An acidic polysaccharide with immunological activities from the root of Paeonia lactiflora

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction of polysaccharide from Paeoniae Radix alba: Extraction optimization, structural characterization and antioxidant mechanism in vitro

Paeoniae Radix alba is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, immunomodulatory, cancer, and other diseases. In the current study, the yield of Paeoniae Radix alba polysaccharide (PRP) was significantly increased with optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction compared to hot water extraction. Further, an acidic polysaccharide (PRP-AP) was isolated from PRP after chromatographic separation and was characterized as a typical pectic polysaccharide with side chains of arabinogalactans types I and II. Moreover, it showed antioxidant effects on LPS-induced damage on IPEC-J2 cells determined by qRT-PCR and ELISA, including decreasing the pro-inflammatory factors' expressions and increasing the antioxidant enzymes activities, which was shown to be related to the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway modulated by PRP-AP. The metabolites change (such as itaconate, cholesterol sulfate, etc.) detected by untargeted metabolomic analysis in cells was also shown to be modulated by PRP-AP, and these metabolites were further utilized and protected cells damaged by LPS. These results revealed the cellular active mechanism of the macromolecular PRP-AP on protecting cells, and supported the hypothesis that PRP-AP has strong benefits as an alternative dietary supplement for the prevention of intestinal oxidative stress by modulating cellular metabolism.

Proliferative Effects of Chishao on Schwann Cells are FGF-uPA, and ERK- and JNK-Dependent

This study evaluated the proliferative effects of chishao on RSC96, Schwann cells. A dose-dependent proliferative effect of chishao was obtained by methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) Western blotting, and wound healing assays in Schwann cells administered with chishao (0–500 mg/ml), except at 500 mg/ml concentration. The chishao-treated cells also showed a dose-dependent activated fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) signaling with increased urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and decreased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), enhanced proliferative proteins, extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-signaling. Using mitogen-actvated protein kinase (MAPK)-signaling chemical inhibitors, U0126, SB203580, and SP600125, the proliferative effects of chishao on RSC cells were identified to be ERK- and JNK- signaling dependent. Based on the results, applying appropriate doses of chishao to Schwann cells would be a potential approach for enhancing neuron regeneration.

Orthogonal test design for optimization of the extraction of polysaccharide from Paeonia sinjiangensis K.Y. Pan

Background:

Paeonia sinjiangensis K.Y. Pan is a perennial herb belonging to the ranunculaceae family and it is one of the most important crude drugs in traditional Chinese medicine. In this article, Paeonia sinjiangensis K.Y. Pan rich in polysaccharide is used as an experimental material.

Materials and Method:

Study the effects of proportion, temperature, times and time taken for the extraction yield of polysaccharide through a single-factor exploration. Then, through an orthogonal experiment (L₉(3)⁴), it was investigated to get the best extraction conditions.

Results:

The results showed that the ratio of solvent to raw material, number of extractions and duration of extraction were the main variables that influenced the yields of extracts. The separation procedure of precipitation with alcohol and the purification from the removing proteins were deeply analyzed. Meanwhile the contents of polysaccharide were determined by anthrone colorimetry.

Conclusion:

The highest yield was obtained when the ratio of solvent to raw material, number of extractions, and duration of extraction were 8:1, 2, and 1.5 h, respectively. The content of soluble polysaccharide is 51.57%.

Paeonia lactiflora Pall inhibits bladder cancer growth involving phosphorylation of Chk2 in vitro and in vivo

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Extracts of Paeonia lactiflora Pall (RPA), a traditional Chinese medicines has been shown to treat cancers.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the anticancer effect of RPA in urinary bladder carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The cell viability was analyzed with DAPI. Flow cytometry and Western blot were used to study the apoptosis and cell cycle related mechanism. A rat model of bladder cancer was induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (OH-BBN). Tumors were analyzed with immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTS

Our data suggested that RPA inhibits growth of bladder cancer via induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Treatment of TSGH-8301 cells with RPA resulted in G2-M phase arrest that was associated with a marked decline in protein levels of cdc2, cyclin B1, cell division cycle 25B (Cdc25B) and Cdc25C. We also reported that RPA-mediated growth inhibition of TSGH-8301 cells was correlated with activation of checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2). Herein, we further evaluated urinary bladder cancer using a model of bladder cancer induced by OH-BBN. Analysis of tumors from RPA-treated rats showed significant decrease in the expression of Bcl2, cyclin D1, and PCNA, and increase in the expression of p-Chk2 (Thr-68), Bax, and Cip1/p21.

CONCLUSION

Our data provide the experimental evidence that RPA could modulate apoptosis in models of bladder cancer.

Proliferative effects of chishao on injured peripheral neurons

The aim of the study was to evaluate the proliferative effects of chishao on neuron regeneration. A silicone rubber nerve guide across a 15-mm gap was filled with different concentrations of chishao (0-125 mg/ml) in the dissected sciatic nerve of the right leg in SD rats. The left legs were used as control. After eight weeks, the regenerated nerves showed dose-dependently activated fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) signaling with increased urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), decreased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and enhanced proliferative proteins, extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK)- and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-signalings. The results imply that applying an appropriate dose of chishao would be a potential approach for enhancing neuron regeneration.

