Norwogonin attenuates hypoxia-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in PC12 cells

2-Dodecyl-6-Methoxycyclohexa-2,5-Diene-1,4-Dione from Averrhoa carambola L. roots: Suppressing hepatocellular carcinoma progression through ROS accumulation and p53 pathway-mediated apoptosis

This study explores the anti-tumor effects of 2-dodecyl-6-methoxycyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione (DMDD), a compound derived from Averrhoa carambola L roots, on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and a xenograft mouse model, focusing on its underlying mechanisms. Cell viability following DMDD treatment was assessed using the CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry determined changes in cell cycle distribution and apoptosis rates, while migration and invasion capabilities were assessed using wound healing and transwell assays, respectively. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) was conducted to analyze differential gene expression and pathway enrichment. Z-VAD-FMK, a pan-caspase inhibitor, was used to confirm the apoptotic mechanism induced by DMDD. The expression levels of p53, Bax, Bcl-2, and cleaved caspase 3 were quantified via Western blot analysis. A xenograft mouse model was developed to assess the in vivo effects of DMDD on HCC. DMDD suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion, and induced apoptosis in Huh7 and Hep3b cells. RNA-seq revealed significant enrichment of p53 and apoptosis signaling pathways among differentially expressed genes. DMDD downregulated Bcl-2 expression and upregulated p53, Bax and cleaved caspase 3. In addition, Z-VAD-FMK partially inhibited DMDD-induced apoptosis. DMDD also inhibited tumor growth in mice. DMDD effectively inhibited tumor growth in HCC cell lines and xenograft models, potentially through ROS elevation and p53-mediated activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

Unraveling the hydroxylation and methylation mechanism in polymethoxylated flavones biosynthesis in Dracocephalum moldavica

Dracocephalum moldavica, which belongs to the Lamiaceae family, is an important medicinal plant rich in polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs). PMFs have multi-methoxy groups on the central flavone skeleton. Hydroxylation and methylation are important modifications in the biosynthesis of PMFs, but the corresponding mechanism and related enzymes have not yet been elucidated in D. moldavica. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome database of D. moldavica and identified three flavonoid hydroxylases (DmFH1/2/3) and four flavonoid O-methyltransferases (DmOMT1/2/3/4) related to the biosynthesis of PMFs. DmFH1 was characterized as a novel F6/8/3'H and has broad substrate specificity for flavones and flavanones. It catalyzes the formation of 7-methylscutellarein and isoscutellarein, which are the key intermediates in PMF biosynthesis. DmOMT4 and DmOMT1 sequentially catalyze the two-step methylation of scutellarein to generate circimaritin, while DmOMT3 has high specificity for 4'-OH of flavonoids. Notably, it catalyzes the conversion of circimaritin into salvigenin, which is an important polymethoxylated flavone. In addition, through heterologous expression of DmFH1 and DmOMT1 in Nicotiana benthamiana, diversified polyhydroxylated and polymethylated metabolites, including 7-methylscutellarein and circimaritin were achieved. Our work uncovers the key hydroxylation and the complex metabolic network of methylation processes in the biosynthesis of PMFs in D. moldavica, and the screened candidate genes can be exploited in synthetic biology research on PMFs.

Norwogonin Attenuates Inflammatory Osteolysis and Collagen-Induced Arthritis via Modulating Redox Signalling and Calcium Oscillations

