Inhibitory effects of Chikusetsusaponin IVa on lipopolysaccharide-induced pro-inflammatory responses in THP-1 cells

Regulation of the Endogenous Opiate Signaling Pathway against Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: A Considerable Approach for Exploring Preclinical Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

INTRODUCTION

Oxidative stress and inflammation are major factors contributing to the progressive death of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent studies have demonstrated that morphine's biosynthetic pathway, coupled with nitric oxide (NO) release, is evolutionarily conserved throughout animals and humans. Moreover, dopamine is a key precursor for morphine biosynthesis.

METHOD

The present study evaluated a series of preclinical experiments to evaluate the effects of low-level morphine treatment upon neuro-immune tissues exposed to rotenone and 6-OHDA as models of PD, followed by an 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cell proliferation assay and cell/tissue computer-assisted imaging analyses to assess cell/neuronal viability.

RESULTS

Morphine at normal physiological concentrations (i.e., 10-6 M and 10-7 M) provided neuroprotection, as it significantly inhibited rotenone and 6-OHDA dopaminergic insults; thereby, reducing and/or forestalling cell death in invertebrate ganglia and human nerve cells. To ensure that morphine caused this neuroprotective effect, naloxone, a potent opiate receptor antagonist, was employed and the results showed that it blocked morphine's neuroprotective effects. Additionally, co-incubation of NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME also blocked morphine's neuroprotective effects against rotenone and 6-OHDA insults.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, the present preclinical study showed that while morphine can attenuate lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation and cell death, both naloxone and L-NAME can abolish this effect. Preincubation of morphine precursors (i.e., L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, reticuline, and trihexyphenidyl [THP] at physiological concentrations) mimics the observed morphine effect. However, high concentrations of THP, a precursor of the morphine biosynthetic pathway, induced cell death, indicating the physiological importance of morphine biosynthesis in neural tissues. Thus, understanding the morphine biosynthetic pathway coupled with a NO signaling mechanism as a molecular target for neuroprotection against oxidative stress and inflammation in other preclinical models of PD is warranted.

Immunomodulatory, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anti-Cancer Properties of Ginseng: A Pharmacological Update

Ginseng, a medicinal plant of the genus Panax, boasts a rich historical record of usage that dates back to the Paleolithic period. This botanical is extensively acknowledged and consumed in Eastern countries for its therapeutic properties, and, in Western countries, it is becoming increasingly popular as a remedy for fatigue and asthenia. This review provides an update on current research pertaining to ginseng and its isolated compounds, namely, ginsenosides and polysaccharides. The primary focus is on three crucial pharmacological activities, namely, immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. The review encompasses studies on both isolated compounds and various ginseng extracts obtained from the root, leaves, and berries.

New mechanisms of ginseng saponin-mediated anti-inflammatory action via targeting canonical inflammasome signaling pathways

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ginseng is an ethnopharmacological herbal plant in Asian countries, particularly in Korea, China, and Japan. Ginseng saponins, including ginsenosides, are major active components in ginseng and have been demonstrated to have numerous pharmacological effects on various human diseases.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

Many previous studies investigating the anti-inflammatory effect of ginseng saponins have mostly focused on the 'priming' step rather than the 'triggering' step. This review aims to discuss the studies investigating an inhibitory role of ginseng saponins in inflammasome activation of the triggering step.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The literature was explored using the search strings, such as "ginseng saponins and inflammasomes" and "ginsenosides and inflammasomes" in several resources, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases.

RESULTS

Various ginseng saponins of Panax ginseng, Panax japonicas, and Panax quinquefolius alleviated inflammatory responses and diseases by inhibiting the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor (NLR) P3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. Also, ginseng saponin, Rg1 of Panax ginseng alleviated neuroinflammation and diseases by inhibiting NLRP1 inflammasome activation. Finally, ginseng saponins, Rh1 and Rg3 in Korea red ginseng (KRG) of Panax ginseng ameliorated sepsis by inhibiting absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome activation.

CONCLUSION

The studies discussed in this review provide insight into the new paradigm of the ginseng saponins as the promising anti-inflammatory agents that could be ethnopharmacologically used to prevent and treat inflammatory and inflammation-induced disorders via targeting inflammasomes.

Chemical Structure and Biological Activities of Secondary Metabolites from Salicornia europaea L

Salicornia europaea L. is a halophyte that grows in salt marshes and muddy seashores, which is widely used both as traditional medicine and as an edible vegetable. This salt-tolerant plant is a source of diverse secondary metabolites with several therapeutic properties, including antioxidant, antidiabetic, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesity effects. Therefore, this review summarizes the chemical structure and biological activities of secondary metabolites isolated from Salicornia europaea L.

