Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptide prevents renal ischemia reperfusion injury via counteracting oxidative stress

Nephroprotective and Antioxidant Effects of Jatropha dioica Extract Against Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Wistar Rats

Plant extracts with antioxidant activities have shown nephroprotection against IR injury. Jatropha dioica (Jd) possesses antioxidant activity. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of a hydroalcoholic Jd extract against IR injury in Wistar rats. Rats were divided into groups (n = 6): sham (SH); no toxicity (JdTox; 300 mg/kg/day of extract for 7 days); IR (on day 7 [I: 45 min/R: 24 h]); and Jd+IR (same treatment as JdTox; same surgical procedure as IR). AST and LDH were significantly lower in the JdTox. IR exhibited significantly higher CrS, BUN, and MDA compared with SH; Jd+IR showed reductions in these markers. GSH and SOD levels were significantly lower in IR compared with SH; an increase in these markers was observed in the Jd+IR. Histologically, IR showed significant increases in medullary tubular necrosis, medullary protein casts, and medullary vascular congestion compared with SH and JdTox. In Jd+IR, a significant decrease was observed only in medullary tubular necrosis. Therefore, the evaluated hydroalcoholic Jd extract dose showed no nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. Jd extract pretreatment attenuated IR-induced renal injury, as evidenced by the improved serum markers of renal damage and oxidative stress.

Ganoderma Lucidum polysaccharide peptide (GL-PP2): A potential therapeutic agent against sepsis-induced organ injury by modulating Nrf2/NF-κB pathways

Sepsis, characterized by a severe immune response to infection, remains a leading cause of mortality, with few effective strategies to prevent organ damage. Targeting inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis is crucial for improving outcomes and advancing sepsis management. We investigated the protective effects of Ganoderma Lucidum Polysaccharide Peptide 2 (GL-PP2) against sepsis-induced organ damage, focusing on immune regulation and kidney protection. In a murine sepsis model, mice received intraperitoneal injection of GL-PP2 (25, 50, 100 mg/kg) for seven days, with dexamethasone (5 mg/kg) as a positive control. Sepsis was induced by intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 mg/kg), followed by histological, biochemical, molecular, and network pharmacology analyses to evaluate kidney and spleen damage. Results demonstrated that GL-PP2 mitigates LPS-induced kidney and spleen damage, preserving tissue integrity and improving renal function markers (blood creatinine, urea nitrogen). GL-PP2 also lowers pro-inflammatory cytokines, boosts antioxidant enzymes, and modulates the Nrf2/NF-κB pathways, highlighting its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Additionally, it reduces apoptosis by regulating Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and Bcl-2 expression. These findings indicate that GL-PP2 is a promising sepsis therapy candidate, as it targets inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, reducing organ injury. By modulating key pathways, GL-PP2 could improve clinical outcomes, warranting further study.

Renal Health Through Medicine-Food Homology: A Comprehensive Review of Botanical Micronutrients and Their Mechanisms

BACKGROUND

As an ancient concept and practice, "food as medicine" or "medicine-food homology" is receiving more and more attention these days. It is a tradition in many regions to intake medicinal herbal food for potential health benefits to various organs and systems including the kidney. Kidney diseases usually lack targeted therapy and face irreversible loss of function, leading to dialysis dependence. As the most important organ for endogenous metabolite and exogenous nutrient excretion, the status of the kidney could be closely related to daily diet. Therefore, medicinal herbal food rich in antioxidative, anti-inflammation micronutrients are ideal supplements for kidney protection. Recent studies have also discovered its impact on the "gut-kidney" axis.

METHODS

Here, we review and highlight the kidney-protective effects of botanicals with medicine-food homology including the most frequently used Astragalus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, concerning their micronutrients and mechanism, offering a basis and perspective for utilizing and exploring the key substances in medicinal herbal food to protect the kidney.

RESULTS

The index for medicine-food homology in China contains mostly botanicals while many of them are also consumed by people in other regions. Micronutrients including flavonoids, polysaccharides and others present powerful activities towards renal diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Botanicals with medicine-food homology are widely speeded over multiple regions and incorporating these natural compounds into dietary habits or as supplements shows promising future for renal health.

Natural polysaccharides as promising reno-protective agents for the treatment of various kidney injury

Renal injury, a prevalent clinical outcome with multifactorial etiology, imposes a substantial burden on society. Currently, there remains a lack of effective management and treatments. Extensive research has emphasized the diverse biological effects of natural polysaccharides, which exhibit promising potential for mitigating renal damage. This review commences with the pathogenesis of four common renal diseases and the shared mechanisms underlying renal injury. The renoprotective roles of polysaccharides in vivo and in vitro are summarized in the following five aspects: anti-oxidative stress effects, anti-apoptotic effects, anti-inflammatory effects, anti-fibrotic effects, and gut modulatory effects. Furthermore, we explore the structure-activity relationship and bioavailability of polysaccharides in relation to renal injury, as well as investigate their utility as biomaterials for alleviating renal injury. The clinical experiments of polysaccharides applied to patients with chronic kidney disease are also reviewed. Broadly, this review provides a comprehensive perspective on the research direction of natural polysaccharides in the context of renal injury, with the primary aim to serve as a reference for the clinical development of polysaccharides as pharmaceuticals and prebiotics for the treatment of kidney diseases.

Potentials of Natural Antioxidants in Reducing Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) presents a substantial global public health challenge, with high morbidity and mortality. CKD patients often experience dyslipidaemia and poor glycaemic control, further exacerbating inflammation and oxidative stress in the kidney. If left untreated, these metabolic symptoms can progress to end-stage renal disease, necessitating long-term dialysis or kidney transplantation. Alleviating inflammation responses has become the standard approach in CKD management. Medications such as statins, metformin, and GLP-1 agonists, initially developed for treating metabolic dysregulation, demonstrate promising renal therapeutic benefits. The rising popularity of herbal remedies and supplements, perceived as natural antioxidants, has spurred investigations into their potential efficacy. Notably, lactoferrin, Boerhaavia diffusa, Amauroderma rugosum, and Ganoderma lucidum are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and may support kidney function preservation. However, the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of Western medications and herbal remedies in alleviating inflammation and oxidative stress occurring in renal dysfunction are not completely known. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of CKD treatment strategies and renal function preservation and critically discusses the existing literature's limitations whilst offering insight into the potential antioxidant effects of these interventions. This could provide a useful guide for future clinical trials and facilitate the development of effective treatment strategies for kidney functions.

Structural characterization and anti-oxidative activity for a glycopeptide from Ganoderma lucidum fruiting body

A water-soluble glycopeptide (named GL-PWQ3) with a molecular weight (Mw) of 2.40 × 104 g/mol was isolated from Ganoderma lucidum fruiting body by hot water extraction, membrane ultrafiltration, and gel column chromatography, which mainly consisted of glucose and galactose. Based on the methylation, FT-IR, 1D, and 2D NMR analysis, the polysaccharide portion of GL-PWQ3 was identified as a glucogalactan, which was comprised of unsubstituted (1,6-α-Galp, 1,6-β-Glcp, 1,4-β-Glcp) and monosubstituted (1,2,6-α-Galp and 1,3,6-β-Glcp) in the backbone and possible branches that at the O-3 position of 1,3-Glcp and T-Glcp, and the O-2 position of T-Fucp, T-Manp or T-Glcp. The chain conformational study by SEC-MALLS-RI and AFM revealed that GL-PWQ3 was identified as a highly branched polysaccharide with a polydispersity index of 1.25, and might have compact sphere structures caused by stacked multiple chains. Moreover, the GL-PWQ3 shows strong anti-oxidative activity in NRK-52E cells. This study provides a theoretical basis for further elucidating the structure-functionality relationships of GL-PWQ3 and its potential application as a natural antioxidant in pharmacotherapy as well as functional food additives.

