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Wang Z, Liu Y, Wang X, Wang X, Wu Y, Song Y, Xu J, Xue C. Sea cucumber plasmalogen enhance lipophagy to alleviate abnormal lipid accumulation induced by high-fat diet. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2024; 1869:159495. [PMID: 38609006 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2024.159495] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Sea cucumber phospholipids, including the plasmalogen (PlsEtn) and plasmanylcholine (PakCho), have been shown to play a regulatory role in lipid metabolism disorders, but their mechanism of action remains unclear. Therefore, high-fat diet (HFD) and palmitic acid were used to establish lipid accumulation models in mice and HepG2 cells, respectively. Results showed that PlsEtn can reduce lipid deposition both in vivo and in vitro. HFD stimulation abnormally activated lipophagy through the phosphorylation of the AMPK/ULK1 pathway. The lipophagy flux monitor revealed abnormalities in the fusion stage of lipophagy. Of note, only PlsEtn stimulated the dynamic remodeling of the autophagosome membrane, which was indicated by the significantly decreased LC3 II/I ratio and p62 level. In all experiments, the effect of PlsEtn was significantly higher than that of PakCho. These findings elucidated the mechanism of PlsEtn in alleviating lipid accumulation, showed that it might be a lipophagy enhancer, and provided new insights into the high-value utilization of sea cucumber as an agricultural resource.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigao Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 1299, Sanshan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, China.
| | - Yanjun Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 1299, Sanshan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, China.
| | - Xiaoxu Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 1299, Sanshan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, China.
| | - Xincen Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 1299, Sanshan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, China; Institute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, No. 308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, China.
| | - Yuan Wu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 1299, Sanshan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, China.
| | - Yu Song
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 1299, Sanshan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, China.
| | - Jie Xu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 1299, Sanshan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, China.
| | - Changhu Xue
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 1299, Sanshan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, China; Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266235, China.
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2
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Wu AG, Yong YY, He CL, Li YP, Zhou XY, Yu L, Chen Q, Lan C, Liu J, Yu CL, Qin DL, Wu JM, Zhou XG. Novel 18-norspirostane steroidal saponins: Extending lifespan and mitigating neurodegeneration through promotion of mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mech Ageing Dev 2024; 218:111901. [PMID: 38215997 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2024.111901] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Pharmacological strategies to delay aging and combat age-related diseases are increasingly promising. This study explores the anti-aging and therapeutic effects of two novel 18-norspirostane steroidal saponins from Trillium tschonoskii Maxim, namely deoxytrillenoside CA (DTCA) and epitrillenoside CA (ETCA), using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Both DTCA and ETCA significantly extended the lifespan of wild-type N2 worms and improved various age-related phenotypes, including muscle health, motility, pumping rate, and lipofuscin accumulation. Furthermore, these compounds exhibited notable alleviation of pathology associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD), such as the reduction of α-synuclein and poly40 aggregates, improvement in motor deficits, and mitigation of neuronal damage. Meanwhile, DTCA and ETCA improved the lifespan and healthspan of PD- and HD-like C. elegans models. Additionally, DTCA and ETCA enhanced the resilience of C. elegans against heat and oxidative stress challenges. Mechanistic studies elucidated that DTCA and ETCA induced mitophagy and promoted mitochondrial biogenesis in C. elegans, while genetic mutations or RNAi knockdown affecting mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis effectively eliminated their capacity to extend lifespan and reduce pathological protein aggregates. Together, these compelling findings highlight the potential of DTCA and ETCA as promising therapeutic interventions for delaying aging and preventing age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Guo Wu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Yong
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Chang-Long He
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Department of Pharmacy, Nanchong Central Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan 637000, China
| | - Ya-Ping Li
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Xing-Yue Zhou
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Lu Yu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Cai Lan
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Chong-Lin Yu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Da-Lian Qin
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Jian-Ming Wu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
| | - Xiao-Gang Zhou
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
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3