Effect of polysaccharides from Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) cladodes on the healing of dermal wounds in the rat

In traditional medicine extracts of polysaccharide-containing plants are widely employed for the treatment of skin and epithelium wounds and of mucous membrane irritation. The extracts of Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes are used in folk medicine for their antiulcer and wound-healing activities. The present study describes the wound-healing potential of two lyophilized polysaccharide extracts obtained from O. ficus-indica (L.) cladodes applied on large full-thickness wounds in the rat. When topically applied for 6 days, polysaccharides with a molecular weight (MW)>10(4)Da from O. ficus-indica cladodes induce a beneficial effect on cutaneous repair in this experimental model; in particular the topical application of O. ficus-indica extracts on skin lesions accelerates the reepithelization and remodelling phases, also by affecting cell-matrix interactions and by modulating laminin deposition. Furthermore, the wound-healing effect is more marked for polysaccharides with a MW ranging 10(4)-10(6)Da than for those with MW>10(6)Da, leading us to suppose that the fine structure of these polysaccharides and thus their particular hygroscopic, rheologic and viscoelastic properties may be essential for the wound-healing promoter activity observed.

Induction of Apoptosis by Radix Paeoniae Alba Extract through Cytochrome c Release and the Activations of Caspase-9 and Caspase-3 in HL-60 Cells

Radix Paeoniae Alba has been used as a constituent of herbal medicine prescriptions for the treatment of inflammation, cancer, and other diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of Radix Paeoniae Alba extract (RPAE)-induced apoptosis in HL-60 leukemic cells. We observed that RPAE induced apoptotic changes in a dose-dependent manner, which was confirmed by DNA fragmentation and poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. We also found release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to the cytosol in RPAE-treated HL-60 cells. The caspases, caspase-9 and -3, but not caspase-8, were found to be activated in response to RPAE treatment, and the caspase-3 inhibitor, Ac-DEVD-CHO, and the caspase-9 inhibitor, z-LEHD-FMK, but not the caspase-8 inhibitor, z-IETD-FMK, attenuated RPAE-induced DNA fragmentation and PARP cleavage. These results suggest that RPAE-induced apoptosis is stimulated by the release of cytochrome c to the cytosol, by procaspase-9 processing, and via a caspase-3 dependent mechanism.

The In Vivo Effects of Cytokines Modulation for BALB/C Mice Fed with a Traditional Combined Chinese Herb‐Soaked Solution, Yi‐Fey Ruenn‐Hou Tea

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Yi-Fey Ruenn-Hou (YR) Tea, a combination of Chinese herbs, 10% licorice root, 10% American ginseng, 10% Radix Paeoniae alba and 70% green tea-soaked solution, on the cytokine modulation in Balb/C mice. Four groups of mice were administered either 1ml of drinking water (group A) or 2 mg/ml (group B), 8 mg/ml (group C), 40 mg/ml (group D) of a saturated solution of combined Chinese herbs daily for six months. The physiological and pathological characteristics of the mice were observed during the time, and the mice were weighed and at least two mice were sacrificed each month for pathological detection of the brain, heart, liver, spleen and kidney and cytokine analysis. The results revealed neither weight difference nor pathological change among the four groups, however, serum-cytokine assay indicated that the cytokine modulation effects are consistent, and the most obvious cytokine modulation effect was observed in group D, which was the highest dosage employed for treating the mice. TH2-pattern cytokines responded earlier and higher in group D than in groups B and C. Furthermore, the effect of YR Tea on cytokine modulation in vivo is predominantly TH2-pattern and is dependent on its dosage (P < 0.05).

Paeoniae Radix, a Chinese herbal extract, inhibit hepatoma cells growth by inducing apoptosis in a p53 independent pathway

Paeoniae Radix (PR) is the root of traditional Chinese Herb named Paeonia lactiflora Pallas, which is commonly used to treat liver diseases in China for centuries. Several earlier studies have indicated that PR has anticancer growth activities, however the mechanism underlying these activities was unclear and remained to be elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the molecular mechanism of the effect of PR on human hepatoma cell lines, HepG2 and Hep3B. Our results showed that the water-extract of Paeoniae Radix (PRE) had inhibitory effect on the growth of both HepG2 and Hep3B cell lines. The induction of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation appearance, and accumulation of sub-G1 phase of cell cycle profile in PRE treated hepatoma cells evidenced that the cytotoxicity of PRE to the hepatoma cells is through activation of the cell death program, apoptosis. The activation of apoptosis by PRE is independent of the p53 pathway as Hep3B cell is p53-deficient. In addition, the differential gene expression of PRE treated HepG2 was examined by cDNA microarray technology and RT-PCR analysis. We found that the gene expression of BNIP3 was up-regulated while ZK1, RAD23B, and HSPD1 were down-regulated during early apoptosis of the hepatoma cell mediated by PRE. The elucidation of the drug targets of PR on inhibition of tumor cells growth should enable further development of PR for liver cancer therapy.