Therapeutic effects of the alkaline extract of leaves of Sasa sp. and elucidation of its mechanism in acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI), a common complication in hospitalized patients, is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. However, there are currently no approved or effective therapeutics for AKI. AKI is primarily caused by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, with oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species (ROS) being a major contributor. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an alkaline extract of the leaves of Sasa sp. (SE) using mouse renal I/R injury and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) models in NRK-52E cells. Renal function parameters were measured, and histopathological evaluations were performed to assess the efficacy of SE. In addition, to determine the mechanisms underlying the effects of SE on renal I/R injury, its effects on malondialdehyde (MDA) of oxidative stress and interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β of inflammatory cytokines were evaluated. SE (0.03, 0.3, and 3 g/kg) improved renal function in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, SE ameliorated tubular injury and, reduced IL-6, IL-1β and MDA. Also, SE ameliorated cell death, ROS production, and inflammatory cytokine production in H/R-exposed NRK-52E cells. SE showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in the AKI. These results indicate the potential of SE as a medicinal compound for the prevention and treatment of AKI.

Alsayegh A, Ahmad FA, Akhtar MS, Alavudeen SS, Bantun F, Wahab S, Ahmed A, Ali M, Elbendary EY, Raposo A, Kambal N, H. Abdelrahman M. Ganoderma lucidum: Insight into antimicrobial and antioxidant properties with development of secondary metabolites

Ganoderma lucidum is a versatile mushroom. Polysaccharides and triterpenoids are the major bioactive compounds and have been used as traditional medicinal mushrooms since ancient times. They are currently used as nutraceuticals and functional foods. G. lucidum extracts and their bioactive compounds have been used as an alternative to antioxidants and antimicrobial agents. Secondary metabolites with many medicinal properties make it a possible substitute that could be applied as immunomodulatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic. The miraculous properties of secondary metabolites fascinate researchers for their development and production. Recent studies have paid close attention to the different physical, genetic, biochemical, and nutritional parameters that potentiate the production of secondary metabolites. This review is an effort to collect biologically active constituents from G. lucidum that reveal potential actions against diseases with the latest improvement in a novel technique to get maximum production of secondary metabolites. Studies are going ahead to determine the efficacy of numerous compounds and assess the valuable properties achieved by G. lucidum in favor of antimicrobial and antioxidant outcomes.

Gypenoside XVII attenuates renal ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome-triggered pyroptosis

BACKGROUND

Renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is one of the main causes of acute kidney injury (AKI), for which there is currently no effective treatment. Recently, the interaction between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and pyroptosis during AKI has been investigated.

AIM

The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Gypenoside XVII (GP-17) against I/R-induced renal injury.

METHODS

In this study, mice were divided into 6 groups, sham group, I/R group, GP-17 low-, medium-, high-dose group, and positive control 4-PBA group. The renal I/R was performed in mice by clamping the bilateral renal pedicles for 40 min, and then reperfusing for 24 h. Blood and kidney samples were collected for analysis.

RESULTS

The results showed that GP-17 improved renal function and alleviated renal histopathological abnormalities caused by I/R. In addition, GP-17 pretreatment significantly decreased the expression or phosphorylation of ER stress response proteins including BIP, p-PERK, and CHOP. Besides, GP-17 inhibited the expression of pyroptosis proteins including caspase-1, GSDMD, and apoptotic protein BAX. The inflammatory factor IL-1β in these GP-17 pretreatment groups was also significantly reduced.

CONCLUSION

GP-17 blocked NLRP3 inflammasome activation by inhibiting ERS, thereby inhibiting renal tubular cell pyroptosis and apoptosis, and prevented renal I/R injury.

Inhibition of intrarenal PRR-RAS pathway by Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptides in proteinuric nephropathy

Excessive proteinuria leads to renal dysfunction and damage. Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptide (GL-PP) and Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptide 2 (GL-PP2) are biologically active compounds extracted from Ganoderma lucidum. GL-PP has a relative molecular weight of 37,121 with 76.39 % polysaccharides and 16.35 % polypeptides, while GL-PP2 has a relative molecular weight of 31,130, composed of 64.14 % polysaccharides and 17.73 % polypeptides. The xylose: mannose: glucose monosaccharide ratios in GL-PP and GL-PP2 were 4.83:1:7.03 and 2.35:1:9.38, respectively. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of GL-PP and GL-PP2 on proteinuria-induced renal dysfunction and damage using rat and cell models. Both compounds reduced kidney injury, proteinuria, and inhibited the (pro)renin receptor (PRR)-renin-angiotensin system (RAS) pathway, inflammatory cell infiltration, oxidative stress, and fibrosis. GL-PP2 showed stronger inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase proteins compared to GL-PP. In cell models, both compounds displayed anti-inflammatory properties and improved cellular viability by inhibiting the PRR-RAS pathway. GL-PP2 has higher feasibility and productivity than GL-PP in pharmacology and industrial production. It shows promise in treating proteinuria-induced renal disease with superior anti-inflammatory effects and economic, safe industrial application prospects. Further research is needed to compare efficacy, mechanisms, clinical applications, and commercial feasibility of GL-PP and GL-PP2.

Natural Bio-Compounds from Ganoderma lucidum and Their Beneficial Biological Actions for Anticancer Application: A Review

Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) has been known for many centuries in Asian countries under different names, varying depending on the country. The objective of this review is to investigate the scientific research on the natural active bio-compounds in extracts obtained from G. lucidum with significant biological actions in the treatment of cancer. This review presents the classes of bio-compounds existing in G. lucidum that have been reported over time in the main databases and have shown important biological actions in the treatment of cancer. The results highlight the fact that G. lucidum possesses important bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides, triterpenoids, sterols, proteins, nucleotides, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, which have been demonstrated to exhibit multiple anticancer effects, namely immunomodulatory, anti-proliferative, cytotoxic, and antioxidant action. The potential health benefits of G. lucidum are systematized based on biological actions. The findings present evidence regarding the lack of certainty about the effects of G. lucidum bio-compounds in treating different forms of cancer, which may be due to the use of different types of Ganoderma formulations, differences in the study populations, or due to drug-disease interactions. In the future, larger clinical trials are needed to clarify the potential benefits of pharmaceutical preparations of G. lucidum, standardized by the known active components in the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Identification of signature genes for renal ischemia‒reperfusion injury based on machine learning and WGCNA

Background

As an inevitable event after kidney transplantation, ischemia‒reperfusion injury (IRI) can lead to a decrease in kidney transplant success. The search for signature genes of renal ischemia‒reperfusion injury (RIRI) is helpful in improving the diagnosis and guiding clinical treatment.

Methods

We first downloaded 3 datasets from the GEO database. Then, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and applied for functional enrichment analysis. After that, we performed three machine learning methods, including random forest (RF), Lasso regression analysis, and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE), to further predict candidate genes. WGCNA was also executed to screen candidate genes from DEGs. Then, we took the intersection of candidate genes to obtain the signature genes of RIRI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to measure the predictive ability of the signature genes. Kaplan‒Meier analysis was used for association analysis between signature genes and graft survival. Verifying the expression of signature genes in the ischemia cell model.

Results

A total of 117 DEGs were screened out. Subsequently, RF, Lasso regression analysis, SVM-RFE and WGCNA identified 17, 25, 18 and 74 candidate genes, respectively. Finally, 3 signature genes (DUSP1, FOS, JUN) were screened out through the intersection of candidate genes. ROC analysis suggested that the 3 signature genes could well diagnose and predict RIRI. Kaplan‒Meier analysis indicated that patients with low FOS or JUN expression had a longer OS than those with high FOS or JUN expression. Finally, we validated using the ischemia cell model that compared to the control group, the expression level of JUN increased under hypoxic conditions.