Norwogonin is a flavonoid extraction derived from Scutellaria baicalensis. However, its potential mechanisms in the context of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are unclear. This study investigates the specific effects and associated targets of Norwogonin in RA-related inflammatory osteolysis. Network pharmacology was conducted to analyse the core targets and signalling pathways of Norwogonin in RA. In vitro experiments were carried out to explore the actual effects of Norwogonin on osteoclast behaviours and related signalling mechanisms. In vivo studies further validated the therapeutic effect of Norwogonin in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice. The network pharmacological analysis identified 18 shared targets between Norwogonin and RA, indicating a connection with inflammatory response and oxidoreductase activity. For biological validations, the results of in vitro experiments revealed 160 μM of Norwogonin inhibited LPS-driven osteoclast differentiation and function. The qPCR assay and Western blot analysis also disclosed consistently diminished changes to osteoclastic marker genes and proteins due to Norwogonin treatment, including those for osteoclast differentiation (Traf6, Tnfrsf11a and Nfatc1), fusion (Atp6v0d2, Dcstamp and Ocstamp) and function (Mmp9, Ctsk and Acp5). Further mechanism study revealed Norwogonin suppressed LPS-driven ROS production and calcium (Ca2+) oscillations. Also, intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg/kg Norwogonin every other day successfully mitigated clinical arthritis progression and attenuated bone destruction in the CIA model. Our study scrutinises Norwogonin's therapeutic prospects in treating RA and illustrates its inhibitory effects and potential mechanism within LPS-induced osteoclastogenesis and CIA mice, providing a basis for further translational research on Norwogonin in the treatment of RA-related inflammatory osteolysis.

Norwogonin attenuates LPS-induced acute lung injury through inhibiting Src/AKT1/NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Acute lung injury (ALI) has emerged as a critical illness, with sepsis-related ALI accounting for >80 %. In the context of bacterial infection, damage to the pulmonary microvascular barrier leads to inflammatory cell infiltration and plasma component extravasation into pulmonary interstitium. This disruption impairs gas exchange, resulting in hypoxemia. Norwogonin (NWG), a natural plant flavone, has shown potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. However, whether it could ameliorate sepsis-related ALI and the potential mechanism remains unknown.

PURPOSE

This study aims to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of NWG in treating sepsis-related ALI.

METHODS

Male Wistar rats (200-220 g) were used to establish sepsis-related ALI model via intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Vital signs and arterial blood gas analysis, HE and immunohistochemistry staining, dynamic visualization of the microcirculatory system to observe FITC-dextran leakage and leukocyte adhesion, ELISA assay of inflammatory cytokines, Evans Blue extravasation, measurement of total protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, determination of the Wet/Dry weight ratio, Western blot and RT-qPCR analysis were used to evaluate NWG's effects and the potential mechanism. Additionally, we employed network pharmacology and molecular docking to identify and evaluate the interaction between NWG and the key targets of ALI. Surface plasmon resonance and enzyme activity assay were utilized to confirm the direct interaction between NWG and the potential targets.

RESULTS

NWG administration improved the vital signs of LPS-stimulated rats. Exposure to LPS led to deteriorated arterial blood gas analysis, prominent lung morphology destruction, neutrophil and M1 macrophage infiltration, leukocyte adhesion, FITC-dextran leakage, elevated secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and aggravated lung edema. NWG intervention effectively mitigated these changes. Furthermore, NWG suppressed NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling and up-regulated endothelial junction proteins. Network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking identified five top key targets: MMP-9, AKT1, COX-2, Src and JAK-2. Western blot and RT-qPCR results confirmed that NWG inhibited the Src/AKT1/NF-κB signaling pathway, and down-regulated the levels of inflammatory factors. Surface plasmon resonance revealed the direct binding between NWG and AKT1, COX-2 and Src, rather than MMP-9. Enzyme activity assay demonstrated that NWG inhibited the activity of AKT1, COX-2 and Src.

CONCLUSION

NWG alleviated inflammation, restored pulmonary microvascular barrier function and improved LPS-induced ALI. These effects were mediated by inhibiting the Src/AKT1/NF-κB signaling pathway through direct targeting of Src, AKT1 and COX-2. Our study provided novel scientific evidence supporting the use of NWG in the treatment of ALI caused by sepsis.

