth-promoting-effect of Cordyceps militaris, known as a medicinal mushroom, on Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus acidophilus. To evaluate the best growth-promoting activity of the test substrates including glucose, inulin, and at different concentrations of C. militaris (0.5%, 1%, and 2%), the cell counts, optical density (OD), prebiotic activity scores, and postbiotics (lactic, acetic, butyric, and propionic acids) were determined. The highest cell count was found for L. casei in media containing 0.5% C. militaris and for L. acidophilus in media containing 1% C. militaris. In the case of both strains, the OD values of the medium with C. militaris (1%) and (2%) increased similar to those of glucose. The prebiotic activity scores for both strains were positive. The concentration of lactic acid ranged from 0.56 to 8.07 g L^-1 for L. casei and 0.82 to 5.38 g L^-1 for L. acidophilus. Moreover, propionic acid was the highest among short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by both strains. According to the results of the present study, the tested Lactobacillus species can utilize C. militaris as carbon source and is able to form postbiotics in the media.

Cordycepin Attenuates Palmitic Acid-Induced Inflammation and Apoptosis of Vascular Endothelial Cells through Mediating PI3K/Akt/eNOS Signaling Pathway

A well-known medicinal mushroom in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, Cordyceps sinensis, is a rare natural-occurring entomopathogenic fungus, and it typically grows at high altitudes on the plateau of the Himalayan. Previous studies indicated that cordycepin, the main bioactive chemical of Cordyceps sinensis, has very potent anticancer, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. However, its protective effects against atherosclerotic changes in vascular endothelial cells have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we showed that pretreatment with cordycepin significantly attenuated palmitic acid (PA)-induced cytotoxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and inflammatory responses. We found that PA decreased phosphorylation of Akt, eNOS, and bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), which in turn activated NF-[Formula: see text]B and the downstream inflammatory responses. All these detrimental events were markedly blocked by pretreatment with cordycepin. Moreover, cordycepin ameliorated destabilization of mitochondrial permeability, cytosolic calcium rises, and apoptotic features caused by PA. In addition, all these anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptosis effects of cordycepin were found to be inhibited by the PI3K and eNOS inhibitor, suggesting that its anti-atherosclerotic effects may partially be mediated by the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway.

Polysaccharides Obtained from Cordyceps militaris Alleviate Hyperglycemia by Regulating Gut Microbiota in Mice Fed a High-Fat/Sucrose Diet

Polysaccharides isolated from fungus Cordyceps militaris display multi-biofunctions, such as immunostimulation, down-regulation of hyperlipidemia, and anti-cancer function. The occurrence of obesity and metabolic syndrome is related to the imbalance of gut microbiota. In this study, the effects of C. militaris and its fractions on modifying metabolic syndrome in mice were evaluated. Mice were fed a high-fat/high-sucrose diet (HFSD) for 14 weeks to induce body weight increase and hyperlipidemia symptoms in mice, and then the mice were simultaneously given a HFSD and C. militaris samples for a further 8 weeks. The results indicated that the fruit body, polysaccharides, and cordycepin obtained from C. militaris had different efficacies on regulating metabolic syndrome and gut microbiota in HFSD-treated mice. Polysaccharides derived from C. militaris decreased the levels of blood sugar and serum lipids in mice fed HFSD. In addition, C. militaris-polysaccharide treatment obviously improved intestinal dysbiosis through promoting the population of next generation probiotic Akkermansia muciniphila in the gut of mice fed HFSD. In conclusion, polysaccharides derived from C. militaris have the potential to act as dietary supplements and health food products for modifying the gut microbiota to improve the metabolic syndrome.

Cell Clearing Systems as Targets of Polyphenols in Viral Infections: Potential Implications for COVID-19 Pathogenesis

The novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has generated the ongoing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, still with an uncertain outcome. Besides pneumonia and acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), other features became evident in the context of COVID-19. These includes endothelial and coagulation dysfunction with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), along with the occurrence of neurological alterations. The multi-system nature of such viral infection is a witness to the exploitation and impairment of ubiquitous subcellular and metabolic pathways for the sake of its life-cycle, ranging from host cell invasion, replication, transmission, up to a cytopathic effect and overt systemic inflammation. In this frame, alterations in cell-clearing systems of the host are emerging as a hallmark in the pathogenesis of various respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Indeed, exploitation of the autophagy and proteasome pathways might contribute not only to the replication of the virus at the site of infection but also to the spreading of either mature virions or inflammatory mediators at both cellular and multisystem levels. In this frame, besides a pharmacological therapy, many researchers are wondering if some non-pharmacological substances might counteract or positively modulate the course of the infection. The pharmacological properties of natural compounds have gained increasing attention in the field of alternative and adjunct therapeutic approaches to several diseases. In particular, several naturally-occurring herbal compounds (mostly polyphenols) are reported to produce widespread antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant effects while acting as autophagy and (immuno)-proteasome modulators. This article attempts to bridge the perturbation of autophagy and proteasome pathways with the potentially beneficial effects of specific phytochemicals and flavonoids in viral infections, with a focus on the multisystem SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Diversity of Akanthomyces on moths (Lepidoptera) in Thailand

Akanthomyces is a genus of invertebrate-pathogenic fungi from the family Cordycipitaceae (Ascomycota, Hypocreales). Its species occurs on two different types of hosts, spiders and insects, and in the latter case specifically Lepidoptera adults. Three new species of Akanthomyces, A. noctuidarum, A. pyralidarum, and A. tortricidarum occurring on adult moths from Thailand are proposed based on the differences of their morphological characteristics and molecular data. Phylogenetic analyses using a combined dataset, including the internal transcribed spacer regions, the large subunit of the ribosomal DNA, translation elongation factor 1-α, the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II, and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II, support the delimitation of these new species in Akanthomyces.

Cordycepin alleviates hepatic lipid accumulation by inducing protective autophagy via PKA/mTOR pathway

As the major active ingredient of Cordyceps militaris, cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) has been well documented to possess lipid-lowering and anti-oxidative activities, making it a promising candidate for treatment of NAFLD. Autophagy was recently identified as a critical protective mechanism during NAFLD development. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the mechanism of cordycepin regulating autophagy and lipid metabolism. Here, we found that cordycepin decreased palmitate-induced lipid accumulation by Oil Red O staining, Nile Red staining assays, triglyceride and total cholesterol measurements. Based on Western blot assay and immunocytochemistry, we found that cordycepin induced autophagy in PA-induced steatotic HepG2 cells. Whereas pretreatment with CQ, an autophagy inhibitor, substantially deteriorated the mitigative effects of cordycepin on PA-induced hepatic lipid accumulation. These data taken together indicate that cordycepin protects against PA-induced hepatic lipid accumulation via autophagy induction. Further, cordycepin remarkably increased the expression of P-PKA and decreased P-mTOR, whereas pretreatment with H89, a PKA inhibitor, abolished the ability of cordycepin to activate autophagy via mTOR activation. These data suggested that cordycepin protects against PA-induced hepatic lipid accumulation through the promotion of autophagy. The underlying mechanism might be associated with the PKA/mTOR pathway.

Sirt3 inhibits cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury through normalizing Wnt/β-catenin pathway and blocking mitochondrial fission

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) potentiates existing brain damage and increases mortality and morbidity via poorly understood mechanisms. The aim of our study is to investigate the role of Sirtuin 3 (Sirt3) in the development and progression of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury with a focus on mitochondrial fission and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Our data indicated that Sirt3 was downregulated in response to cerebral IRI. However, the overexpression of Sirt3 reduced the brain infarction area and repressed IRI-mediated neuron apoptosis. Functional assays demonstrated that IRI augmented mitochondrial fission, which induced ROS overproduction, redox imbalance, mitochondrial pro-apoptotic protein leakage, and caspase-9-dependent cell death pathway activation. However, the overexpression of Sirt3 blocked mitochondrial fission and induced pro-survival signals in neurons subjected to IRI. At the molecular level, our data further illustrated that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is required for the neuroprotection exerted by Sirt3 overexpression. Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation via inhibiting β-catenin phosphorylation attenuates mitochondrial fission and mitochondrial apoptosis. Collectively, our data show that cerebral IRI is associated with Sirt3 downregulation, Wnt/β-catenin pathway phosphorylated inactivation, and mitochondrial fission initiation, causing neurons to undergo caspase-9-dependent cell death. Based on this, strategies for enhancing Sirt3 activity and activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway could be therapeutic targets for treating cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.