Conclusions

Three signature genes (DUSP1, FOS, JUN) offer a good prediction for RIRI outcome and may serve as potential therapeutic targets for RIRI intervention, especially JUN. The prediction of graft survival by FOS and JUN may improve graft survival in patients with RIRI.

Therapeutic potential of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptide in Doxorubicin-induced nephropathy: modulation of renin-angiotensin system and proteinuria

Introduction: In the Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced nephropathy model, proteinuria is a manifestation of progressive kidney injury. The pathophysiology of renal illness is heavily influenced by the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). To reduce renal RAS activation and proteinuria caused by DOX, this study evaluated the effectiveness of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptide (GL-PP), a new glycopeptide produced from Ganoderma lucidum grown on grass. Methods: Three groups of BALB/c male mice were created: control, DOX, and DOX + GL-PP. GL-PP (100 mg/kg) was administered to mice by intraperitoneal injection for 4 weeks following a single intravenous injection of DOX (10 mg/kg via the tail vein). Results: After 4 weeks, full-length and soluble pro(renin) receptor (fPRR/sPRR) overexpression in DOX mouse kidneys, which is crucial for the RAS pathway, was dramatically inhibited by GL-PP therapy. Additionally, GL-PP successfully reduced elevation of urinary renin activity and angiotensin II levels, supporting the idea that GL-PP inhibits RAS activation. Moreover, GL-PP showed a considerable downregulation of nicotinamide adenine nucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4) expression and a decrease in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels. GL-PP treatment effectively reduced glomerular and tubular injury induced by DOX, as evidenced by decreased proteinuria, podocyte damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and fibrosis. Discussion: GL-PP inhibits intrarenal PRR/sPRR-RAS activation and upregulation of NOX4 and H2O2, suggesting potential therapeutic approaches against DOX-induced nephropathy.

Mechanism, prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment caused by high altitude exposure

Hypobaric hypoxia (HH) characteristics induce impaired cognitive function, reduced concentration, and memory. In recent years, an increasing number of people have migrated to high-altitude areas for work and study. Headache, sleep disturbance, and cognitive impairment from HH, severely challenges the physical and mental health and affects their quality of life and work efficiency. This review summarizes the manifestations, mechanisms, and preventive and therapeutic methods of HH environment affecting cognitive function and provides theoretical references for exploring and treating high altitude-induced cognitive impairment.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptides GL-PPSQ2 alleviate intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury via inhibiting cytotoxic neutrophil extracellular traps

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides peptides (GLPP) are the main effective ingredients from G. lucidum (Leyss. ex Fr.) Karst with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunoregulatory activities. We extracted and characterized a novel GLPP, named GL-PPSQ₂, which were found to have 18 amino acids and 48 proteins, connected by O-glycosidic bonds. The monosaccharide composition of GL-PPSQ₂ was determined to be composed of fucose, mannose, galactose and glucose with a molar ratio of 1: 1.45:2.37:16.46. By using asymmetric field-flow separation technique, GL-PPSQ₂ were found to have a highly branched structure. Moreover, in an intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) mouse model, GL-PPSQ₂ significantly increased the survival rate and alleviated intestinal mucosal hemorrhage, pulmonary permeability, and pulmonary edema. Meanwhile, GL-PPSQ₂ significantly promoted intestinal tight junction, decreased inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis in the ileum and lung. Analysis with Gene Expression Omnibus series indicates that neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation plays an important role in intestinal I/R injury. GL-PPSQ₂ remarkedly inhibited NETs-related protein myeloperoxidase (MPO) and citrulline-Histone H3 (citH3) expression. GL-PPSQ₂ could alleviate intestinal I/R and its induced lung injury via inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammation, cellular apoptosis, and cytotoxic NETs formation. This study proves that GL-PPSQ₂ is a novel drug candidate for preventing and treating intestinal I/R injury.

GATA2 promotes oxidative stress to aggravate renal ischemia-reperfusion injury by up-regulating Redd1

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (RIRI) is a common pathophysiological process, and it is also an important cause of acute renal failure. Therefore, finding an effective therapeutic target for RIRI is extremely urgent. In our study, we constructed hypoxia-reoxygenation (HR) model in vitro and a renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) model in vivo. Elevated levels of serum creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and malondialdehyde (MDA) along with the decreased levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) proved that kidney function was damaged after IR, and pathological changes of renal tissues were observed using HE staining and TUNEL staining. The protein of Redd1 expression level was detected to be upregulated after IR by western blot (WB). However, transfection of short hairpin RNA of Redd1 (sh-Redd1) alleviated the HR injury on LLC-PK1 cells, as evidenced by increased cell viability, proliferation and decreased cell apoptosis; additionally, the accumulation of ROS was inhibited. Sh-Redd1 also alleviated IR injury in the mouse model. Subsequently, GATA2 was proved to be upregulated in IR and HR models and was the transcription factor of Redd1. Knockdown of GATA2 efficiently mitigated the oxidative stress induced damages in vivo and in vitro, while these mitigations were reversed by transfection of Redd1 overexpression plasmid. In conclusion, our study clarified the possible underlying mechanism of protecting RIRI.

A detailed theoretical exploration on the THR-β binding affinities and antioxidant activity of some halogenated bisphenols

Natural halogenated phenolic compounds are unique bioactive structures which share features and physicochemical properties with thyroid hormones, who are essential regulators of neurological development and metabolism processes. Also, these structures can be used as natural antioxidants to minimize the diseases related to oxidative stress. In this work, the binding affinity of 32 natural and synthetic halogenated bisphenols were investigated on thyroid hormone receptor-β (THR-β) using the molecular docking, MM/GBSA, molecular dynamics, and a rigorous three-layer ONIOM ((M06-2X/6-31G*:PM6:AMBER) calculation. The desirable potency is observed for binding of selected compounds to THR-β. The Met313, Asn331, and His435 are the main interacting residues in the binding cavity which involved in the hydrogen and halogen bond interactions with the ligands. The most potent candidate on binding to the active site of THR-β is presented with respect to the results of mentioned calculations. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of compounds has been investigated using the quantum mechanical calculations. The electrostatic potential surfaces illustrate well the antioxidant capacity of compounds. The halogen substituents increase the antioxidant activity of the most stable conformers. The position and number of OH groups are crucial factors which affect the activity, whereas two adjacent hydroxyl groups enhance the antioxidant activity of selected compounds.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptide alleviates hyperuricemia by regulating adenosine deaminase and urate transporters

Hyperuricemia (HUA) affects human health and is involved in the pathogenesis of common chronic diseases. Previous studies showed that Ganoderma lucidum extract lowered HUA in animals. However, the active ingredient and pharmacological mechanism of Ganoderma lucidum extract in the improvement of HUA are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the anti-HUA efficacy and related mechanism of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptide (GLPP) using a potassium oxonate (PO)-induced mouse model and an adenosine-induced cell model. The experimental results showed that blood uric acid (UA) was decreased up to 40.6% by GLPP in HUA mice in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, GLPP significantly reduced UA production by inhibiting the hepatic and blood adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity and increased UA excretion by decreasing the expression of glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9) and increasing the expression of organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1) in kidney. The adenosine-induced cell model showed that the inhibitory effect of GLPP on ADA activity may be the main reason for the alleviation of HUA by GLPP. Furthermore, PO-induced renal histopathological damage was also alleviated by GLPP in a dose-dependent manner. The experimental results in this study indicated that GLPP exerted anti-HUA effects via regulating the UA production and excretion, suggesting that GLPP could be developed into a therapeutic agent for HUA.