Structural Characterization of, and Protective Effects Against, CoCl2-Induced Hypoxia Injury to a Novel Neutral Polysaccharide from Lycium barbarum L

Oxidative stress is closely related to the occurrence and development of ischaemic stroke. Natural plant polysaccharides have potential value in inhibiting oxidative stress and preventing ischaemic stroke. Here, a novel neutral polysaccharide named LICP009-3F-1a with a Mw of 10,780 Da was separated and purified from Lycium barbarum L. fruits. Linkage and NMR data revealed that LICP009-3F-1a has the following backbone: →4)-β-D-Glcp-(1→6)-β-D-Galp-(1→, with a branched chain of β-D-Galp-(1→3)-β-D-Galp-(1→, α-L-Araf-(1→ and →6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→ connected to the main chain through O-3 of →3,6)-β-D-Galp-(1→. X-ray and SEM analyses showed that LICP009-3F-1a has a semicrystalline structure with a laminar morphology. Thermal property analysis showed that LICP009-3F-1a is thermally stable. In vivo experiments suggested that LICP009-3F-1a could inhibit hypoxia-induced oxidative stress damage by eliminating ROS, reversing and restoring the activities of the antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT, and GPx, and reducing the expression levels of the HIF-1α and VEGF genes. Blocking the apoptosis genes Bax and Caspase 3 and upregulating the expression of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2 protected PC12 cells from hypoxia-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that LICP009-3F-1a may have multiple potential uses in the treatment of IS.

6-hydroxygenistein attenuates hypoxia-induced injury via activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in PC12 cells

4',5,6,7-tetrahydoxyisoflavone (6-hydroxygenistein, 6-OHG) is a hydroxylated derivative of genistein with excellent antioxidant activity, but whether 6-OHG can protect hypoxia-induced damage is unclear. The objective of current study was to evaluate the protective effect and underling mechanism of 6-OHG against hypoxia-induced injury via network pharmacology and cellular experiments. 6-OHG-related and hypoxia injury-related targets were screened by public databases. The intersected targets were used for constructing PPI network and performing GO and KEGG functional analysis. We induced injury in PC12 cells under hypoxia conditions and observed the effects and molecular mechanisms of 6-OHG on cellular damage. Network pharmacological analysis predicted that 6-OHG delayed hypoxia injury by mitigating oxidative stress, inflammatory response and apoptosis. Cellular experiments suggested that 6-OHG treatment mitigated cell damage, enhanced cell viability, reduced ROS production and MDA level, increased SOD and CAT activities and elevated GSH level in PC12 cell exposed to hypoxia. Additionally, 6-OHG treatment reduced the TNF-α and IL-6 levels and elevated the IL-10 content, while downregulated the NF-κB and TNF-α expressions. 6-OHG also inhibited the caspase-3 and - 9 activation and the Bax and cleaved caspase-3 expressions, and elevated the Bcl-2 expression. Moreover, 6-OHG remarkably enhanced Nrf2 nuclear translocation and increased HO-1 expression. Molecular docking also proved the strong binding affinities of 6-OHG with Nrf2 and HO-1. Furthermore, ML385, a specific Nrf2 inhibitor, eliminated the beneficial effects of 6-OHG. In summary, 6-OHG can alleviate hypoxia-induced injury in PC12 cells through activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and may be developed as candidate for preventing neuro-damage induced by hypoxia.

Recent advances in Scutellariae radix: A comprehensive review on ethnobotanical uses, processing, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, quality control and influence factors of biosynthesis

Background

Scutellariae radix (SR) is the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. It has a long history of ethnic medicinal use, traditionally recognized for its efficacy in clearing heat， drying dampness, eliminating fire， removing toxins , stopping bleeding and tranquilizing fetus to prevent miscarriage. Clinically, it is used to treat cold, fever, migraine, hand-foot-and-mouth diseases, liver cancer and inflammatory diseases.

Purpose

The review aims to provide a comprehensive reference on the ethnobotanical uses, processing, phytochemistry, pharmacological effect, quality control and influence factors of biosynthesis for a deeper understanding of SR.

Results and conclusion

A total of 210 isolated components have been reported in the literature, including flavonoids and their glycosides, phenylpropanoids, phenylethanoid glycosides, phenolic acids, volatile components, polysaccharides and others. The extract of SR and its main flavonoids such as baicalin, baicalein, wogonin, wogonoside, and scutellarin showed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antiviral, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective effects. However, further studies are required to elucidate its mechanisms of action and clinical applications. The pharmacodynamic evaluation based on traditional efficacy should be conducted. Although various analytical methods have been established for the quality control of SR, there are gaps in the research regarding efficacy-related quality markers and the development of quality control standards for its processed products. The regulatory mechanisms of flavonoids biosynthesis remain to be explored while the influence of environmental and transcription factors on the biosynthesis have been studied. In conclusion, SR is a promising herbal medicine with significant potential for future development.