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Kirchweger B, Zwirchmayr J, Grienke U, Rollinger JM. The role of Caenorhabditis elegans in the discovery of natural products for healthy aging. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:1849-1873. [PMID: 37585263 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00021d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2012 to 2023The human population is aging. Thus, the greatest risk factor for numerous diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, is increasing worldwide. Age-related diseases do not typically occur in isolation, but as a result of multi-factorial causes, which in turn require holistic approaches to identify and decipher the mode of action of potential remedies. With the advent of C. elegans as the primary model organism for aging, researchers now have a powerful in vivo tool for identifying and studying agents that effect lifespan and health span. Natural products have been focal research subjects in this respect. This review article covers key developments of the last decade (2012-2023) that have led to the discovery of natural products with healthy aging properties in C. elegans. We (i) discuss the state of knowledge on the effects of natural products on worm aging including methods, assays and involved pathways; (ii) analyze the literature on natural compounds in terms of their molecular properties and the translatability of effects on mammals; (iii) examine the literature on multi-component mixtures with special attention to the studied organisms, extraction methods and efforts regarding the characterization of their chemical composition and their bioactive components. (iv) We further propose to combine small in vivo model organisms such as C. elegans and sophisticated analytical approaches ("wormomics") to guide the way to dissect complex natural products with anti-aging properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Kirchweger
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Julia Zwirchmayr
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ulrike Grienke
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Judith M Rollinger
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Long T, Chen X, Zhang Y, Zhou YJ, He YN, Zhu YF, Fu HJ, Yu L, Yu CL, Law BYK, Wu JM, Qin DL, Wu AG, Zhou XG. Protective effects of Radix Stellariae extract against Alzheimer's disease via autophagy activation in Caenorhabditis elegans and cellular models. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115261. [PMID: 37549461 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancing the clearance of proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) emerges as a promising approach for AD therapeutics. This study explores the potential of Radix Stellariae, a traditional Chinese medicine, in treating AD. Utilizing transgenic C. elegans models of AD, we demonstrated that a 75% ethanol extract of Radix Stellariae (RSE) (at 50 µg/mL) effectively diminishes Aβ and Tau protein expression, and alleviates their induced impairments including paralysis, behavioral dysfunction, neurotoxicity, and ROS accumulation. Additionally, RSE enhances the stress resistance of C. elegans. Further investigations revealed that RSE promotes autophagy, a critical cellular process for protein degradation, in these models. We found that inhibiting autophagy-related genes negated the neuroprotective effects of RSE, suggesting a central role for autophagy in the actions of RSE. In PC-12 cells, we observed that RSE not only inhibited Aβ fibril formation but also promoted the degradation of AD-related proteins and reduced their cytotoxicity. Mechanistically, RSE was found to induce autophagy via modulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR and AMPK/mTOR signaling pathways. Importantly, inhibiting autophagy counteracted the beneficial effects of RSE on the clearance of AD-associated proteins. Moreover, we identified Dichotomine B, a β-carboline alkaloid, as a key active constituent of RSE in mitigating AD pathology in C. elegans at concentrations ranging from 50 to 1000 µM. Collectively, our study presents novel discoveries that RSE alleviates AD pathology and toxicity primarily by inducing autophagy, both in vivo and in vitro. These findings open up new avenues for exploring the therapeutic potential of RSE and its active component, Dichotomine B, in treating neurodegenerative diseases like AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Long
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Xue Chen
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Yu-Jia Zhou
- College of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410208, China
| | - Yan-Ni He
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Yun-Fei Zhu
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Hai-Jun Fu
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Lu Yu
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Chong-Lin Yu
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Betty Yuen-Kwan Law
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Jian-Ming Wu
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Da-Lian Qin
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
| | - An-Guo Wu
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
| | - Xiao-Gang Zhou
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
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5
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Qiu W, Yu L, He C, Wu J, Law BY, Yu C, Qin D, Zhou X, Wu A. Two 18-norspirostane steroidal saponins as novel mitophagy enhancers improve Alzheimer's disease. Clin Transl Med 2023; 13:e1390. [PMID: 37658612 PMCID: PMC10474309 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wen‐Qiao Qiu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability EvaluationLuzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia MedicaSchool of PharmacyEducation Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical ElectrophysiologySouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