Protective Effect of Natural Antioxidants on Reducing Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity

The clinical application of cisplatin is limited by its adverse events, of which nephrotoxicity is the most commonly observed. In a cisplatin-induced pathological response, oxidative stress is one of the upstream reactions which inflicts different degrees of damages to the intracellular material components. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are also one of the early signaling molecules that subsequently undergo a series of pathological reactions, such as apoptosis and necrosis. This review summarizes the mechanism of intracellular ROS generation induced by cisplatin, mainly from the consumption of endogenous antioxidants, destruction of antioxidant enzymes, induction of mitochondrial crosstalk between the endoplasmic reticulum by ROS and Ca²⁺, and destruction of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system in the endoplasmic reticulum, all of which result in excessive accumulation of intracellular ROS and oxidative stress. In addition, studies demonstrated that natural antioxidants can protect against the cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, by reducing or even eliminating excess free radicals and also affecting other nonredox pathways. Therefore, this review on the one hand provides theoretical support for the research and clinical application of natural antioxidants and on the other hand provides a new entry point for the detailed mechanism of cisplatin nephrotoxicity, which may lay a solid foundation for the future clinical use of cisplatin.

Hydrogen-Rich Water Mitigates LPS-Induced Chronic Intestinal Inflammatory Response in Rats via Nrf-2 and NF-κB Signaling Pathways

Long-term exposure to low-dose lipopolysaccharide can impair intestinal barriers, causing intestinal inflammation and leading to systemic inflammation. Hydrogen-rich water possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions and exerts inhibitory effects on various inflammatory diseases. In this study, we investigated whether oral hydrogen-rich water could prevent lipopolysaccharide-induced chronic intestinal inflammation. An experimental model was established by feeding hydrogen-rich water, followed by the injection of lipopolysaccharide (200 μg/kg) in the tail vein of rats after seven months. ELISA, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and other methods were used to detect related cytokines, proteins related to the NF-κB and Nrf-2 signaling pathways, and tight-junction proteins to study the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of hydrogen-rich water. The obtained results show that hydrogen-rich water significantly increased the levels of superoxide dismutase and structural proteins; activated the Nrf-2 signaling pathway; downregulated the expression of inflammatory factors cyclooxygenase-2, myeloperoxidase, and ROS; and decreased the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. These results suggest that hydrogen-rich water could protect against chronic intestinal inflammation in rats caused by lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway by regulating the Nrf-2 signaling pathway.

Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Mitigation via Geraniol: The Role of Nrf-2/HO-1/NQO-1 and TLR2,4/MYD88/NFκB Pathway

BACKGROUND

Renal ischemia/reperfusion injury is a clinically recurrent event during kidney transplantation. Geraniol is a natural monoterpene essential oil component. This study aimed to inspect geraniol's reno-protective actions against renal I/R injury with further analysis of embedded mechanisms of action through scrutinizing the Nrf-2/HO-1/NQO-1 and TLR2,4/MYD88/NFκB signaling pathways.

METHODS

Wistar male rats were randomized into five groups: Sham, Sham + geraniol, Renal I/R, and two Renal I/R + geraniol groups representing two doses of geraniol (100 and 200 mg/kg) for 14 days before the renal I/R. Renal I/R was surgically induced by occluding both left and right renal pedicles for 45 min, followed by reperfusion for 24 h. A docking study was performed to anticipate the expected affinity of geraniol towards three protein targets: hTLR4/MD2, hTLR2, and hNrf2/Keap1.

RESULTS

Renal I/R rats experienced severely compromised renal functions, histological alteration, oxidative stress status, escalated Nrf-2/HO-1/NQO-1, and amplified TLR2,4/MYD88/NFκB. Geraniol administration ameliorated renal function, alleviated histological changes, and enhanced Nrf-2/HO-1/NQO-1 with a subsequent intensification of antioxidant enzyme activities. Geraniol declined TLR2,4/MYD88/NFκB with subsequent TNF-α, IFN-γ, MCP-1 drop, Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9 reduction IL-10 and Bcl-2 augmentation. Geraniol exhibited good fitting in the binding sites of the three in silico examined targets.

CONCLUSIONS

Geraniol might protect against renal I/R via the inhibition of the TLR2,4/MYD88/NFκB pathway, mediating anti-inflammation and activation of the Nrf2 pathway, intervening in antioxidative activities.

Binge drinking during the adolescence period causes oxidative damage-induced cardiometabolic disorders: A possible ameliorative approach with selenium supplementation

Binge drinking (BD) is the most common alcohol consumption model among adolescents. BD exposure during adolescence disrupts the nervous system function, being involved in the major mortality causes at this age: motor vehicle accidents, homicides and suicides. Recent studies have also shown that BD consumption during adolescence affects liver, renal and cardiovascular physiology, predisposing adolescents to future adult cardiometabolic damage. BD is a particularly pro-oxidant alcohol consumption pattern, because it leads to the production of a great source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system, also decreasing the antioxidant activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Selenium (Se) is a mineral which plays a pivotal role against oxidation; it forms part of the catalytic center of different antioxidant selenoproteins such as GPxs (GPx1, GPx4, GPx3) and selenoprotein P (SelP). Specifically, GPx4 has an essential role in mitochondria, preventing their oxidation, apoptosis and NFkB-inflamative response, being this function even more relevant in heart's tissue. Se serum levels are decreased in acute and chronic alcoholic adult patients, being correlated to the severity of oxidation, liver damage and metabolic profile. Experimental studies have described that Se supplementation to alcohol exposed mice clearly decreases oxidative and liver damage. However, clinical BD effects on Se homeostasis and selenoproteins' tissue distribution related to oxidation during adolescence are not yet studied. In this narrative review we will describe the use of sodium selenite supplementation as an antioxidant therapy in adolescent BD rats in order to analyze Se homeostasis implication during BD exposure, oxidative balance, apoptosis and inflammation, mainly in liver, kidney, and heart. These biomolecular changes and the cardiovascular function will be analyzed. Se supplementation therapies could be a good strategy to prevent the oxidation, inflammation and apoptosis generated in tissues by BD during adolescence, such as liver, kidney and heart, improving cardiovascular functioning.

Plants with Therapeutic Potential for Ischemic Acute Kidney Injury: A Systematic Review

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex condition which has an intricate pathology mostly involving hemodynamic, inflammatory, and direct toxic effects at the cellular level with high morbidity and mortality ratios. Renal ischemic reperfusion injury (RIRI) is the main factor responsible for AKI, most often observed in different types of shock, kidney transplantation, sepsis, and postoperative procedures. The RIRI-induced AKI is accompanied by increased reactive oxygen species generation together with the activation of various inflammatory pathways. In this context, plant-derived medicines have shown encouraging nephroprotective properties. Evidence provided in this systemic review leads to the conclusion that plant-derived extracts and compounds exhibit nephroprotective action against renal ischemic reperfusion induced-AKI by increasing endogenous antioxidants and decreasing anti-inflammatory cytokines. However, there is no defined biomarker or target which can be used for treating AKI completely. These plant-derived extracts and compounds are only tested in selected transgenic animal models. To develop the results obtained into a therapeutic entity, one should apply them in proper vertebrate multitransgenic animal models prior to further validation in humans.

Transcriptome of miRNA during inhibition of Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus by geldanamycin in BmN cells

Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) is one of several viruses that cause great harm to the sericulture industry, and its pathogenic mechanism is still being explored. Geldanamycin (GA), a kind of HSP90 inhibitor, has been verified to suppress BmNPV proliferation. However, the molecular mechanism by which GA inhibits BmNPV is unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play a key role in regulating virus proliferation and host-pathogen interactions. In this study, BmN cells infected with BmNPV were treated by GA and DMSO for 72 h, respectively, then transcriptome analysis of miRNA was performed from the GA group and the control group. As a result, a total of 29 miRNAs were differentially expressed (DE), with 13 upregulated and 16 downregulated. Using bioinformatics analysis, it was found that the target genes of DEmiRNAs were involved in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, phagosome, proteasome, endocytosis pathways, and so on. Six DEmiRNAs were verified by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. DElong noncoding RNA (DElncRNA)-DEmiRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA) regulatory networks involved in apoptosis and immune pathways were constructed in GA-treated BmN cells, which included 12 DEmiRNA, 132 DElncRNA, and 69 mRNAs. This regulatory network enriched the functional role of miRNA in the BmNPV-silkworm interactions and improved our understanding of the molecular mechanism of HSP90 inhibitors on BmNPV proliferation.