Synthesis, antioxidant and antihypoxia activities of 6hydroxygenistein and its methylated derivatives

OBJECTIVES

Hypoxia is a common pathological phenomenon, usually caused by insufficient oxygen supply or inability to use oxygen effectively. Hydroxylated and methoxylated flavonoids have significant anti-hypoxia activity. This study aims to explore the synthesis, antioxidant and anti-hypoxia activities of 6-hydroxygenistein (6-OHG) and its methoxylated derivatives.

METHODS

The 6-OHG and its methoxylated derivatives, including 4',6,7-trimethoxy-5-hydroxyisoflavone (compound 3), 4',5,6,7-tetramethoxyisoflavone (compound 4), 4',6-imethoxy-5,7-dihydroxyisoflavone (compound 6), and 4'-methoxy-5,6,7-trihydroxyisoflavone (compound 7), were synthesized by methylation, bromination, methoxylation, and demethylation using biochanin A as raw material. The structure of these products were characterized by 1hydrogen-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). The purity of these compounds was detected by high pressure chromatography (HPLC). The antioxidant activity in vitro was investigated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. PC12 cells were divided into a normal group, a hypoxia model group, rutin (1×10-9-1×10-5 mol/L) groups, and target compounds (1×10-9-1×10-5 mol/L) groups under normal and hypoxic conditions. Cell viability was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, the target compounds with excellent anti-hypoxia activity and the drug concentration at the maximum anti-hypoxia activity were screened. PC12 cells were treated with the optimal concentration of the target compound or rutin with excellent anti-hypoxia activity, and the cell morphology was observed under light microscope. The apoptotic rate was determined by flow cytometry, and the expressions of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were detected by Western blotting.

RESULTS

The structure of 6-OHG and its 4 methylated derivatives were correct, and the purity was all more than 97%. When the concentration was 4 mmol/L, the DPPH free radical removal rates of chemical compounds 7 and 6-OHG were 81.16% and 86.94%, respectively, which were higher than those of rutin, the positive control. The removal rates of chemical compounds 3, 4, and 6 were all lower than 20%. Compared with the normal group, the cell viability of the hypoxia model group was significantly decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the hypoxia model group, compounds 3, 4, and 6 had no significant effect on cell viability under hypoxic conditions. At all experimental concentrations, the cell viability of the 6-OHG group was significantly higher than that of the hypoxia model group (all P<0.05). The cell viability of compound 7 group at 1×10-7 and 1×10-6 mol/L was significantly higher than that of the hypoxia model group (both P<0.05). The anti-hypoxia activity of 6-OHG and compound 7 was excellent, and the optimal drug concentration was 1×10-6 and 1×10-7 mol/L. After PC12 cells was treated with 6-OHG (1×10-6 mol/L) and compound 7 (1×10-7 mol/L), the cell damage was reduced, the apoptotic rate was significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the protein expression levels of HIF-1α and VEGF were significantly decreased in comparison with the hypoxia model group (both P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The optimized synthesis route can increase the yield of 6-OHG and obtain 4 derivatives by methylation and selective demethylation. 6-OHG and compound 7 have excellent antioxidant and anti-hypoxia activities, which are related to the structure of the A-ring ortho-triphenol hydroxyl group in the molecule.

Moslosooflavone protects against brain injury induced by hypobaric hypoxic via suppressing oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, energy metabolism disorder, and apoptosis

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the protect effect of moslosooflavone against brain injury induced by hypobaric hypoxia (HH) in mice.

METHODS

Protective effects of moslosooflavone in oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, energy metabolism disorder, and apoptosis were studied in HH-induced brain damage mice. The pathological morphology in the cortex of mice was determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The related protein expressions were detected by western blot.