Characterization of phytochemical components and identification of main antioxidants in Crateva unilocalaris Buch. shoots by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS2 analysis

The chemical constituents and antioxidant activity of the three different extracts (80% methanol, 80% ethanol, and 80% acetone) of Crateva unilocalaris Buch. shoots were investigated. Six phenolic compounds and seven saponins were characterized in all extracts. Chikusetsusaponin IVa had the highest content (17.92 to 29.16 mg/g), and chlorogenic acid was the most abundant phenolic compound (10.48 to 13.99 mg/g). The acetone extract had the highest total phenolic, flavonoid, and saponin contents and the strongest antioxidant activity. Moreover, all extracts exhibited good effects on the inhibition of intracellular ROS generation in HepG2 cells. Phenolic compounds but not saponins contributed significantly to the DPPH or ABTS radical scavenging activity of C. unilocalaris shoots according to the results of DPPH•-UHPLC-HRMS and ABTS•+-UHPLC-HRMS analyses. These results may be helpful for further understandings and utilization of C. unilocalaris shoots as a potential natural source in the food or nutraceuticals industry.

Panax japonicus and chikusetsusaponins: A review of diverse biological activities and pharmacology mechanism

Panax japonicus, which in the Tujia dialect is known as “Baisan Qi” and “Zhujieshen”, is a classic “qi” drug of Tujia ethnomedicine and it has unique effects on disease caused by “qi” stagnation and blood stasis. This paper serves as the basis of further scientific research and development of Panax japonicus. The pharmacology effects of molecular pharmacology were discussed and summarized. P. japonicus plays an important role on several diseases, such as rheumatic arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular agents, and this review provides new insights into P. japonicus as promising agents to substitute ginseng and notoginseng.

Antihypoxic Action of Panax Japonicus, Tribulus Terrestris and Dioscorea Deltoidea Cell Cultures: In Silico and Animal Studies

Chemical diversity of secondary metabolites provides a considerable variety of pharmacological actions with a significant extension due to their combinations in plant extracts. Production of plant-derived medicinal products in cell cultures has advantages because of the efficient use of different biotic and abiotic elicitors and better control of the developmental processes. Using PASS software, we predicted biological activity spectra for phytoconstituents identified in cell cultures of Panax japonicus (12 molecules), Tribulus terrestris (4 molecules), and Dioscorea deltoidea (3 molecules). Mechanisms of action associated with the antihypoxic effect were predicted for the majority of molecules. PharmaExpert software allowed analyzing possible synergistic or additive effects of the combinations of phytoconstituents associated with the antihypoxic action. Experimental studies of the antihypoxic effect of the plants' extracts in water and ethanol have been performed in 3 animal models: Acute asphyctic hypoxia (AAH), Acute haemic hypoxia (AHeH), and Acute histotoxic hypoxia (AHtH). Effects of Panax japonicus and Tribulus terrestris preparations exceeded the activity of the reference drug Mexidol in the AHtH model. In the AHeH model, all preparations demonstrated moderate activity; the most potent has been observed for Dioscorea deltoidea. Thus, we found that experimental studies in animal models have confirmed the in silico prediction.

Raw and salt-processed Achyranthes bidentata attenuate LPS-induced acute kidney injury by inhibiting ROS and apoptosis via an estrogen-like pathway

BACKGROUND

Traditional Chinese medicine suggests that Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae nourishes and protects the kidneys, the effect of which is enhanced following a salt treatment. Raw and salt-processed Achyranthes bidentata are produced via different processing techniques from the same crude Achyranthes root. The anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of this plant have been verified earlier. However, there is a scarcity of experimental evidence for the renal-protective effects.

AIM

The purpose of present study is to compare the protective effects of raw and salt-processed Achyranthes on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) - induced acute kidney injury in mice and chemically characterize their extracts.

METHOD

The monomer components of raw and salt-processed Achyranthes extracts were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The aggregation and distribution of 2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) near infrared fluorescence probe in mice was examined with a small animal imaging systems. The pathological and morphological changes of kidneys were observed by H&E staining, and the serum urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) levels were used to evaluate the renal function. The levels of cytokines in serum were detected by cytometric bead array. Flow cytometry assay was performed to assess the apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the kidney cells, and cell surface marker expression including CD45⁺, F4/80⁺, and Ly-6G⁺. The estrogenic activities of the raw and salt-processed Achyranthes were observed by uterine weight gain test in sexually immature mice. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels in the kidney.

RESULTS

Chemical analysis showed that the salt-processed Achyranthes contained more ginsenoside Ro and chikusetsusaponin Ⅳa than the raw Achyranthes, but there was no difference in the contents of β-ecdysterone, 25R-inokosterone, and 25S-inokosterone.in vivo near-infrared fluorescence imaging showed a significant reduced inflammation in the AKI mice. Histological studies showed that the raw and salt-processed Achyranthes markedly decreased the inflammatory infiltration, swelling and vacuolar degeneration in renal tissues and the Scr and BUN. Importantly, the raw and salt-processed Achyranthes extracts demonstrated different degrees of inhibition on the LPS-induced AKI, with salt-processed Achyranthes showing better inhibition. Results of flow cytometry showed a significant inhibition of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2, and promoted IL-10, along with reduced macrophages (CD45 + F4/80+), neutrophils (CD45+ Ly-6G+) and phagocytes. Furthermore, the extracts reduced the accumulation of ROS and apoptosis in the kidney, and also regulated the expression of apoptosis marker proteins TLR4, Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved caspase 9 levels. Notably, they increased ERα, ERβ, and GPR30 in the renal tissues of AKI mice and LPS non-treated mice. In the subsequent experiments, it was found that the raw and salt-processed Achyranthes extracts increased the uterine coefficient in sexually immature mice, improved the LPS-induced decrease in NRK52e cell viability, and reduced the apoptosis, which could be antagonized by ICI182, 780 (estrogen receptor-unspecific antagonist, Faslodex).