The Pharmacological Rationales and Molecular Mechanisms of Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharides for the Therapeutic Applications of Multiple Diseases

As a versatile Chinese herb, Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss. ex Fr.) Karst (G. lucidum) has been applied to treat multiple diseases in clinics and improve the quality of life of patients. Among all of its extracts, the main bioactive components are G. lucidum polysaccharides (GLPs), which possess many therapeutic effects, such as antitumor, immunoregulatory, anti-oxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, and antifungal effects and neuroprotection activities. This review briefly summarized the recent studies of the pharmacological rationales of GLPs and their underlying molecular signaling transmission mechanisms in treating diseases. Until now, the clear mechanisms of GLPs for treating diseases have not been reported. In this review, we used the keywords of "Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides" and "tumor" to search in PubMed (years of 1992-2020), then screened and obtained 160 targets of antitumor activities in the literatures. The network pharmacology and mechanism framework were employed in this study as powerful approaches to systematically analyze the complicated potential antitumor mechanisms and targets of GLPs in cancer. We then found that there are 69 targets and 21 network pathways in "Pathways in cancer". Besides, we summarized the effects of GLPs and the models and methods used in the research of GLPs. In conclusion, GLPs have been studied extensively, but more in-depth research is still needed to determine the exact mechanisms and pathways. Therefore, this review might provide new insights into the vital targets and pathways for researchers to study the pharmacological mechanisms of GLPs for the treatment of diseases.

Renal Protective Effects of Inonotus obliquus on High-Fat Diet/Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Kidney Disease Rats: Biochemical, Color Doppler Ultrasound and Histopathological Evidence

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the current leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Inonotus obliquus (chaga), a medicinal fungus, has been used in treatment of diabetes. Here, we aim to identify the renal protective effects of chaga extracts on a DKD rat model which was induced by a high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection. During the total 17-weeks experiment, the biological parameters of serum and urine were examined, and the color Doppler ultrasound of renal artery, the periodic acid-Schiff staining, and electron microscopy of kidney tissue were performed. The compositions of chaga extracts were analyzed and the intervention effects of the extracts were also observed. Compared with the normal control group, the biochemical research showed that insulin resistance was developed, blood glucose and total cholesterol were elevated, urinary protein excretion and serum creatinine levels were significantly increased in the DKD model. The ultrasound examinations confirmed the deteriorated blood flow parameters of the left renal interlobar artery in the rat models. Finally, histopathological data supported renal injury on the thickened glomerular basement membrane and fusion of the foot processes. 8 weeks intervention of chaga improved the above changes significantly, and the 100 mg/kg/d chaga group experienced significant effects compared with the 50 mg/kg/d in some parameters. Our findings suggested that Doppler ultrasound examinations guided with biochemical indicators played important roles in evaluating the renal injury as an effective, noninvasive, and repeatable method in rats. Based on biochemical, ultrasound, and histopathological evidence, we confirmed that chaga had pharmacodynamic effects on diabetes-induced kidney injury and the aforementioned effects may be related to delaying the progression of DKD.

Renal Nano-drug delivery for acute kidney Injury: Current status and future perspectives

Acute kidney injury (AKI) causes considerable morbidity and mortality, particularly in the case of post-cardiac infarction or kidney transplantation; however, the site-specific accumulation of small molecule reno-protective agents for AKI has often proved ineffective due to dynamic fluid and solute excretion and non-selectivity, which impedes therapeutic efficacy. This article reviews the current status and future trajectories of renal nanomedicine research for AKI management from pharmacological and clinical perspectives, with a particular focus on appraising nanosized drug carrier (NDC) use for the delivery of reno-protective agents of different pharmacological classes and the effectiveness of NDCs in improving renal tissue targeting selectivity and efficacy of said agents. This review reveals the critical shift in the role of the small molecule reno-protective agents in AKI pharmacotherapy - from prophylaxis to treatment - when using NDCs for delivery to the kidney. We also highlight the need to identify the accumulation sites of NDCs carrying reno-protective agents in renal tissues during in vivo assessments and detail the less-explored pharmacological classes of reno-protective agents whose efficacies may be improved via NDC-based delivery. We conclude the paper by outlining the challenges and future perspectives of NDC-based reno-protective agent delivery for better clinical management of AKI.

Allicin protects against renal ischemia-reperfusion injury by attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis

Background

Studies have demonstrated that allicin may play critical roles in the procession of ischemia–reperfusion(I/R) injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of allicin on renal I/R injury by attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Methods

To establish a model of renal I/R, the right kidney underwent 12 h reperfusion after 45 min ischemia, allicin was administered intraperitoneally at concentrations of 40, 50 or 60 mg/kg. NRK-52E cells were treated with allicin at concentrations of 1, 3 or 5 μM in 24 h hypoxia/ 6 h reoxygenation(H/R) treatments. Indicators of HE, oxidative stress, apoptosis were measured to evaluate the effect of aliicin on renal I/R injury.

Results

Allicin protected renal I/R injury by ameliorating histological injury and decreasing the oxidative stress in renal tissues. Meanwhile, allicin significantly downregulated the expression of Bax and caspase-3, upregulated the expression of Bcl-2 in I/R renal tissues and H/R treated NRK-52E cells.

Conclusions

Allicin may exert anti-apoptotic and antioxidative effects to promote renal function recovery in I/R renal tissues and H/R treated NRK-52E cells. Taken together, allicin may be a potential novel therapy option for future renal injury protection.

Rhodomeroterpene alleviates macrophage infiltration and the inflammatory response in renal tissue to improve acute kidney injury

Inflammation is broadly recognized as an important factor in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI), but pharmacological approaches to alleviate inflammation in AKI have not been proved successful in clinical trials. Macrophage infiltration into renal tissue promotes inflammatory responses that contribute to the pathogenesis of AKI. Suppression of renal tissue inflammatory responses is postulated to improve renal injury of patients and animals. Rhodomeroterpene (RMT) is a novel meroterpenoid isolated from the Rhododendron genus that was shown to exert anti-inflammatory action in vivo or in vitro in this study. We investigated the treatment effects of RMT on LPS-induced sepsis and two different AKI models. The results showed that pretreatment with RMT (30 mg kg^-1  d^-1 , ip, for 3 days) significantly inhibited acute inflammatory responses in LPS-induced septic mice. In both renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R) and sepsis-induced AKI models, RMT (30 mg kg^-1  d^-1 , ip, for 3 days) ameliorated renal function and injury and alleviated inflammation by reducing the infiltration of immune cells, including macrophages and neutrophils. Furthermore, our study demonstrated that RMT inhibits inflammatory responses in macrophages. The anti-inflammatory effects of RMT may be due to the inactivation of the IKK/NF-κB and PI3K/PDK1/Akt inflammatory signaling pathways in macrophages. Collectively, our findings indicate that RMT ameliorates renal injury and alleviates the renal inflammatory state in different AKI models, suggesting that RMT may be a potential agent for the treatment of AKI.