KEY FINDINGS

Moslosooflavone improved HH-induced brain histopathological changes, reduced the contents of ROS and MDA, and elevated the levels of antioxidant enzymes and GSH in HH-exposed brains of mice. Moslosooflavone also markedly enhanced the ATPase activities and PK, ATP contents, while reducing LDH activity and the LD, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 contents HH-exposed brains of mice. In addition, moslosooflavone notably decreased the expression of HIF-1α, VEGF, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 dramatically increasing the expression of Bcl-2, Nrf2, and HO‑1 in HH-exposed brains of mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our current studies indicate that moslosooflavone protects HH-induced brain injury possibly through alleviating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, maintaining the balance of energy metabolism, and inhibiting cell apoptosis.

Enhancing both oral bioavailability and anti-ischemic stroke efficacy of ginkgolide B by preparing nanocrystals self-stabilized Pickering nano-emulsion

Ginkgolide B (GB), which has been demonstrated as the most efficacious naturally occurring platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonist, is extensively utilized for the management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ailments. Nevertheless, its limited oral bioavailability is hindered by its low solubility in gastric acid and inadequate stability in intestinal fluid, thereby constraining its practical application. This study aimed to develop GB nanocrystals (GB-NCs) and GB nanocrystals self-stabilized Pickering nano-emulsion (GB-NSSPNE) using a miniaturized wet bead milling method. Comparative evaluations were conducted in vivo and in vitro to assess their effectiveness. The findings revealed that GB-NSSPNE, with its intact nanoparticle slow release and absorption, was more effective in enhancing the oral bioavailability of GB compared to the rapid release and absorption of GB-NCs. This finding suggests a potential novel strategy for the oral delivery of GB.

D-pinitol ameliorated H2O2-induced oxidative damage in PC12 cells and prolonged the lifespan by IIS pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans

D-pinitol (DP) has been extensively regarded as the main active component of legumes for anti-aging. In this study, we intended to explore the anti-aging mechanism of DP, utilizing computer modeling techniques. The results demonstrated that DP significantly delayed H2O2-induced cellular senescence. Model PC12 cells treated with DP exhibited increased cell viability, increased antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, CAT), and reduced ROS and MDA levels. Furthermore, DP was discovered to have a positive effect on healthy longevity. In C. elegans, DP treatment enhanced lifespan, stress capacity, antioxidant capacity (T-SOD/CAT/GSH-Px/MDA/ROS), and altered aging-related indicators of lipofuscin accumulation, pharyngeal pump rate, motility, and reproduction. Moreover, DP could reduce the toxicity Aβ in transgenic C. elegans CL4176, CL2355, and CL2331. Further mechanistic studies indicated DP increased transcription factor (daf-16, skn-1, hsf-1) expression of insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling (IIS) pathway. As expected, DP also extended the downstream target genes of the three transcription factors (sod-3, ctl-1, ctl-2, gst-4, hsp-16.1, and hsp-16.2). Further mutant lifespan experiments, network pharmacology, and molecular docking revealed that DP might be life-extending through the IIS pathway. DP deserves extensive investigation and development as a potential anti-aging drug in the future.

Exercise performance reduction and preventive measures in highland sports

The plateau is a special environment with low pressure, low oxygen, low temperature, and high ultraviolet radiation. The exercise performance of people on the plateau is generally reduced, which seriously affects the life and health of people living in the plateau and entering the plateau. In recent years, the prevention and treatment of injury caused by high altitude hypoxia has attracted wide attention. It has shown that the higher the altitude with the longer the duration of exercise, the faster the stationing, the greater the impact on people's sports performance. Rapid entry into the plateau and long-term stay in the plateau have an impact on people's explosive power, endurance and fine operation. Advances in medical technology enable various prevention methods to be used to acclimate to high altitude environments. However, in vitro intervention methods are costly, easy to rebound and possess limited effects. Therefore, drug prevention and treatment is obviously a more economical choice. Chemical drugs increase the efficiency of high altitude exercise by improving the ischemic and hypoxic symptoms of the heart and brain, increasing lung ventilation and arterial oxygenation capacity, and accelerating the elimination of adverse product accumulation after exercise. Single Chinese medicine, Chinese patent medicine, and compound preparations can improve exercise performance by promoting body metabolism, improving muscle endurance, enhancing immunity, and other mechanisms. Traditional Chinese medicine has unique advantage and application prospect in improving plateau sports performance damage.

