North American ginseng influences adipocyte-macrophage crosstalk regulation of inflammatory gene expression

Radix Panacis quinquefolii Extract Ameliorates Inflammatory Bowel Disease through Inhibiting Inflammation

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of Radix Panacis quinguefolii root extract (RPQE) and its therapeutic effects on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

METHODS

The 72-hour post-fertilization zebrafish was used to generate the local and systematic inflammation models through tail-amputation and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induction (100 µ g/mL), respectively. The Tg(zlyz:EGFP) zebrafish was induced with 75 µ g/mL 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) for establishing the IBD model. The tail-amputated, LPS-, and TNBS-induced models were subjected to RPQE (ethanol fraction, 10-20 µ g/mL) administration for 12 and 24 h, respectively. Anti-inflammatory activity of RPQE was evaluated by detecting migration and aggregation of leukocytes and expression of inflammation-related genes. Meanwhile, TNBS-induced fish were immersed in 0.2% (W/V) calcein for 1.5 h and RPQE for 12 h before photographing to analyze the intestinal efflux efficiency (IEE). Moreover, the expression of inflammation-related genes in these fish was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Subject to RPQE administration, the migration and aggregation of leukocytes were significantly alleviated in 3 zebrafish models (P<0.01). Herein, RPQE ameliorated TNBS-induced IBD with respect to a significantly reduced number of leukocytes, improved IEE, and inhibited gene expression of pro-inflammatory factors (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

RPQE exhibited therapeutic effects on IBD by inhibiting inflammation.

The cardio and renoprotective role of ginseng against epinephrine-induced myocardial infarction in rats: Involvement of angiotensin II type 1 receptor/protein kinase C

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Epinephrine induced MI with renal complication through Nrf2/NF-κB imbalance and PKC/AT1R.

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Ginseng abolished ECG changes induced by epinephrine and stimulated Nrf2.

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Ginseng reduced upregulation of PKC, NF-κB, and AT1R induced by epinephrine.

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Ginseng inhibited iNOS and corrected renal disorder in epinephrine model of MI.

The expression of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1 receptor)/protein kinase C (PKC) in heart tissues has a vital role in myocardial infarction (MI). The current work aimed to clarify the renal complication enhanced by MI following epinephrine injection via AT1 receptor/ PKC expression; in addition, the impact of ginseng extract on epinephrine-induced MI and its renal complication was assessed. Adult male albino Wistar rats were pretreated orally with ginseng extract (200 & 400 mg/kg/day) for 14 days, then two successive doses of epinephrine injection (100 mg/kg, i.p.). Epinephrine evoked electrocardiographic (ECG) and renal changes accompanied with a significant increase in heart and kidney contents of malodialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), protein kinase C (PKC), heart contents of nuclear factor-kabba B (NF-κB) and angiotensin 1receptor (AT1R), as well as a decrease in heart and kidney reduced glutathione (GSH) and nuclear factor-erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2) contents. In histopathological investigations epinephrine exhibited deleterious heart changes in the form of acute MI with the presence of necrosis of cardiomyocytes with iNOS expression and produced glomerulus and renal tubules degeneration. Pretreatment of rats with ginseng extract in both doses significantly corrected epinephrine-induced heart and renal changes. The current work revealed that epinephrine-induced MI associated with aggravated renal complication and ginseng extract has cardio and reno protective role against this as it reduces infarct size, preserves cardiac and renal tissues and functions through activating Nrf2 and down-regulating NF-κB, PKC, AT1R and iNOS.

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) as a Source of Bioactive Phytochemicals with Pro-Health Properties

Panax quinquefolium L. (American Ginseng, AG) is an herb characteristic for regions of North America and Asia. Due to its beneficial properties it has been extensively investigated for decades. Nowadays, it is one of the most commonly applied medical herbs worldwide. Active compounds of AG are ginsenosides, saponins of the glycosides group that are abundant in roots, leaves, stem, and fruits of the plant. Ginsenosides are suggested to be primarily responsible for health-beneficial effects of AG. AG acts on the nervous system; it was reported to improve the cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, display anxiolytic activity, and neuroprotective effects against neuronal damage resulting from ischemic stroke in animals, demonstrate anxiolytic activity, and induce neuroprotective effects against neuronal damage in ischemic stroke in animals. Administration of AG leads to inhibition of hypertrophy in heart failure by regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mice as well as depletion of cardiac contractile function in rats. It also has an anti-diabetic and anti-obesity potential as it increases insulin sensitivity and inhibits formation of adipose tissue. AG displays anti-cancer effect by induction of apoptosis of cancer cells and reducing local inflammation. It exerts antimicrobial effects against several pathogenic strains of bacteria. Therefore, AG presents a high potential to induce beneficial health effects in humans and should be further explored to formulate precise nutritional recommendations, as well as to assess its value in prevention and therapy of some disorders, including cancer.