Ganoderic acid alleviates chemotherapy-induced fatigue in mice bearing colon tumor

Chemotherapy-related fatigue (CRF) is increasingly being recognized as one of the severe symptoms in patients undergoing chemotherapy, which not only largely reduces the quality of life in patients, but also diminishes their physical and social function. At present, there is no effective drug for preventing and treating CRF. Ganoderic acid (GA), isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Ganoderma lucidum, has shown a variety of pharmacological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, immunoregulation, etc. In this study, we investigated whether GA possessed anti-fatigue activity against CRF. CT26 tumor-bearing mice were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, 30 mg/kg) and GA (50 mg/kg) alone or in combination for 18 days. Peripheral and central fatigue-related behaviors, energy metabolism and inflammatory factors were assessed. We demonstrated that co-administration of GA ameliorated 5-FU-induced peripheral muscle fatigue-like behavior via improving muscle quality and mitochondria function, increasing glycogen content and ATP production, reducing lactic acid content and LDH activity, and inhibiting p-AMPK, IL-6 and TNF-α expression in skeletal muscle. Co-administration of GA also retarded the 5-FU-induced central fatigue-like behavior accompanied by down-regulating the expression of IL-6, iNOS and COX2 in the hippocampus through inhibiting TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB pathway. These results suggest that GA could attenuate 5-FU-induced peripheral and central fatigue in tumor-bearing mice, which provides evidence for GA as a potential drug for treatment of CRF in clinic.

Ganoderic Acids Prevent Renal Ischemia Reperfusion Injury by Inhibiting Inflammation and Apoptosis

Renal ischemia reperfusion injury (RIRI) is one of the main causes of acute kidney injury (AKI), which can lead to acute renal failure. The development of RIRI is so complicated that it involves many factors such as inflammatory response, oxidative stress and cell apoptosis. Ganoderic acids (GAs), as one of the main pharmacological components of Ganoderma lucidum, have been reported to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other pharmacological effects. The study is aimed to investigate the protective effect of GAs on RIRI and explore related underlying mechanisms. The mechanisms involved were assessed by a mouse RIRI model and a hypoxia/reoxygenation model. Compared with sham-operated group, renal dysfunction and morphological damages were relieved markedly in GAs-pretreatment group. GAs pretreatment could reduce the production of pro-inflammatory factors such as IL-6, COX-2 and iNOS induced by RIRI through inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF-kB signaling pathway. Furthermore, GAs reduced cell apoptosis via the decrease of the ratios of cleaved caspase-8 and cleaved caspase-3. The experimental results suggest that GAs prevent RIRI by alleviating tissue inflammation and apoptosis and might be developed as a candidate drug for preventing RIRI-induced AKI.

Allicin ameliorates renal ischemia/reperfusion injury via inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation in rats

Allicin has been reported to play a biological role in human pathophysiological processes via interaction with numerous signaling pathways and gene expression alteration. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of allicin against renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (RIRI) in rats. In the present study, the RIRI model with 45-min ischemia and 22-h reperfusion in rats was generated and allicin was used as the intervention. Changes in renal tissue pathomorphology, renal function, oxidative stress, inflammatory response and apoptosis were evaluated in the RIRI model in rats. Compared with those in the RIRI group, renal function, renal pathological injury, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties were markedly improved in the RIRI+allicin group. Thus, our research suggested that allicin exerted its protective effect against ischemia/reperfusion-induced renal injury by regulating apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammatory response in rats.

Ganoderma lucidum ameliorates the diabetic nephropathy via down-regulatory effect on TGFβ-1 and TLR-4/NFκB signalling pathways

OBJECTIVES

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most important complications of diabetes mellitus and it is considered as a principal cause for end-stage renal failure. Ganoderma lucidum (GL) has been studied for its reno-protective effect against different kidney injury models. The aim of our study is to investigate the mechanisms by which GL can improve kidney injury and consequent renal inflammation and fibrosis.

METHODS

GL either in a low dose (250 mg/kg, i.p.) or high dose (500 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered to DN rat model, and nephropathy indices were investigated.

KEY FINDINGS

GL treatment significantly down-regulated kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) gene expression and inhibited TLR-4 (Toll-like receptor-4)/NFκB (nuclear factor kappa B) signalling pathway. As well, GL treatment significantly decreased the pro-inflammatory mediator; IL-1β (interleukin-1 beta) level and fibrosis-associated growth factors; FGF-23 (fibroblast growth factor-23) and TGFβ-1 (transforming growth factor beta-1) levels. In addition, GL remarkably inhibited (Bax) the pro-apoptotic protein and induced (Bcl-2) the anti-apoptotic protein expression in kidneys. Moreover, GL treatment significantly alleviates kidney injury indicated by correcting the deteriorated kidney function and improving oxidative stress status in DN rats.

CONCLUSIONS

GL significantly improved renal function indices through dose-dependent kidney function restoration, oxidative stress reduction, down-regulation of gene expression of KIM-1 and TLR4/NFκB signalling pathway blockage with subsequent alleviation of renal inflammation and fibrosis.

β-Glucans as a panacea for a healthy heart? Their roles in preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Factors increasing the risks for CVD development are related to obesity, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and lifestyle. CVD risk factors may be treated with appropriate drugs, but prolonged can use cause undesirable side-effects. Among the natural products used in complementary and alternative medicines, are the β-ᴅ-glucans; biopolymers found in foods (cereals, mushrooms), and can easily be produced by microbial fermentation. Independent of source, β-glucans of the mixed-linked types [(1 → 3)(1 → 6)-β-ᴅ-glucans - fungal, and (1 → 3)(1 → 4)-β-ᴅ-glucans - cereal] have widely been studied because of their biological activities, and have demonstrated cardiovascular protective effects. In this review, we discuss the roles of β-ᴅ-glucans in various pathophysiological conditions that lead to CVDs including obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, hypertension, atherosclerosis and stroke. The β-glucans from all of the sources cited demonstrated potential hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic and anti-obesogenicity activities, reduced hypertension and ameliorated the atherosclerosis condition. More recently, β-glucans are recognized as possessing prebiotic properties that modulate the gut microbiome and impact on the health benefits including cardiovascular. Overall, all the studies investigated unequivocally demonstrated the dietary benefits of consuming β-glucans regardless of source, thus constituting a promising panaceutical approach to reduce CVD risk factors.

The effects of HIF-1α overexpression on renal injury, immune disorders and mitochondrial apoptotic pathways in renal ischemia/reperfusion rats

Background

Renal ischemia/reperfusion (RI/R) injury are a common pathogenesis of acute kidney injury, which may cause renal parenchyma damage clinically. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) has protective effects on cells in regulating the metabolism, angiogenesis, erythropoiesis, and anti-apoptosis of RI/R injury. However, the specific mechanisms for HIF-1α on RI/R injury are still unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of HIF-1α overexpression on renal function injury, immune disorder, and mitochondrial apoptosis in RI/R rats.

Methods

The rat model of RI/R injury was set up. The lentivirus (LV) vector of HIF-1α overexpression was constructed, and then the LV was transfected to the model rats. The rats were randomly divided into four groups: the control group, RI/R group, RI/R + LV group, and RI/R + LV-HIF-1α group for later experiments. The mRNA levels of HIF-1α were detected by RT-PCR. Proteinuria, urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine levels were detected using the relative kit. Pathological damage was detected by HE staining. Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining. Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were detected by ELISA. Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of HIF-1α, caspase-3, caspase-9, Bax, Bcl-2, and other proteins.

Results

Compared with the control group, the mRNA and protein levels of HIF-1α in the RI/R group were increased significantly (P<0.05). Proteinuria, urea nitrogen, serum creatinine levels were increased significantly (P<0.05). The levels of IL-6, IL-1 beta, TNF-α were increased significantly (P<0.05). The ratios of cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9/caspase-9, and Bax/Bcl-2 were increased significantly (P<0.05). There was a significant increase in apoptosis rate and renal pathological tissue damage (P<0.05). Compared with RI/R+LV group, the mRNA and protein levels of HIF-1α in the RI/R+LV-HIF-1α group were increased significantly (P<0.05). Proteinuria, urea nitrogen, serum creatinine levels were decreased significantly (P<0.05). IL-6, IL-1 beta, TNF-α levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05). IL-10 level was significantly increased (P<0.05). The ratios of cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9/caspase-9, and Bax/Bcl-2 were significantly reduced (P<0.05), showing that the pathological damage degree and the apoptosis rate was significantly lower.