CONCLUSIONS

The renal-protective effect of raw and salt-processed Achyranthes was exhibited through antiapoptotic and antioxidant mechanisms via an estrogen-like pathway, along with a modulation of the inflammatory response by regulating immune cells. Ginsenoside Ro and Chikusetsu saponin IVa were found to be the key factors to enhance the protective effect of salt-processed Achyranthes.

A Novel Reporter Gene Assay for Pyrogen Detection

Fever is a systemic inflammatory response of the body to pyrogens. Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a central signaling molecule that causes the excessive secretion of various pyrogen-induced pro-inflammatory factors. This study explored the feasibility of a novel reporter gene assay (RGA) for pyrogen detection using RAW264.7 cells stably transfected with the NF-κB reporter gene as a pyrogenic marker. The RGA could detect different types of pyrogens, including the lipopolysaccharide of gram-negative bacteria, the lipoteichoic acid of gram-positive bacteria, and the zymosan of fungi, and a good dose-effect relationship was observed in terms of NF-κB activity. The limits of detection of the RGA to those pyrogens were 0.03 EU/ml, 0.001 μg/ml, and 1 μg/ml, respectively. The method had good precision and accuracy and could be applied to many molecules (e.g., nivolumab, rituximab, bevacizumab, etanercept, basiliximab, Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine, 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, group A and group C meningococcal conjugate vaccine, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis [acellular, component], poliomyelitis [inactivated] vaccine, and imject alum adjuvant). The results of this study suggest that the novel RGA has a wide pyrogen detection spectrum and is sufficiently sensitive, stable, and accurate for various applications.

Chikusetsu saponin IVa alleviated sevoflurane-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment by blocking NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway

BACKGROUND

Neuroinflammation plays a dominant role in the progression of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). This study was carried out to explore the neuroprotective effect of Chikusetsu saponin IVa (ChIV) against sevoflurane-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment.

METHODS

The neuroprotective activity of ChIV against sevoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction in aged rats was evaluated by Morris water maze, NOR test and Y-maze test, respectively. The expression of NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1, pro-inflammatory cytokines and apoptotic-related protein were detected in the hippocampus and primary neurons using western blot. TUNEL assay and immunohistochemistry staining were applied to assess the apoptotic cell and number of NLRP3-positive cells in the hippocampus. The oxiSelectIn Vitro ROS/RNS assay kit was used to detect the ROS level. The CCK-8 assay was applied to measure the viability of primary neurons. Flow cytometry was carried out to determine cell apoptosis.

RESULTS

Pretreatment with ChIV significantly alleviated neurological dysfunction in aged rat exposure to sevoflurane. Mechanistically, ChIV treatment significantly alleviated sevoflurane-induced apoptotic cell and neuroinflammation. Of note, the neuroprotective effect of ChIV against sevoflurane-induced neurotoxicity through blocking NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway. In consistent with in vivo studies, ChIV was also able to repress sevoflurane-induced apoptosis and neuroinflammation in primary neurons. Furthermore, pretreatment with NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway inhibitor (MCC950) significantly augmented the neuroprotective effect of ChIV.

CONCLUSION

Our finding confirmed that ChIV provides a neuroprotective effect against sevoflurane-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment by blocking the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway, which may be an effective strategy for the clinical treatment of elderly patients with POCD induced by anesthesia.

The Influence of Bisphenol A (BPA) on Neuregulin 1-Like Immunoreactive Nerve Fibers in the Wall of Porcine Uterus

Bisphenol A (BPA), a substance commonly used in the manufacture of plastics, shows multidirectional negative effects on humans and animals. Due to similarities to estrogens, BPA initially leads to disorders in the reproductive system. On the other hand, it is known that neuregulin 1 (NRG-1) is an active substance which enhances the survivability of cells, inhibits apoptosis, and protects tissues against damaging factors. Because the influence of BPA on the nervous system has also been described, the aim of the present study was to investigate for the first time the influence of various doses of BPA on neuregulin 1-like immunoreactive (NRG-1-LI) nerves located in the porcine uterus using the routine single- and double-immunofluorescence technique. The obtained results have shown that BPA increases the number and affects the neurochemical characterization of NRG-1-LI in the uterus, and changes are visible even under the impact of small doses of this toxin. The character of observed changes depended on the dose of BPA and the part of the uterus studied. These observations suggest that NRG-1 in nerves supplying the uterus may play roles in adaptive and protective mechanisms under the impact of BPA.