Snake venom nerve growth factor-inspired designing of novel peptide therapeutics for the prevention of paraquat-induced apoptosis, neurodegeneration, and alteration of metabolic pathway genes in the rat pheochromocytoma PC-12 cell

Neurodegenerative disorders (ND), associated with the progressive loss of neurons, oxidative stress-mediated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial dysfunction, can be treated with synthetic peptides possessing innate neurotrophic effects and neuroprotective activity. Computational analysis of two small synthetic peptides (trideca-neuropeptide, TNP; heptadeca-neuropeptide, HNP) developed from the nerve growth factors from snake venoms predicted their significant interaction with the human TrkA receptor (TrkA). In silico results were validated by an in vitro binding study of the FITC-conjugated custom peptides to rat pheochromocytoma PC-12 cell TrkA receptors. Pre-treatment of PC-12 cells with TNP and HNP induced neuritogenesis and significantly reduced the paraquat (PT)-induced cellular toxicity, the release of lactate dehydrogenase from the cell cytoplasm, production of intracellular ROS, restored the level of antioxidants, prevented alteration of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, and inhibited cellular apoptosis. These peptides lack in vitro cytotoxicity, haemolytic activity, and platelet-modulating properties and do not interfere with the blood coagulation system. Functional proteomic analyses demonstrated the reversal of PT-induced upregulated and downregulated metabolic pathway genes in PC-12 cells that were pre-treated with HNP and revealed the metabolic pathways regulated by HNP to induce neuritogenesis and confer protection against PT-induced neuronal damage in PC-12. The quantitative RT-PCR analysis confirmed that the PT-induced increased and decreased expression of critical pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes had been restored in the PC-12 cells pre-treated with the custom peptides. A network gene expression profile was proposed to elucidate the molecular interactions among the regulatory proteins for HNP to salvage the PT-induced damage. Taken together, our results show how the peptides can rescue PT-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cellular death and suggest new opportunities for developing neuroprotective drugs.

miR‑222-3p reduces neuronal cell apoptosis and alleviates spinal cord injury by inhibiting Bbc3 and Bim

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe traumatic event, but without any established effective treatment because of the irreversible neuronal death. Here, we investigated the role of miR-222-3p in neuronal apoptosis following SCI. Rat SCI models and neuron hypoxia models were accordingly established. The Bbc3, Bim, Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved-caspase 3, cleaved-caspase 9, Cytochrome c, and miR-222-3p expression levels were examined by Western blotting and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The possible association between miR-222-3p and Bbc3/Bim was analyzed by dual-luciferase assay. The neuron viability was assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and Nissl's staining. Live cell staining was performed to detect the mitochondrial membrane potential and neuronal apoptosis. Rat locomotor function was assessed using the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores. Cytochrome c was outflowed from the mitochondria after SCI or hypoxia treatment, and Bbc3, Bim, Bax, cleaved-caspase 9, and cleaved-caspase 3 were significantly upregulated, while Bcl-2 and miR-222-3p were decreased remarkably. Meanwhile, neuronal cell viability was significantly inhibited. Treatment of miR-222-3p significantly suppressed the Cytochrome c efflux and neuronal apoptosis and improved neuronal cell viability and motor function in SCI rats. Moreover, we found that Bbc3 and Bim were the direct targets of miR-222-3p. Overall, our data suggest that miR-222-3p could alleviate the mitochondrial pathway-mediated apoptosis and motor dysfunction in rats after SCI by targeting Bbc3 and Bim.