- Department of Neurosurgery Sichuan Provincial People's HospitalUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Lu Yu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability EvaluationLuzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia MedicaSchool of PharmacyEducation Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical ElectrophysiologySouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
| | - Chang‐Long He
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability EvaluationLuzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia MedicaSchool of PharmacyEducation Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical ElectrophysiologySouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
| | - Jian‐Ming Wu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability EvaluationLuzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia MedicaSchool of PharmacyEducation Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical ElectrophysiologySouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
| | - Betty Yuen‐Kwan Law
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese MedicineMacau University of Science and TechnologyTaipaChina
| | - Chong‐Lin Yu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability EvaluationLuzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia MedicaSchool of PharmacyEducation Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical ElectrophysiologySouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
| | - Da‐Lian Qin
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability EvaluationLuzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia MedicaSchool of PharmacyEducation Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical ElectrophysiologySouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
| | - Xiao‐Gang Zhou
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability EvaluationLuzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia MedicaSchool of PharmacyEducation Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical ElectrophysiologySouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
| | - An‐Guo Wu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability EvaluationLuzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia MedicaSchool of PharmacyEducation Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical ElectrophysiologySouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
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6
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Zhu FD, Chen X, Yu L, Hu ML, Pan YR, Qin DL, Wu JM, Li L, Law BYK, Wong VKW, Zhou XG, Wu AG, Fan DS. Targeting autophagy to discover the Piper wallichii petroleum ether fraction exhibiting antiaging and anti-Alzheimer's disease effects in Caenorhabditis elegans. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 117:154916. [PMID: 37327643 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With population aging, the incidence of aging-related Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasing, accompanied by decreased autophagy activity. At present, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is widely employed to evaluate autophagy and in research on aging and aging-related diseases in vivo. To discover autophagy activators from natural medicines and investigate their therapeutic potential in antiaging and anti-AD effects, multiple C. elegans models related to autophagy, aging, and AD were used. METHOD In this study, we employed the DA2123 and BC12921 strains to discover potential autophagy inducers using a self-established natural medicine library. The antiaging effect was evaluated by determining the lifespan, motor ability, pumping rate, lipofuscin accumulation of worms, and resistance ability of worms under various stresses. In addition, the anti-AD effect was examined by detecting the paralysis rate, food-sensing behavior, and amyloid-β and Tau pathology in C. elegans. Moreover, RNAi technology was used to knock down the genes related to autophagy induction. RESULTS We discovered that Piper wallichii extract (PE) and the petroleum ether fraction (PPF) activated autophagy in C. elegans, as evidenced by increased GFP-tagged LGG-1 foci and decreased GFP-p62 expression. In addition, PPF extended the lifespan and enhanced the healthspan of worms by increasing body bends and pumping rates, decreasing lipofuscin accumulation, and increasing resistance to oxidative, heat, and pathogenic stress. Moreover, PPF exhibited an anti-AD effect by decreasing the paralysis rate, improving the pumping rate and slowing rate, and alleviating Aβ and Tau pathology in AD worms. However, the feeding of RNAi bacteria targeting unc-51, bec-1, lgg-1, and vps-34 abolished the antiaging and anti-AD effects of PPF. CONCLUSION Piper wallichii may be a promising drug for antiaging and anti-AD. More future studies are also needed to identify autophagy inducers in Piper wallichii and clarify their molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Dan Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gui Yang, China; Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Xue Chen
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Lu Yu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Meng-Ling Hu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Yi-Ru Pan
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Da-Lian Qin
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Jian-Ming Wu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gui Yang, China
| | - Betty Yuen-Kwan Law
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau SAR 99078, China
| | - Vincent Kam-Wai Wong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau SAR 99078, China
| | - Xiao-Gang Zhou
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
| | - An-Guo Wu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Drugability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
| | - Dong-Sheng Fan
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gui Yang, China.