Conclusions

HIF-1α overexpression has protective effects on renal ischemia-reperfusion rats by improving pathological injury and immune function, reducing the release of inflammatory factors, and the expression of apoptotic proteins.

Antioxidants as an Epidermal Stem Cell Activator

Antioxidants may modulate the microenvironment of epidermal stem cells by reducing the production of reactive oxygen species or by regulating the expression of extracellular matrix protein. The extracellular membrane is an important component of the stem cell niche, and microRNAs regulate extracellular membrane-mediated basal keratinocyte proliferation. In this narrative review, we will discuss several antioxidants such as ascorbic acid, plant extracts, peptides and hyaluronic acid, and their effect on the epidermal stem cell niche and the proliferative potential of interfollicular epidermal stem cells in 3D skin equivalent models.

Ganoderma lucidum Ameliorates Neurobehavioral Changes and Oxidative Stress Induced by Ethanol Binge Drinking

Ganoderma lucidum, mushroom used for centuries by Asian peoples as food supplement, has been shown interesting biological activities, including over the Central Nervous System. Besides, these mushroom bioactive compounds present antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. On the side, binge drinking paradigm consists of ethanol exposure that reflects the usual consumption of adolescents, which elicits deleterious effects, determined by high ethanol consumption, in a short period. In this study, we investigated whether the Aqueous Extract of G. lucidum (AEGl) reduces the behavioral disorders induced by alcohol. Male (n = 30) and female Wistar rats (n = 40), seventy-two days old, were used for behavioral/biochemical and oral toxicity test, respectively. Animals were exposed to 5 binges (beginning at 35 days old) of ethanol (3 g/kg/day) or distilled water. Twenty-four hours after the last binge administration, animals received AEGl (100 mg/kg/day) or distilled water for three consecutive days. After treatment protocol, open field, elevated plus maze, forced swim, and step-down inhibitory avoidance tests were performed. Oxidative stress parameters were measured to evaluate the REDOX balance. Our results demonstrated that AEGl elicited the recovery of spontaneous horizontal exploration capacity, anxiogenic- and depressive-profile, as well as short-term memory damage induced by binge-ethanol exposure. The behavioral effects of the extract were associated to the reequilibrium of the animals' REDOX balance. Thus, AEGl, a medicinal mushroom, ameliorates behavioral alteration on a model of motor, cognitive and psychiatric-like disorders induced by binge drinking paradigm and emerges as a useful tool as a food supplement in the management of disorders of alcoholic origin.

Ganoderma lucidum Prevents Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity through Inhibition of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling and Autophagy-Mediated Apoptosis

Background

Cisplatin (cis-diaminedichloroplatinum, CDDP) is a broad-spectrum antineoplastic agent. However, CDDP has been blamed for its nephrotoxicity, which is the main dose-limiting adverse effect. Ganoderma lucidum (GL), a medicinal mushroom, has antioxidant and inflammatory activities. Therefore, this study is aimed at finding out the potential nephroprotection of GL against CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity in rats and the possible molecular mechanisms including the EGFR downstream signaling, apoptosis, and autophagy.

Methods

Rats were given GL (500 mg/kg) for 10 days and a single injection of CDDP (12 mg/kg, i.p).

Results

Nephrotoxicity was evidenced by a significant increase in renal indices and oxidative stress markers. Additionally, CDDP showed a plethora of inflammatory and apoptotic responses as evidenced by a profound increase of HMGB-1, NF-κB, and caspase-3 expressions, whereas administration of GL significantly improved all these indices as well as the histopathological insults. Renal expression of EGFR showed a similar trend after GL administration. Furthermore, activation of autophagy protein, LC3 II, was found to be involved in GL-mediated nephroprotection correlated with the downregulation of apoptotic signaling, caspase-3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TDT) renal expressions.

Conclusion

These results suggest that GL might have improved CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and autophagy-mediated apoptosis mechanisms and that inhibition of EGFR signaling might be involved in nephroprotection.

Ganoderma lucidum aqueous extract prevents hypobaric hypoxia induced memory deficit by modulating neurotransmission, neuroplasticity and maintaining redox homeostasis

Oxidative stress due to hypobaric hypoxia at extreme altitudes causes severe neuronal damage and irreversible cognitive loss. Owing to contraindications of current drug therapies, the aim of the study was to investigate memory enhancing potential of aqueous extract of Ganoderma lucidum (GLAQ) and underlying neuroprotective mechanism using rat hypobaric hypoxia test model. Rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia showed deranged spatial memory in morris water maze test with hippocampal damage and vasogenic cerebral edema. All these changes were prevented with GLAQ treatment. Blood and biochemical analysis revealed activation of hypoxic ventilatory response, red blood cells induction, reversal of electrolyte and redox imbalance, and restoration of cellular bioenergetic losses in GLAQ treated animals. Notably, GLAQ treatment ameliorated levels of neurotransmitters (catecholamines, serotonin, glutamate), prevented glucocorticoid and α-synuclein surge, improved neuroplasticity by upregulating CREB/p-CREB/BDNF expression via ERK1/ERK2 induction. Further, restoration of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor with stabilization of hypoxia inducible factors and inflammatory markers were evidenced in GLAQ treated rats which was additionally established in gene reporter array using an alternative HT22 cell test model. Conclusively, our studies provide novel insights into systemic to molecular level protective mechanism by GLAQ in combating hypobaric hypoxia induced oxidative stress and memory impairment.

Antioxidant effect of p-coumaric acid on interleukin 1-β and tumor necrosis factor-α in rats with renal ischemic reperfusion

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Renal ischemia-reperfusion occurs in some clinical conditions such as kidney surgery that can leads to acute renal failure. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of p-coumaric acid (CA) on ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury.

METHODS

Thirty rats were randomly divided into five groups; control, CA (100mg/kg), I/R, propylene glycol (10%)+I/R and CA+I/R, (n=6 each). CA and propylene glycol were administered orally for 2 weeks. Then, the rats were subjected to bilateral renal ischemia for 45min and followed by reperfusion for 24h. All rats were killed and kidney function tests, tissue malondialdehyde and activity of antioxidant enzymes were determined. Histopathological evaluations were also performed. In addition, renal expression of the tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

CA significantly improved the Cr and BUN levels in CA+I/R group compared to I/R group (p<0.005 and p<0.001, respectively). Reduction of tissue superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase, were significantly improved by CA (p<0.01, p<0.01 and p<0.05). Treatment with CA also resulted in significant reduction in tissue MDA (p<0.05), TNF-α (p<0.001) and interleukin-1β expression (p<0.001) that were increased by renal I/R. Also, the rats treated with CA had nearly normal structure of the kidney.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings suggest that, CA protects the kidneys against I/R injury via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Ganoderic acid hinders renal fibrosis via suppressing the TGF-β/Smad and MAPK signaling pathways

Renal fibrosis is considered as the pathway of almost all kinds of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) to the end stage of renal diseases (ESRD). Ganoderic acid (GA) is a group of lanostane triterpenes isolated from Ganoderma lucidum, which has shown a variety of pharmacological activities. In this study we investigated whether GA exerted antirenal fibrosis effect in a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mouse model. After UUO surgery, the mice were treated with GA (3.125, 12.5, and 50 mg· kg-1 ·d-1, ip) for 7 or 14 days. Then the mice were sacrificed for collecting blood and kidneys. We showed that GA treatment dose-dependently attenuated UUO-induced tubular injury and renal fibrosis; GA (50 mg· kg-1 ·d-1) significantly ameliorated renal disfunction during fibrosis progression. We further revealed that GA treatment inhibited the extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in the kidney by suppressing the expression of fibronectin, mainly through hindering the over activation of TGF-β/Smad signaling. On the other hand, GA treatment significantly decreased the expression of mesenchymal cell markers alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and vimentin, and upregulated E-cadherin expression in the kidney, suggesting the suppression of tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) partially via inhibiting both TGF-β/Smad and MAPK (ERK, JNK, p38) signaling pathways. The inhibitory effects of GA on TGF-β/Smad and MAPK signaling pathways were confirmed in TGF-β1-stimulated HK-2 cell model. GA-A, a GA monomer, was identified as a potent inhibitor on renal fibrosis in vitro. These data demonstrate that GA or GA-A might be developed as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of renal fibrosis.

