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Wang Y, Xu Y, Tan J, Ye J, Cui W, Hou J, Liu P, Li J, Wang S, Zhao Q. Anti-inflammation is an important way that Qingre-Huazhuo-Jiangsuan recipe treats acute gouty arthritis. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1268641. [PMID: 37881185 PMCID: PMC10597652 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1268641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Acute gouty arthritis (AGA) significantly impairs patients' quality of life. Currently, existing therapeutic agents exhibit definite efficacy but also lead to serious adverse reactions. Therefore, it is essential to develop highly efficient therapeutic agents with minimal adverse reactions, especially within traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Additionally, food polyphenols have shown potential in treating various inflammatory diseases. The Qingre-Huazhuo-Jiangsuan-Recipe (QHJR), a modification of Si-Miao-San (SMS), has emerged as a TCM remedy for AGA with no reported side effects. Recent research has also highlighted a strong genetic link to gout. Methods: The TCM System Pharmacology (TCMSP) database was used to collect the main chemical components of QHJR and AGA-related targets for predicting the metabolites in QHJR. HPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS was employed to identify the ingredients of QHJR. The collected metabolites were then used to construct a Drugs-Targets Network in Cytoscape software, ranked based on their "Degree" of significance. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database using GEO2R online analysis. Subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed. The DEGs were utilized to construct a Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) Network via the STRING database. In vivo experimental validation was conducted using colchicine, QHJR, rapamycin (RAPA), and 3-methyladenine (3-MA) as controls to observe QHJR's efficacy in AGA. Synovial tissues from rats were collected, and qRT-PCR and Western blot assays were employed to investigate Ampk-related factors (Ampk, mTOR, ULK1), autophagy-related factors (Atg5, Atg7, LC3, p62), and inflammatory-related factors (NLRP3). ELISA assays were performed to measure inflammatory-related factor levels (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α), and H&E staining was used to examine tissue histology. Results: Network analysis screened out a total of 94 metabolites in QHJR for AGA. HPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS analysis identified 27 of these metabolites. Notably, five metabolites (Neochlorogenic acid, Caffeic acid, Berberine, Isoliquiritigenin, Formononetin) were not associated with any individual herbal component of QHJR in TCMSP database, while six metabolites (quercetin, luteolin, formononetin, naringenin, taxifolin, diosgenin) overlapped with the predicted results from the previous network analysis. Further network analysis highlighted key components, such as Caffeic acid, cis-resveratrol, Apigenin, and Isoliquiritigenin. Other studies have found that their treatment of AGA is achieved through reducing inflammation, consistent with this study, laying the foundation for the mechanism study of QHJR against AGA. PPI analysis identified TNF, IL-6, and IL-1β as hub genes. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that anti-inflammation was a key mechanism in AGA treatment. All methods demonstrated that inflammatory expression increased in the Model group but was reversed by QHJR. Additionally, autophagy-related expression increased following QHJR treatment. The study suggested that AMPKα and p-AMPKα1 proteins were insensitive to 3 MA and RAPA, implying that AMPK may not activate autophagy directly but through ULK1 and mTOR. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study confirms the effectiveness of QHJR, a modified formulation of SMS (a classic traditional Chinese medicine prescription for treating gout), against AGA. QHJR, as a TCM formula, offers advantages such as minimal safety concerns and potential long-term use. The study suggests that the mechanism by which QHJR treats AGA may involve the activation of the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway, thereby regulating autophagy levels, reducing inflammation, and alleviating AGA. These findings provide new therapeutic approaches and ideas for the clinical treatment of AGA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazhuo Wang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yang Xu
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jingrui Tan
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jiaxue Ye
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Weizhen Cui
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jie Hou
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Peiyu Liu
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jianwei Li
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Shiyuan Wang
- Institute of Nursing, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Qingyang Zhao
- Institute of Nursing, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
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Tam JP, Huang J, Loo S, Li Y, Kam A. Ginsentide-like Coffeetides Isolated from Coffee Waste Are Cell-Penetrating and Metal-Binding Microproteins. Molecules 2023; 28:6556. [PMID: 37764332 PMCID: PMC10538209 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28186556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Coffee processing generates a huge amount of waste that contains many natural products. Here, we report the discovery of a panel of novel cell-penetrating and metal ion-binding microproteins designated coffeetide cC1a-c and cL1-6 from the husk of two popular coffee plants, Coffea canephora and Coffea liberica, respectively. Combining sequence determination and a database search, we show that the prototypic coffeetide cC1a is a 37-residue, eight-cysteine microprotein with a hevein-like cysteine motif, but without a chitin-binding domain. NMR determination of cC1a reveals a compact structure that confers its resistance to heat and proteolytic degradation. Disulfide mapping together with chemical synthesis reveals that cC1a has a ginsentide-like, and not a hevein-like, disulfide connectivity. In addition, transcriptomic analysis showed that the 98-residue micrcoproten-like coffeetide precursor contains a three-domain arrangement, like ginsentide precursors. Molecular modeling, together with experimental validation, revealed a Mg2+ and Fe3+ binding pocket at the N-terminus formed by three glutamic acids. Importantly, cC1a is amphipathic with a continuous stretch of 19 apolar amino acids, which enables its cell penetration to target intracellular proteins, despite being highly negatively charged. Our findings suggest that coffee by-products could provide a source of ginsentide-like bioactive peptides that have the potential to target intracellular proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P. Tam
- Synthetic Enzymes and Natural Products Center, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (J.H.); (S.L.); (Y.L.); (A.K.)
| | - Jiayi Huang
- Synthetic Enzymes and Natural Products Center, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (J.H.); (S.L.); (Y.L.); (A.K.)
| | - Shining Loo
- Synthetic Enzymes and Natural Products Center, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (J.H.); (S.L.); (Y.L.); (A.K.)