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7
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Muhammad F, Liu Y, Wang N, Zhao L, Zhou Y, Yang H, Li H. Rose essential oil diminishes dopaminergic neuron degenerations and reduces α-synuclein aggregation in Caenorhabditis elegans models of Parkinson's disease. Phytother Res 2023. [PMID: 36920348 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (P.D.) is the second most progressive neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly. Degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons and α-synuclein (α-Syn) accumulated toxicity is the major contributor to this disease. At present, the disease has no effective treatment. Many recent studies focus on identifying novel therapeutics that provide benefits to stop the disease progression in P.D. patients. Screening novel and effective drugs in P.D. animal models is time- and cost-consuming. Rose Essential Oil (REO) extracted from Rosa Rugosa species (R. Setate × R. Rugosa). REO contains Citronellol, Geraniol, and Octadiene that possess anti-Aβ, anti-oxidative, and anti-depression-like properties, but no reports have defined the REO effect on P.D. yet. The present study examines the REO neuroprotective potential in transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans P.D. models. We observed that REO reduced α-Syn aggregations and diminished DA neuron degenerations induced by 6-OHDA, reduced food-sensing behavioural disabilities, and prolonged the lifespan of the nematode. Moreover, REO augmented the chymotrypsin-like proteasome and SOD-3 activities. Further, we observed the anti-oxidative role of REO by reducing internal cells ROS. Together, these findings supported REO as an anti-PD drug and may exert its effects by lowering oxidative stress via the anti-oxidative pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahim Muhammad
- College of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yan Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ningbo Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Longhe Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yangtao Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Center for Parkinson's Disease, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Institute of Biology Gansu Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hongyu Li
- College of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Zhou XG, Qiu WQ, Yu L, Pan R, Teng JF, Sang ZP, Law BYK, Zhao Y, Zhang L, Yan L, Tang Y, Sun XL, Wong VKW, Yu CL, Wu JM, Qin DL, Wu AG. Targeting microglial autophagic degradation of the NLRP3 inflammasome for identification of thonningianin A in Alzheimer’s disease. Inflamm Regen 2022; 42:25. [PMID: 35918778 PMCID: PMC9347127 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-022-00209-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Microglial autophagic degradation not only decreases the deposits of extracellular Aβ fibrils but also inhibits the activation of NRLP3 inflammasome. Here, we aimed to identify the potent autophagy enhancers from Penthorum chinense Pursh (PCP) that alleviate the pathology of AD via inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome. Methods At first, autophagic activity-guided isolation was performed to identify the autophagy enhancers in PCP. Secondly, the autophagy effect was monitored by detecting LC3 protein expression using Western blotting and the average number of GFP-LC3 puncta per microglial cell using confocal microscopy. Then, the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome was measured by detecting the protein expression and transfected fluorescence intensity of NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1, as well as the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Finally, the behavioral performance was evaluated by measuring the paralysis in C. elegans, and the cognitive function was tested by Morris water maze (MWM) in APP/PS1 mice. Results Four ellagitannin flavonoids, including pinocembrin-7-O-[4″,6″-hexahydroxydiphenoyl]-glucoside (PHG), pinocembrin-7-O-[3″-O-galloyl-4″,6″-hexahydroxydiphenoyl]-glucoside (PGHG), thonningianin A (TA), and thonningianin B (TB), were identified to be autophagy enhancers in PCP. Among these, TA exhibited the strongest autophagy induction effect, and the mechanistic study demonstrated that TA activated autophagy via the AMPK/ULK1 and Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathways. In addition, TA effectively promoted the autophagic degradation of NLRP3 inflammasome in Aβ(1–42)-induced microglial cells and ameliorated neuronal damage via autophagy induction. In vivo, TA activated autophagy and improved behavioral symptoms in C. elegans. Furthermore, TA might penetrate the blood-brain barrier and could improve cognitive function and ameliorate the Aβ pathology and the NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated neuroinflammation via the AMPK/ULK1 and Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathways in APP/PS1 mice. Conclusion We identified TA as a potent microglial autophagy enhancer in PCP that promotes the autophagic degradation of the NLRP3 inflammasome to alleviate the pathology of AD via the AMPK/ULK1 and Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathways, which provides novel insights for TA in the treatment of AD. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41232-022-00209-7.
