Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase by Corydalis turtschaninovii on interferon-gamma stimulated macrophages

Antibacterial Activity and Multi-Targeting Mechanism of Dehydrocorydaline From Corydalis turtschaninovii Bess. Against Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen, with relatively low incidence but high case-fatality. Phytochemicals have been recognized as a promising antimicrobial agent as an alternative to synthetic chemicals due to their safety and high efficacy with multi-target sites. This study identified and characterized a novel antibacterial agent, dehydrocorydaline, in the Corydalis turschaninovii rhizome using HPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-HRMS, and its antibacterial effect with lowest MIC (1 mg/mL) and MBC (2 mg/mL) values. In addition, an in vitro growth kinetic assay, cytoplasmic nucleic acid and protein leakage assay, and observation of morphological changes in bacterial cells supported the strong antibacterial activity. Dehydrocorydaline also displayed effective inhibitory effects on biofilm formation and bacterial motility. In order to investigate the potential antibacterial mechanism of action of dehydrocorydaline against L. monocytogenes, label-free quantitative proteomics was used, demonstrating that dehydrocorydaline has multiple targets for combating L. monocytogenes including dysregulation of carbohydrate metabolism, suppression of cell wall synthesis, and inhibition of bacterial motility. Overall, this study demonstrated that dehydrocorydaline has potential as a natural and effective antibacterial agent with multi-target sites in pathogenic bacteria, and provides the basis for development of a new class of antibacterial agent.

Effect of macrophages on biological function of ovarian cancer cells in tumor microenvironment in vitro

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of two types of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) on the biological function of human ovarian cell lines in vitro.

METHODS

(1) M2 macrophage release was induced by IL-4, and M1 macrophage release by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) in vitro. Flow cytometry was used to distinguish these two types; (2) transwell culture system was used to establish a non-contact co-culture model of macrophage and ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3, HEY, HO8910 and A2780) in vitro. The microenvironment of ovarian cancer was simulated in vitro. (3) The proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells SKOV3, HEY, HO8910 and A2780 were analyzed after co-culture. Their proliferation was detected by CCK8 method, apoptosis by flow cytometry, Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining, invasion by Transwell assay, and migration by wound healing test.

RESULTS

(1) IL-4-induced macrophages (M2) overexpressed CD163, and PMA-induced macrophages (M1) overexpressed HLA-DR. After co-culturing primary macrophages with ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3, HEY, HO8910, A2780), macrophage CD163 was highly expressed. (2) Proliferation and apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3, HEY, HO8910, A2780): the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells in M2 co-culture group increased compared to that in M1 co-culture group and primary co-culture group (p < 0.05); the apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells in M2 co-culture group decreased compared to that in M1 co-culture group and primary co-culture group (p < 0.05). (3) Migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3, HEY, HO8910, A2780): the invasion of ovarian cancer cells in M2 co-culture group increased compared to that in M1 co-culture group and primary co-culture group (p < 0.05); the migration of ovarian cancer cells in M2 co-culture group increased compared to that in M1 co-culture group and the primary co-culture group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In the simulated in vitro tumor microenvironment, co-cultured ovarian cancer cells polarized macrophages to the M2 phenotype. Furthermore, M2 macrophages enhanced the proliferation, invasion and migration, and inhibited the apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells.

Influence of vinegar and wine processing on the alkaloid content and composition of the traditional Chinese medicine Corydalis Rhizoma (Yanhusuo)

Corydalis Rhizoma is the dried tuber of Corydalis yanhusuo W.T. Wang which is used in traditional Chinese medicine for pain relief and blood activation. Before being used in the clinics, C. yanhusuo is traditionally processed through dry-frying or frying with vinegar, wine or salt. In this study, eleven alkaloids from Corydalis Rhizoma, namely protopine (1), α-allocryptopine (2), tetrahydrocolumbamine (3), coptisine (4), palmatine (5), berberine (6), dehydrocorydaline (7), D,L-tetrahydropalmatine (8), tetrahydroberberine (9), corydaline (10) and tetrahydrocoptisine (11) were simultaneously quantified using a newly developed high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method. The influence of vinegar and wine processing on the content of the main alkaloids of Corydalis Rhizoma was investigated. For this purpose, two common formulations with clinical application, namely the water decoction of Corydalis Rhizoma and its formula Jin Ling Zi San (combination of Corydalis Rhizoma and Toosendan Fructus) were studied. In the two water decoctions, wine and vinegar processing increased the amount of tertiary alkaloids. The differences were more pronounced for Jin Ling Zi San, in which case the content of all tertiary alkaloids (compounds 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11) was increased by wine processing.

Drynariae Rhizoma Increases Immune Response in Mice

Drynariae Rhizoma (DR), a traditional Korean herbal medicine, has long been used for vital energy and to strengthen health in Korea. However, it is still unclear how DR has the effects in experimental models. We examined the immune-enhancing effect of DR in mice using the forced swimming test (FST) and in vitro tests with peritoneal macrophages. After daily oral administration of DR, blood biochemical parameters related to fatigue were measured after the FST. The immobility time in the FST was significantly decreased in the DR-treated group (100 mg/kg) on the 3th days. DR (10 and 100 mg/kg) treatment significantly decreased creatine kinase and lactic dehydrogenase levels, which are accurate indicators of muscle damage. Further, we examined how DR regulates nitric oxide (NO) production and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) production and in mouse peritoneal macrophages. When DR was used in combination with recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN-γ), there were noticeable cooperative productions of NO and TNF-α. These results suggest that DR improves immune function through the changes in indicators related to fatigue and the regulatory effects on immunological parameters, such as NO and TNF-α productions.

Cytotoxic activity of proteins isolated from extracts of Corydalis cava tubers in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells

Background

Corydalis cava Schweigg. & Koerte, the plant of numerous pharmacological activities, together with the studied earlier by our group Chelidonium majus L. (Greater Celandine), belong to the family Papaveraceae. The plant grows in Central and South Europe and produces the sizeable subterraneous tubers, empty inside, which are extremely resistant to various pathogen attacks. The Corydalis sp. tubers are a rich source of many biologically active substances, with the extensive use in European and Asian folk medicine. They have analgetic, sedating, narcotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and anti-tumour activities. On the other hand, there is no information about possible biological activities of proteins contained in Corydalis cava tubers.

Methods

Nucleolytic proteins were isolated from the tubers of C. cava by separation on a heparin column and tested for DNase activity. Protein fractions showing nucleolytic activity were tested for cytotoxic activity in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells. Cultures of HeLa cells were conducted in the presence of three protein concentrations: 42, 83 and 167 ng/ml during 48 h. Viability of cell cultures was appraised using XTT colorimetric test. Protein fractions were separated and protein bands were excised and sent for identification by mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS).

Results

The studied protein fractions showed an inhibiting effect on mitochondrial activity of HeLa cells, depending on the administered dose of proteins. The most pronounced effect was obtained with the highest concentration of the protein (167 ng/ml) - 43.45 ± 3% mitochondrial activity of HeLa cells were inhibited. Mass spectrometry results for the proteins of applied fractions showed that they contained plant defense- and pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins.

Conclusions

The cytotoxic effect of studied proteins toward HeLa cell line cells has been evident and dependent on increasing dose of the protein. The present study, most probably, represents the first investigations on the effect of purified PR proteins from tuber extracts of a pharmacologically active plant on cell lines.