The protective effect of Ganoderma lucidum on testicular torsion/detorsion-induced ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury

Purpose

To investigate the protective effect of Ganoderma lucidum on testicular torsion/detorsion (T/D)-induced ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury.

Methods

Thirty male Wistar albino rats were randomly categorized into 3 groups: Group 1: sham, Group 2 ( T/D): 2,5 hours of ischemia and 7 days of reperfusion, Group 3 (T/D+ G. lucidum ): 2,5 hours of ischemia and 7 days of reperfusion and 7 days of 20 mg/kg via gastric gavage G. lucidum polysaccharides per day. Biochemical assays of Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione (GSH) levels , histopathology and expression levels of VEGF and Bcl-2 with immunohistochemical methods were examined in testicular tissue.

Results

G. lucidum treatment was found to have prevented the T/D-induced I/R injury by decreasing MDA levels of the testis. SOD, CAT and GSH activities were decreased in group 2, while they were increased in group 3 (p<0.001) and significant improvement in the tube diameter was observed in group 3. Bcl-2-positive germinal cells were lowered in group 3 compared to the group 2. VEGF expression showed an increase in group 2, whereas it decreased in group 3.

Conclusion

The antioxidant G. lucidum is thought to induce angiogenesis by reducing the apoptotic effect in testicular torsion-detorsion.

Natural antioxidants' effects on endoplasmic reticulum stress-related diseases

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a normal molecular process induced by the over-accumulation of misfolded or unfolded proteins. ER stress induces the unfolded protein response (UPR), which reduces global protein synthesis, increases ER capacity and protein degradation, to restart ER homeostasis, allowing cell survival. However, the over-induction of UPR can also trigger inflammatory processes, tissue damage and cell death. ER stress is involved in several pathologies, like endothelial dysfunction, diabetes and heart, liver, kidney or neurological diseases. Although the progression of these diseases is the result of several pathological mechanisms, oxidative stress has been widely related to these pathologies. Moreover, ER stress can establish a progressive pathological cycle with oxidative stress. Therefore, the use of natural antioxidants, able to modulate both oxidative and ER stress, can be a new strategy to mitigate these diseases. This review is focused on the effects of natural antioxidant compounds on ER stress in endothelial dysfunction, diabetes and heart, liver, kidney or neurological diseases.

Antioxidant effect of p-coumaric acid on interleukin 1-β and tumor necrosis factor-α in rats with renal ischemic reperfusion

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Renal ischemia-reperfusion occurs in some clinical conditions such as kidney surgery that can leads to acute renal failure. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of p-coumaric acid (CA) on ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury.

METHODS

Thirty rats were randomly divided into five groups; control, CA (100mg/kg), I/R, propylene glycol (10%)+I/R and CA+I/R, (n=6 each). CA and propylene glycol were administered orally for 2 weeks. Then, the rats were subjected to bilateral renal ischemia for 45min and followed by reperfusion for 24h. All rats were killed and kidney function tests, tissue malondialdehyde and activity of antioxidant enzymes were determined. Histopathological evaluations were also performed. In addition, renal expression of the tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

CA significantly improved the Cr and BUN levels in CA+I/R group compared to I/R group (p<0.005 and p<0.001, respectively). Reduction of tissue superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase, were significantly improved by CA (p<0.01, p<0.01 and p<0.05). Treatment with CA also resulted in significant reduction in tissue MDA (p<0.05), TNF-α (p<0.001) and interleukin-1β expression (p<0.001) that were increased by renal I/R. Also, the rats treated with CA had nearly normal structure of the kidney.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings suggest that, CA protects the kidneys against I/R injury via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Preventive and therapeutic effect of Ganoderma lucidum on kidney injuries and diseases

Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum, Lingzhi) is a well-known Chinese traditional medicine to improve health and to treat numerous diseases for over 2000 years in Asian countries. G. lucidum has the abundant chemical components such as triterpenes and polysaccharides, which have various biological activities including anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-liver disorders, anti-tumor growth and metastasis, etc. Recently, many lines of studies have elucidated the therapeutic effects of G. lucidum and its extractions on various acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) pathogenesis, including autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy, renal proximal tubular cell oxidative damage and fibrotic process, renal ischemia reperfusion injury, cisplatin-induced renal injury, adriamycin-induced nephropathy, chronic proteinuric renal diseases, etc. Clinical researches also showed potent anti-renal disease bioactivities of G. lucidum. In this chapter, we review experimental and clinical researches and provide comprehensive insights into the renoprotective effects of G. lucidum. In recent years, renal diseases have gradually aroused attention on account of their booming prevalence worldwide and lack of effective therapies. Although the complicated pathogenesis of kidney diseases, such as acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney diseases (CKD) have been intensively studied. The morbidity and mortality of AKI and CKD still rise continuously. Thanks to the conventional experience and the multi-target characteristics, natural products have been increasingly recognized as an alternative source for treating renal diseases.

Ganoderma proteins and their potential applications in cosmetics

Ganoderma have been regarded as a traditional source of natural bioactive compounds for centuries and have recently been exploited for potential components in the cosmetics industry. Besides Ganoderma polysaccharides and triterpenes, multiple proteins have been found in Ganoderma. With the in-depth study of these proteins, various pharmacological functions of Ganoderma have become important in the discovery and development of new products. In the review, we summarized and discussed the kinds and characteristics of Ganoderma proteins, especially on fungal immunomodulatory proteins (FIPs) which can be potentially developed into cosmeceuticals or nutricosmetics and are a suitable target for production using established biotechnological methods. Furthermore, we discuss their pharmacological activities of the proteins with a focus on their pharmacological functions related to cosmetics, such as antioxidant activity, inhibition of melanin, antibacterial activity, and regulation of inflammatory mediators. Numerous other questions also are addressed before the proteins can be widely accepted and used as cosmetic additives.

Herbal or traditional medicine consumption in a Thai worker population: pattern of use and therapeutic control in chronic diseases

BACKGROUND

Herbal and traditional medicines (HTM) are widely used in Asian countries. Specific data on prevalent of HTM usage and association with chronic diseases in the Thai population is currently lacking. We examined the prevalence and factors associated with HTM use in a Thai worker population. In addition, we explored the relationship between HTM use and therapeutic control of cardiovascular risk factors and documented the most common types of HTM used in various chronic diseases.

METHODS

Employees of EGAT (The Electric Generating Authority of Thailand) who had participated in a health examination were studied. Each participant documented their HTM consumption and self-reported chronic diseases in a questionnaire. Clinical disease and therapeutic control were also defined by concomitant laboratory tests.

RESULTS

Of a total of 6592 subjects, 32.6% were HTM-users. Age < 50 years, female gender, self-reported history of diabetes, liver disease, cancer, dyslipidemia, and alcohol use were independently associated with HTM use. HTM consumption increased in proportion to the numbers of self-reported chronic diseases. There were no differences in the therapeutic control of cardiovascular risk factors between HTM users and non-users. Liver and kidney function were not different. The most commonly used HTM was turmeric.

CONCLUSIONS

HTM consumption is common in community-based Thai subjects, with higher use among those with chronic diseases. Although there were no differences in control of cardiovascular risk factors between HTM users and non-users, many of the commonly used herbs have relevant biological activities for chronic disease prevention or treatment.