Oral ellagic acid attenuated LPS-induced neuroinflammation in rat brain: MEK1 interaction and M2 microglial polarization

Treatment of Bleomycin-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis by Intratracheal Instillation Administration of Ellagic Acid-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a rare and serious chronic interstitial lung disease that may endanger the lives of patients. The median survival time of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is short, and the mortality rate is higher than that of many types of cancer. At present, pirfenidone (PFD) and nintedanib (NDNB) have been approved by FDA for IPF, but they can only delay the process of pulmonary fibrosis and cannot cure the disease. Therefore, it is urgent to develop other drugs with the effect of improving pulmonary fibrosis. Ellagic acid (EA) can inhibit the Wnt-signaling pathway and has an effect in treating pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin (BLM) in mice. However, its solubility is poor, resulting in its low bioavailability and limited therapeutic benefits, so its clinical application has been limited. Herein, based on the characteristics of nano-drug lung delivery system, chitosan (CS) was selected as the carrier, and ellagic acid-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (EA-CS-NPs) were prepared by ionic gelation method. The EE% and DL% of prepared EA-CS-NPs was 73.73 ± 4.52% and 6.23 ± 1.09%, the particle size was 119.6 ± 5.51 nm (PDI = 0.234 ± 0.017), the zeta potential was 29.833 ± 0.503 mV. The morphology of the nanoparticles was observed by TEM microscope, which was round, uniform dispersion, indicating that the preparation process is stable and feasible. The toxicity experiment showed that EA-CS-NPs maintained 80% cell viability, significantly higher than that of the NDNB group, indicating lower toxicity and better inhibitory effects on TGF-β1-stimulated MLg and NIH-3T3 cells. Wound healing assay results showed that the inhibitory effect of EA-CS-NPs on cell migration was more pronounced than that of EA in the same amount of EA-containing drugs. Drug uptake experiments revealed that EA-CS-NPs significantly enhanced drug uptake in MLg and NIH-3T3 cells. In vivo, Cy7-CS-NPs exhibited higher fluorescence intensity in rat lungs compared to Cy7 solution, indicating better lung retention. The in vivo efficacy test showed that compared with the EA group, EA-CS-NPs could better reduce the area of pulmonary fibrosis and collagen deposition, improve lung function, and have a longer retention time in the lung. In summary, our results revealed that EA-CS-NPs may be a good choice for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

In Vitro Assessment of the Neuroprotective Effects of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Polyphenols Against Tau Phosphorylation, Neuroinflammation, and Oxidative Stress

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, at both the systemic and the central level, are critical early events in atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

PURPOSE

To investigate the oxidative stress-, inflammation-, and Tau-phosphorylation-lowering effects of pomegranate polyphenols (PPs) (punicalagin, ellagic acid, peel, and aril extracts).

METHODS

We used flow cytometry to quantify the protein expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β) and anti-inflammatory mediators (IL-10) in THP-1 macrophages, as well as M1/M2 cell-specific marker (CD86 and CD163) expression in human microglia HMC3 cells. The IL-10 protein expression was also quantified in U373-MG human astrocytes. The effect of PPs on human amyloid beta 1-42 (Aβ1-42)-induced oxidative stress was assessed in the microglia by measuring ROS generation and lipid peroxidation, using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) tests, respectively. Neuronal viability and cell apoptotic response to Aβ1-42 toxicity were assayed using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and the annexin-V-FITC apoptosis detection kit, respectively. Finally, flow cytometry analysis was also performed to evaluate the ability of PPs to modulate Aβ1-42-induced Tau-181 phosphorylation (pTau-181).

RESULTS

Our data indicate that PPs are significantly (p < 0.05) effective in countering Aβ1-42-induced inflammation through increasing the anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) in U373-MG astrocytes and THP1 macrophages and decreasing proinflammatory marker (IL-1β) expression in THP1 macrophages. The PPs were also significantly (p < 0.05) effective in inducing the phenotypic transition of THP-1 macrophages and microglial cells from M1 to M2 by decreasing CD86 and increasing CD163 surface receptor expression. Moreover, our treatments have a significant (p < 0.05) beneficial impact on oxidative stress, illustrated in the reduction in TBARS and ROS generation. Our treatments have significant (p < 0.05) cell viability improvement capacities and anti-apoptotic effects on human H4 neurons. Furthermore, our results suggest that Aβ1-42 significantly (p < 0.05) increases pTau-181. This effect is significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated by arils, peels, and punicalagin and drastically reduced by the ellagic acid treatment.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our results attribute to PPs anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-Tau-pathology potential. Future studies should aim to extend our knowledge of the potential role of PPs in Aβ1-42-induced neurodegeneration, particularly concerning its association with the tauopathy involved in AD.

Chemical constituent characterization and determination of Quisqualis fructus based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and HPLC combined with fingerprint and chemometric analysis

Quisqualis fructus (QF) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that it has a long history in the therapeutic field of killing parasites, eliminating accumulation, and stopping diarrhea. However, the therapeutic material basis of QF is remaining ambiguous nowadays. The geographical origin differences of QF are also usually ignored in the process of medication. In this study, the alcohol-aqueous soluble constituents in QF from different origins were systematically characterized and accurately measured by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) respectively. Chemometric analysis was performed for origin differentiation and screening of potential quality marker (Q-marker). Finally, A total of 106 constituents were tentatively characterized in positive and negative ion modes, including 29 fatty acids, 26 organic acids, 11 amino acids and derivatives, 10 glycosides, 9 alkaloids and derivatives, and 21 other constituents. QF from different origins were effectively distinguished and 16 constituents were selected as the potential Q-markers subsequently. Four representative components (trigonelline, adenosine, ellagic acid, and 3,3'-di-O-methylellagic acid) in QF samples were simultaneously determined. HPLC fingerprint analysis indicated that the similarity between 16 batches of QF was in the range of 0.870-0.999. The above results provide some insights for the research on the pharmacodynamic constituents, quality control, and geographical discrimination of QF.

Development of dietary small molecules as multi-targeting treatment strategies for Alzheimer's disease

Cognitive dysfunction can occur both in normal aging and age-related neurological disorders, such as mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD). These disorders have few treatment options due to side effects and limited efficacy. New approaches to slow cognitive decline are urgently needed. Dietary interventions (nutraceuticals) have received considerable attention because they exhibit strong neuroprotective properties and may help prevent or minimize AD symptoms. Biological aging is driven by a series of interrelated mechanisms, including oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, neuronal apoptosis, and autophagy, which function through various signaling pathways. Recent clinical and preclinical studies have shown that dietary small molecules derived from natural sources, including flavonoids, carotenoids, and polyphenolic acids, can modulate oxidative damage, cognitive impairments, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, neuronal apoptosis, autophagy dysregulation, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. This paper reviews research on different dietary small molecules and their bioactive constituents in the treatment of AD. Additionally, the chemical structure, effective dose, and specific molecular mechanisms of action are comprehensively explored. This paper also discusses the advantages of using nanotechnology-based drug delivery, which significantly enhances oral bioavailability, safety, and therapeutic effect, and lowers the risk of adverse effects. These agents have considerable potential as novel and safe therapeutic agents that can prevent and combat age-related AD.