- Academy of Pharmacy, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yimeng Li
- Synthetic Enzymes and Natural Products Center, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (J.H.); (S.L.); (Y.L.); (A.K.)
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Antony Kam
- Synthetic Enzymes and Natural Products Center, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (J.H.); (S.L.); (Y.L.); (A.K.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
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Zaninelli TH, Martelossi-Cebinelli G, Saraiva-Santos T, Borghi SM, Fattori V, Casagrande R, Verri WA. New drug targets for the treatment of gout arthritis: what's new? Expert Opin Ther Targets 2023; 27:679-703. [PMID: 37651647 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2247559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gout arthritis (GA) is an intermittent inflammatory disease affecting approximately 10% of the worldwide population. Symptomatic phases (acute flares) are timely spaced by asymptomatic periods. During an acute attack, redness, joint swelling, limited movement, and excruciating pain are common symptoms. However, the current available therapies are not fully effective in reducing symptoms and offer numerous side effects. Therefore, unveiling new drug targets and effector molecules are required in developing novel GA therapeutics. AREAS COVERED This review discusses the pathophysiological mechanisms of GA and explores potential pharmacological targets to ameliorate disease outcome. In addition, we listed promising pre-clinical studies demonstrating effector molecules with therapeutical potential. Among those, we emphasized the importance of natural products, including traditional Chinese medicine formulas and their multitarget mechanisms of action. EXPERT OPINION In our search, we observed that there is a massive gap between pre-clinical and clinical knowledge. Only a minority (4.4%) of clinical trials aimed to intervene by applying natural products or current hot targets described herein. In this sense, we envisage four possibilities for GA therapeutics, which include the repurposing of existing therapies, ALX/FPR2 agonism for improvement in disease outcome, the use of multitarget drugs (e.g. natural products), and targeting the neuroinflammatory component of GA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago H Zaninelli
- Laboratory of Pain, Inflammation, Neuropathy, and Cancer, Department of Pathology, Centre of Biological Sciences, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Geovana Martelossi-Cebinelli
- Laboratory of Pain, Inflammation, Neuropathy, and Cancer, Department of Pathology, Centre of Biological Sciences, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Telma Saraiva-Santos
- Laboratory of Pain, Inflammation, Neuropathy, and Cancer, Department of Pathology, Centre of Biological Sciences, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Sergio M Borghi
- Laboratory of Pain, Inflammation, Neuropathy, and Cancer, Department of Pathology, Centre of Biological Sciences, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
- Center for Research in Health Sciences, University of Northern Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Victor Fattori
- Laboratory of Pain, Inflammation, Neuropathy, and Cancer, Department of Pathology, Centre of Biological Sciences, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
- Vascular Biology Program, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Karp Research Building, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rubia Casagrande
- Laboratory of Antioxidants and Inflammation, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Centre of Health Sciences, Londrina State University, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Waldiceu A Verri
- Laboratory of Pain, Inflammation, Neuropathy, and Cancer, Department of Pathology, Centre of Biological Sciences, Londrina State University, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
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Ye S, Li S, Ma Y, Wei L, Zeng Y, Hu D, Xiao F. Ambient NO 2 exposure induces migraine in rats: Evidence, mechanisms and interventions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 844:157102. [PMID: 35779733 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Migraine is a complex neurological disorder with a high disability rate. Although the precipitating factors of migraine remain unclear, previous studies suggest that when there is excess nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in the atmosphere, the medical demand due to migraine attacks increases sharply. However, the main role of NO2 as a trigger for migraine is not yet well understood. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between NO2 exposure and the occurrence of migraine as well as the possible underlying mechanisms. We first investigated whether repeated short-term NO2 exposure could induce behavioural and biological migraine phenotypes in rats. Next, capsazepine (CZP) was used to block transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) in vivo, and CZP and vitamin E (VE) were used to verify the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-TRPV1 signalling in NO2-induced migraine in primary trigeminal neurones in vitro. We demonstrated that short-term repeated NO2 exposure can significantly induce migraine in rats, and its key molecular mechanism may be related to ROS burst and its downstream TRPV1 channel activation. The findings of this study will enhance the understanding of the neurotoxic mechanism of NO2, provide new clues for identifying the aetiology of migraine, and lay a new experimental basis for implementing migraine-related preventive and therapeutic control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuzi Ye
- Department of Health Toxicology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, PR China
| | - Siwen Li
- Department of Health Toxicology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, PR China
| | - Yu Ma
- Department of Health Toxicology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, PR China
| | - Lai Wei
- Department of Health Toxicology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, PR China
| | - Yuan Zeng
- Department of Health Toxicology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, PR China
| | - Die Hu
- Department of Health Toxicology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, PR China
| | - Fang Xiao
- Department of Health Toxicology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, PR China.
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Cao Z, Huang D, Tang C, Zeng M, Hu X. PFKL, a novel regulatory node for NOX2-dependent oxidative burst and NETosis. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2022; 23:607-612. [PMID: 35794690 PMCID: PMC9264108 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2101029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohui Cao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China.,The Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Di Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China.,The Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Cifei Tang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China.,The Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Min Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China.,The Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Xiaobo Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China. .,The Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China.
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