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Zou Y. Naturally occurring steroidal saponins as potential anticancer agents: Current developments and mechanisms of action. Curr Top Med Chem 2022; 22:1442-1456. [PMID: 35352659 DOI: 10.2174/1568026622666220330011047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is claimed as a prevalent cause of mortality throughout the world. Conventional chemotherapy plays a pivotal role in the treatment of cancers, but the multidrug resistance has already become one of the major impediments for efficacious cancer therapy, creating a great demand for the development of novel anticancer drugs. Steroidal saponins, abundantly found in nature, possess extensive structural variability, and some naturally occurring steroidal saponins exhibited profound anticancer properties through a variety of pathways. Hence, naturally occurring steroidal saponins are powerful lead compounds/candidates in the development of novel therapeutic agents. This review article described the recent progress in naturally occurring steroidal saponins as potential anticancer agents, and the mechanisms of action were also discussed, covering articles published between 2017 and 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Zou
- The Third Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University, Gezhouba Central Hospital of Sinopharm, Yichang, 443002, Hubei, China
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10
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Ferulic Acid Exerts Neuroprotective Effects via Autophagy Induction in C. elegans and Cellular Models of Parkinson's Disease. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:3723567. [PMID: 35242276 PMCID: PMC8888115 DOI: 10.1155/2022/3723567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurological disorder characterized by motor and nonmotor features. Although some drugs have been developed for the therapy of PD in a clinical setting, they only alleviate the clinical symptoms and have yet to show a cure. In this study, by employing the C. elegans model of PD, we found that ferulic acid (FA) significantly inhibited α-synuclein accumulation and improved dyskinesia in NL5901 worms. Meanwhile, FA remarkably decreased the degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons, improved the food-sensing behavior, and reduced the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in 6-OHDA-induced BZ555 worms. The mechanistic study discovered that FA could activate autophagy in C. elegans, while the knockdown of 3 key autophagy-related genes significantly revoked the neuroprotective effects of FA in α-synuclein- and 6-OHDA-induced C. elegans models of PD, demonstrating that FA exerts an anti-PD effect via autophagy induction in C. elegans. Furthermore, we found that FA could reduce 6-OHDA- or H2O2-induced cell death and apoptosis in PC-12 cells. Moreover, FA was able to induce autophagy in stable GFP-RFP-LC3 U87 cells and PC-12 cells, while bafilomycin A1 (Baf, an autophagy inhibitor) partly eliminated the protective effects of FA against 6-OHDA- and H2O2-induced cell death and ROS production in PC-12 cells, further confirming that FA exerts an anti-PD effect via autophagy induction in vitro. Collectively, our study provides novel insights for FA as a potent autophagy enhancer to effectively prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as PD in the future.
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11
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Yan L, Guo MS, Zhang Y, Yu L, Wu JM, Tang Y, Ai W, Zhu FD, Law BYK, Chen Q, Yu CL, Wong VKW, Li H, Li M, Zhou XG, Qin DL, Wu AG. Dietary Plant Polyphenols as the Potential Drugs in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Current Evidence, Advances, and Opportunities. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:5288698. [PMID: 35237381 PMCID: PMC8885204 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5288698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Huntington's disease (HD), are characterized by the progressive degeneration of neurons. Although the etiology and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases have been studied intensively, the mechanism is still in its infancy. In general, most neurodegenerative diseases share common molecular mechanisms, and multiple risks interact and promote the pathologic process of neurogenerative diseases. At present, most of the approved drugs only alleviate the clinical symptoms but fail to cure neurodegenerative diseases. Numerous studies indicate that dietary plant polyphenols are safe and exhibit potent neuroprotective effects in various neurodegenerative diseases. However, low bioavailability is the biggest obstacle for polyphenol that largely limits its adoption from evidence into clinical practice. In this review, we summarized the widely recognized mechanisms associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as misfolded proteins, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative damage, and neuroinflammatory responses. In addition, we summarized the research advances about the neuroprotective effect of the most widely reported dietary plant polyphenols. Moreover, we discussed the current clinical study and application of polyphenols and the factors that result in low bioavailability, such as poor stability and low permeability across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In the future, the improvement of absorption and stability, modification of structure and formulation, and the combination therapy will provide more opportunities from the laboratory into the clinic for polyphenols. Lastly, we hope that the present review will encourage further researches on natural dietary polyphenols in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yan