Comparison of Serum Metabolite Changes of Radiated Mice Administered with Panax quinquefolium from Different Cultivation Regions Using UPLC-Q/TOF-MS Based Metabolomic Approach

Chemometric analysis of bioactive compounds revealed that American ginsengs (AGs) from different cultivation regions of China had a difference in quality, which indicates their possible pharmacological difference. A UPLC-Q/TOF-MS-based untargeted metabolomic approach was used to uncover serum metabolite changes in radiated mice pre-administered with AG root decoctions from seven cultivation regions and to further assess their quality difference. OPLS-DA revealed that 51 metabolites (ESI−) and 110 (ESI⁺) were differentially expressed in sera between the control and the radiated model mice. Heatmap analysis further revealed that AG could not reverse most of these radiation-altered metabolites, which indicates dietary supplement of AG before cobalt radiation had the weak potential to mediate serum metabolites that were altered by the sub-lethal high dose radiation. In addition, 83 (ESI−) and 244 (ESI⁺) AG altered metabolites were detected in radiated mice under radiation exposure. Both OPLS-DA on serum metabolomes and heatmap analysis on discriminant metabolites showed that AGs from different cultivation regions differentially influenced metabolic alterations in radiated mice, which indicates AGs from different cultivation regions showed the pharmacological difference in modulation of metabolite changes. AGs from Shandong, Shanxi, and Beijing provinces had more similar pharmacological effects than AGs from USA, Canada, Jilin, and Heilongjiang. Finally, 28 important potential biomarkers were annotated and assigned onto three metabolic pathways including lipid, amino acid, and energy metabolisms.

Neither linoleic acid nor arachidonic acid promote white adipose tissue inflammation in Fads2-/- mice fed low fat diets

Dietary n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are widely perceived to promote inflammation and contribute to the development of chronic diseases. This dogma has been recently questioned due to evidence that n-6 PUFA, specifically linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6), do not appear to activate inflammatory signalling pathways when consumed in moderate amounts. However, delineating the independent roles of different dietary n-6 PUFA in vivo is challenging because LA is continuously converted into AA in a pathway regulated by the fatty acid desaturase 2 (Fads2) gene. The objective of this study was to investigate the independent roles of LA and AA on white adipose tissue (WAT) inflammatory signalling pathways using Fads2-/- mice. We hypothesized that dietary LA would not induce WAT inflammation, unless it was endogenously converted into AA. Male C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and Fads2-/- mice were fed low-fat isocaloric diets containing either 7% corn oil w/w (CD, containing ~42% LA) or 7% ARASCO oil w/w (AD, containing ~27% AA) for 9 weeks. WAT inflammatory gene expression, protein levels, as well as phospholipid (PL) and triacylglycerol (TAG) fatty acid composition, were analyzed by RT-qPCR, western blots, and gas chromatography, respectively. Fads2-/- mice fed CD had high LA, but little-to-no GLA (18:3n-6), DGLA (20:3n-6), and AA in PLs and TAGs compared to their WT counterparts. In comparison, Fads2-/- and WT mice fed AD showed minimal differences in n-6 PUFA content in serum and WAT, despite having significantly more AA than CD-fed mice. No differences in gene expression for common inflammatory adipokines (e.g. Mcp-1, Ccl5, Tnfα) or key regulators of eicosanoid production (e.g. Cox-2, Alox-12, Alox-15) were detected in WAT between any of the diet and genotype groups. Furthermore, no differences in MCP-1, and total or phosphorylated STAT3 and p38 inflammatory proteins, were observed. Collectively, these results demonstrate that neither LA nor AA promote WAT inflammation when consumed as part of a low-fat diet. Therefore, the existing dogma surrounding n-6 PUFA and inflammation needs to be reconsidered.

Inhibitory Effect of Methyl 2-(4'-Methoxy-4'-oxobutanamide) Benzoate from Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) on the Inflammatory Paracrine Loop between Macrophages and Adipocytes

The interaction between macrophages and adipocytes is known to aggravate inflammation of the adipose tissue, leading to decreased insulin sensitivity. Hence, attenuation of the inflammatory paracrine loop between macrophages and adipocytes is deemed essential to ameliorate insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus type 2. Methyl 2-(4'-methoxy-4'-oxobutanamide) benzoate (compound 1), a newly isolated compound from Jerusalem srtichoke (JA), has not been biologically characterized yet. Here, we investigated whether JA-derived compound 1 attenuates the inflammatory cycle between RAW 264.7 macrophages and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Compound 1 suppressed the inflammatory response of RAW 264.7 cells to lipopolysaccharide through decreased secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Moreover, the mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, MCP-1, and Rantes and MAPK pathway activation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, incubated in macrophage-conditioned media, were inhibited. These findings suggest an anti-inflammatory effect of a newly extracted compound against adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance.

Nuclear factor kappa-B- and activator protein-1-mediated immunostimulatory activity of compound K in monocytes and macrophages

Background

Compound K (CK) is a bioactive derivative of ginsenoside Rb1 in Panax ginseng (Korean ginseng). Its biological and pharmacological activities have been studied in various disease conditions, although its immunomodulatory role in innate immunity mediated by monocytes/macrophages has been poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the regulatory role of CK on cellular events mediated by monocytes and macrophages in innate immune responses.

Methods

The immunomodulatory role of CK was explored by various immunoassays including cell-cell adhesion, fibronectin adhesion, cell migration, phagocytic uptake, costimulatory molecules, reactive oxygen species production, luciferase activity, and by the measurement of mRNA levels of proinflammatory genes.

Results

Compound K induced cell cluster formation through cell-cell adhesion, cell migration, and phagocytic activity, but it suppressed cell-tissue interactions in U937 and RAW264.7 cells. Compound K also upregulated the surface expression of the cell adhesion molecule cluster of differentiation (CD) 43 (CD43) and costimulatory molecules CD69, CD80, and CD86, but it downregulated the expression of monocyte differentiation marker CD82 in RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, CK induced the release of reactive oxygen species and induced messenger RNA expression of proinflammatory genes, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha by enhancing the nuclear translocation and transcriptional activities of nuclear factor kappa-B and activator protein-1.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that CK has an immunomodulatory role in innate immune responses through regulating various cellular events mediated by monocytes and macrophages.