Revealing the Active Compounds and Mechanism of Banxia Xiexin Decoction Against Gastric Ulcer by Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Gastric ulcer (GU) is a clinically common gastrointestinal disease with a long disease course that frequently reoccurs. Banxia Xiexin decoction (BXD), a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, has a prominent protective effect against GU. Nonetheless, the therapeutic mechanisms of BXD against GU remain elusive. In this study, a rat model of GU was established by gavage with 95% ethanol, and BXD significantly attenuated the inflammatory effect of GU in rats. An “active ingredient–target” interaction and GU protein–protein interaction networks were constructed based on system biology, which could screen out the crucial active ingredients. The target protein–protein interaction network for the BXD treatment of GU was constructed to identify the key target proteins with network topology parameters. The DAVID database was then used to perform Gene Ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis on the proteins targeted by BXD in the treatment of GU. Finally, molecular docking technology was used to study the interactions between key active ingredients and core target proteins. A total of 89 active ingredients of BXD were screened and 63 target proteins of BXD in the treatment of GU were identified. Through the analysis of protein–protein interaction and the active ingredient–target protein network diagram, it was found that tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), AKT1, and PTGS2 may play a key role in the treatment of GU by BXD. Molecular docking showed that these 3 core target proteins had a good affinity with the main components of BXD, including baicalein, norwogonin, and skullcapflavone II. The mechanism of BXD against GU may involve the inhibition of inflammatory response and oxidative stress, involving signaling pathways such as TNF, hypoxia-inducible factor-1, and mitogen-activated protein kinase. Network pharmacology and molecular docking technology indicated the key active ingredients, target proteins, and signal pathways that may be the biological basis of BXD in the treatment of GU.

Effective Parts of Gentiana straminea Maxim Attenuates Hypoxia-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis

Hypoxia occurs in physiological situations and several pathological situations, inducing oxidative stress. G straminea Maxim (G.s Maxim) is a traditional Tibetan medicine that exerts several biological effects. This study focused on the protective effects of G.s Maxim in hypoxia-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. We found that G.s Maxim significantly increased survival and reduced oxidative stress in hypoxic mice. Various extraction parts of G.s Maxim showed antioxidant activity and significantly improved survival in hypoxia-injured PC12 cells. G.s Maxim reduced hypoxia-induced cell apoptosis and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase. Hypoxic cells had increased malondialdehyde levels but reduced superoxide dismutase activity and G.s Maxim reversed these effects. Moreover, G.s Maxim suppressed hypoxia-induced apoptosis by inducing protein expression of B cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 and reducing the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, Bcl-2-associated X, and nuclear factor-k-gene binding. These findings suggest that G.s Maxim attenuates hypoxia-induced injury associated with oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Exploring the Mechanism of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi Efficacy against Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Analysis

BACKGROUND

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SBG) has been widely shown to induce apoptosis and inhibit invasion and migration of various cancer cells. Increased evidence shows that SBG may be useful to treat oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, the biological activity and possible mechanisms of SBG in the treatment of OSCC have not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to clarify the bioactive component and multitarget mechanisms of SBG against OSCC using network pharmacology and molecular docking.

METHODS

Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database was used to predict the active components in SBG, and putative molecular targets of SBG were identified using the Swiss Target Prediction database. OSCC-related targets were screened by GeneCards, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), and Therapeutic Target Database (TTD). Then, we established protein-protein interaction (PPI), compound-target-disease (C-T-D), and compound-target-pathway (C-T-P) networks by Cytoscape to identify the main components, core targets, and pharmacological pathways of SBG against OSCC via applying data mining techniques and topological parameters. Metascape database was utilized for Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis. The potential interaction of the main components with core targets was revealed by molecular docking simulation, and for the correlation between core targets and OSCC prognosis analysis, the Kaplan-Meier Plotter online database was used.

RESULTS

There were 25 active compounds in SBG and 86 genes targeted by OSCC. A total of 141 signaling pathways were identified, and it was found that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway may occupy core status in the anti-OSCC system. GO analysis revealed that the primary biological processes were related to apoptosis, proliferation, and migration. Molecular docking results confirmed that core targets of OSCC had a high affinity with the main compounds of SBG.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway characteristics of SBG in the treatment of OSCC and provided a foundation for further drug development research.