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Min-Song Guo
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Lu Yu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Jian-Ming Wu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Yong Tang
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Wei Ai
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Feng-Dan Zhu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Betty Yuen-Kwan Law
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
- Department of Nursing, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Chong-Lin Yu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Vincent Kam-Wai Wong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Hua Li
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Mao Li
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Xiao-Gang Zhou
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Da-Lian Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - An-Guo Wu
- Sichuan Key Medical Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Druggability Evaluation, Luzhou Key Laboratory of Activity Screening and Druggability Evaluation for Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy; Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
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An R, Zhang W, Huang X. Developments in the Antitumor Activity, Mechanisms of Action, Structural Modifications, and Structure-Activity Relationships of Steroidal Saponins. Mini Rev Med Chem 2022; 22:2188-2212. [PMID: 35176980 DOI: 10.2174/1389557522666220217113719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Steroidal saponins, a class of natural products formed by the combination of spirosteranes with sugars, are widely distributed in plants and have various biological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-Alzheimer's, anti-oxidation, etc. Particularly, extensive researches on the antitumor property of steroidal saponins have been received. Steroidal sapogenins, the aglycones of steroidal saponins, also have attracted much attention due to a vast range of pharmacological activities similar to steroidal saponins. In the past few years, structural modifications on the aglycones and sugar chains of steroidal saponins have been carried out and some achievements have been made. In this mini-review, the antitumor activity, action mechanisms, and structural modifications along with the structure-activity relationships of steroidal saponins and their derivatives are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renfeng An
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China
| | - Wenjin Zhang
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China
| | - Xuefeng Huang
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China
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WANG YL, YOU J, CAO JJ, LI W, JING LY, MEI QB, WU AG. Screening of the ubiquitin-proteasome system activators for anti-Alzheimer's disease by the high-content fluorescence imaging system. Chin J Nat Med 2022; 20:33-42. [DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(22)60152-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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14
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Naß J, Kampf CJ, Efferth T. Increased Stress Resistance and Lifespan in Chaenorhabditis elegans Wildtype and Knockout Mutants-Implications for Depression Treatment by Medicinal Herbs. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26071827. [PMID: 33805024 PMCID: PMC8036369 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26071827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression and anxiety disorders are widespread diseases, and they belong to the leading causes of disability and greatest burdens on healthcare systems worldwide. It is expected that the numbers will dramatically rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Established medications are not sufficient to adequately treat depression and are not available for everyone. Plants from traditional medicine may be promising alternatives to treat depressive symptoms. The model organism Chaenorhabditis elegans was used to assess the stress reducing effects of methanol/dichlormethane extracts from plants used in traditional medicine. After initial screening for antioxidant activity, nine extracts were selected for in vivo testing in oxidative stress, heat stress, and osmotic stress assays. Additionally, anti-aging properties were evaluated in lifespan assay. The extracts from Acanthopanax senticosus, Campsis grandiflora, Centella asiatica, Corydalis yanhusuo, Dan Zhi, Houttuynia cordata, Psoralea corylifolia, Valeriana officinalis, and Withaniasomnifera showed antioxidant activity of more than 15 Trolox equivalents per mg extract. The extracts significantly lowered ROS in mutants, increased resistance to heat stress and osmotic stress, and the extended lifespan of the nematodes. The plant extracts tested showed promising results in increasing stress resistance in the nematode model. Further analyses are needed, in order to unravel underlying mechanisms and transfer results to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Naß
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudinger Weg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Christopher J. Kampf
- Department for Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Thomas Efferth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudinger Weg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-6131-3925751
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15
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Lychee seed polyphenol inhibits Aβ-induced activation of NLRP3 inflammasome via the LRP1/AMPK mediated autophagy induction. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 130:110575. [PMID: 32768883 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that the enhancement of microglial autophagy inhibits the NLRP3 inflammasome mediated neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Meanwhile, low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) highly expressed in microglia is able to negatively regulate neuroinflammation and positively regulate autophagy. In addition, we have previously reported that an active lychee seed fraction enriching polyphenol (LSP) exhibits anti-neuroinflammation in Aβ-induced BV-2 cells. However, its molecular mechanism of action is still unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate whether LSP inhibits the NLRP3 inflammasome mediated neuroinflammation and clarify its molecular mechanism in Aβ-induced BV-2 cells and APP/PS1 mice. The results showed that LSP dose- and time-dependently activated autophagy by increasing the expression of Beclin 1 and LC3II in BV-2 cells, which was regulated by the upregulation of LRP1 and its mediated AMPK signaling pathway. In addition, both the Western blotting and fluorescence microscopic results demonstrated that LSP could significantly suppress the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome by inhibiting the expression of NLRP3, ASC, the cleavage of caspase-1, and the release of IL-1β in Aβ(1-42)-induced BV-2 cells. In addition, the siRNA LRP1 successfully abolished the effect of LSP on the activation of AMPK and its mediated autophagy, as well as the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, LSP rescued PC-12 cells which were induced by the conditioned medium from Aβ(1-42)-treated BV-2 cells. Moreover, LSP improved the cognitive function and inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome in APP/PS1 mice. Taken together, LSP inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated neuroinflammation in the in vitro and in vivo models of AD, which was closely associated with the LRP1/AMPK-mediated autophagy. Thus, the findings from this study further provide evidences for LSP serving as a potential drug for the treatment of AD in the future.
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Cytotoxicity of a naturally occuring spirostanol saponin, progenin III, towards a broad range of cancer cell lines by induction of apoptosis, autophagy and necroptosis. Chem Biol Interact 2020; 326:109141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2020.109141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Polyphyllin VI Induces Caspase-1-Mediated Pyroptosis via the Induction of ROS/NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD Signal Axis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12010193. [PMID: 31941010 PMCID: PMC7017302 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12010193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Trillium tschonoskii Maxim (TTM), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been demonstrated to have a potent anti-tumor effect. Recently, polyphyllin VI (PPVI), a main saponin isolated from TTM, was reported by us to significantly suppress the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) via the induction of apoptosis and autophagy in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we further found that the NLRP3 inflammasome was activated in PPVI administrated A549-bearing athymic nude mice. As is known to us, pyroptosis is an inflammatory form of caspase-1-dependent programmed cell death that plays an important role in cancer. By using A549 and H1299 cells, the in vitro effect and action mechanism by which PPVI induces activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in NSCLC were investigated. The anti-proliferative effect of PPVI in A549 and H1299 cells was firstly measured and validated by MTT assay. The activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome was detected by using Hoechst33324/PI staining, flow cytometry analysis and real-time live cell imaging methods. We found that PPVI significantly increased the percentage of cells with PI signal in A549 and H1299, and the dynamic change in cell morphology and the process of cell death of A549 cells indicated that PPVI induced an apoptosis-to-pyroptosis switch, and, ultimately, lytic cell death. In addition, belnacasan (VX-765), an inhibitor of caspase-1, could remarkably decrease the pyroptotic cell death of PPVI-treated A549 and H1299 cells. Moreover, by detecting the expression of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18 and GSDMD in A549 and h1299 cells using Western blotting, immunofluorescence imaging and flow cytometric analysis, measuring the caspase-1 activity using colorimetric assay, and quantifying the cytokines level of IL-1β and IL-18 using ELISA, the NLRP3 inflammasome was found to be activated in a dose manner, while VX-765 and necrosulfonamide (NSA), an inhibitor of GSDMD, could inhibit PPVI-induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, the mechanism study found that PPVI could activate the NF-κB signaling pathway via increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in A549 and H1299 cells, and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a scavenger of ROS, remarkably inhibited the cell death, and the activation of NF-κB and the NLRP3 inflammasome in PPVI-treated A549 and H1299 cells. Taken together, these data suggested that PPVI-induced, caspase-1-mediated pyroptosis via the induction of the ROS/NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD signal axis in NSCLC, which further clarified the mechanism of PPVI in the inhibition of NSCLC, and thereby provided a possibility for PPVI to serve as a novel therapeutic agent for NSCLC in the future.
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