Ion-Pair Reversed-Phase HPLC Method for Determination of Sodium Tanshinone IIA Sulfonate in Biological Samples and Its Pharmacokinetics and Biodistribution in Mice

Targeting Oxidative Stress and Endothelial Dysfunction Using Tanshinone IIA for the Treatment of Tissue Inflammation and Fibrosis

Salvia miltiorrhiza Burge (Danshen), a member of the Lamiaceae family, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for many centuries as a valuable medicinal herb with antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic potential. Several evidence-based reports have suggested that Salvia miltiorrhiza and its components prevent vascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, arrhythmia, cardiac hypertrophy, and cardiac fibrosis. Tanshinone IIA (TanIIA), a lipophilic component of Salvia miltiorrhiza, has gained attention because of its possible preventive and curative activity against cardiovascular disorders. TanIIA, which possesses antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic properties, could be a key component in the therapeutic potential of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Vascular diseases are often initiated by endothelial dysfunction, which is accompanied by vascular inflammation and fibrosis. In this review, we summarize how TanIIA suppresses tissue inflammation and fibrosis through signaling pathways such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR/eNOS, TGF-β1/Smad2/3, NF-κB, JNK/SAPK (stress-activated protein kinase)/MAPK, and ERK/Nrf2 pathways. In brief, this review illustrates the therapeutic value of TanIIA in the alleviation of oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis, which are critical components of cardiovascular disorders.

Mechanosensitive pathways are regulated by mechanosensitive miRNA clusters in endothelial cells

Shear stress is known to affect many processes in (patho-) physiology through a complex, multi-molecular mechanism, termed mechanotransduction. The sheer complexity of the process has raised questions how mechanotransduction is regulated. Here, we comprehensively evaluate the literature about the role of small non-coding miRNA in the regulation of mechanotransduction. Regulation of mRNA by miRNA is rather complex, depending not only on the concentration of mRNA to miRNA, but also on the amount of mRNA competing for a single mRNA. The only mechanism to counteract the latter factor is through overarching structures of miRNA. Indeed, two overarching structures are present miRNA families and miRNA clusters, and both will be discussed in details, regarding the latest literature and a previous conducted study focussed on mechanotransduction. Both the literature and our own data support a new hypothesis that miRNA-clusters predominantly regulate mechanotransduction, affecting 65% of signalling pathways. In conclusion, a new and important mode of regulation of mechanotransduction is proposed, based on miRNA clusters. This finding implicates new avenues for treatment of mechanotransduction and atherosclerosis.

A comprehensive review of tanshinone IIA and its derivatives in fibrosis treatment

Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is the most abundant lipid-soluble component in Salvia miltiorrhiza. Both Tan IIA and its derivatives including Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) have been widely used in clinic due to their proved anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and anti-fibrosis functions. Recently, combinations containing Tan IIA and active components have attracted intensive interest in fibrosis. Multiple studies have been conducted to attempt to decipher the mechanisms of this traditional Chinese medicine and found that Tan IIA can attenuate fibrosis through different pathways such as Smad2/3, NF-κB, Nrf2, E2F and snail/twist axis. However, some of the studies were contradictory and confusing. Therefore, it was important to develop an easy-to-access reference for clinic use. In this study, we reviewed the pharmacological mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology of Tan IIA and its derivatives in the treatment of fibrosis and introduced the cutting-edge new formulation of Tan IIA compound.

Hybrids of Small-Molecule CD4 Mimics with Polyethylene Glycol Units as HIV Entry Inhibitors

CD4 mimics are small molecules that inhibit the interaction of gp120 with CD4. We have developed several CD4 mimics. Herein, hybrid molecules consisting of CD4 mimics with a long alkyl chain or a PEG unit attached through a self-cleavable linker were synthesized. In anti-HIV activity, modification with a PEG unit appeared to be more suitable than modification with a long alkyl chain. Thus, hybrid molecules of CD4 mimics, with PEG units attached through an uncleavable linker, were developed and showed high anti-HIV activity and low cytotoxicity. In investigation of pharmacokinetics in a rhesus macaque, a hybrid compound had a more effective PK profile than that of the parent compound, and intramuscular injection was a more useful administration route to maintain the high blood concentration of the CD4 mimic than intravenous injection. The presented hybrid molecules of CD4 mimics with a PEG unit would be practically useful when combined with a neutralizing antibody.

Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate: A review of pharmacological activity and pharmacokinetics

Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) is a water-soluble derivate of tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) which is an active lipophilic constitute of Chinese Materia Medica Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. (Danshen). STS presents multiple pharmacological activities, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis, and has been approved for treatment of cardiovascular diseases by China State Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). In this review, we comprehensively summarized the pharmacological activities and pharmacokinetics of STS, which could support the further application and development of STS. In the recent decades, numerous experimental and clinical studies have been conducted to investigate the potential treatment effects of STS in various diseases, such as heart diseases, brain diseases, pulmonary diseases, cancers, sepsis and so on. The underlying mechanisms were most related to anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of STS via regulating various transcription factors, such as NF-κB, Nrf2, Stat1/3, Smad2/3, Hif-1α and β-catenin. Iron channels, including Ca²⁺, K⁺ and Cl^- channels, were also the important targets of STS. Additionally, we emphasized the differences between STS and Tan IIA despite the interchangeable use of Tan IIA and STS in many previous studies. It is promising to improve the efficacy and reduce side effects of chemotherapeutic drug by the combination use of STS in canner treatment. The application of STS in pregnancy needs to be seriously considered. Moreover, the drug-drug interactions between STS and other drugs needs to be further studied as well as the complications of STS.

Kinetics of cytochrome P450 enzymes for metabolism of sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate in vitro

Background

Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) is a water-soluble derivative of tanshinone IIA for treating cardiovascular disorders. The roles of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) in the metabolism of STS have remained unclear. This study aims to screen the main CYPs for metabolism of STS and study their interactions in vitro.

Methods

Seven major CYPs were screened for metabolism of STS by human liver microsomes (HLMs) or recombinant CYP isoforms. Phenacetin (CYP1A2), coumarin (CYP2A6), tolbutamide (CYP2C9), metoprolol (CYP2D6), chlorzoxazone (CYP2E1), S-mephenytoin (CYP2C19), and midazolam (CYP3A4) were used as probe substrates to determine the potential of STS in affecting CYP-mediated phase I metabolism in humans. Enzyme kinetic studies were performed to investigate the modes of inhibition of the enzyme–substrate interactions by GraphPad Prism Enzyme Kinetic 5 Demo software.

Results

Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate inhibited the activity of CYP3A4 in a dose–dependent manner by the HLMs and CYP3A4 isoform. The K_m and V_max values of STS were 54.8 ± 14.6 µM and 0.9 ± 0.1 nmol/mg protein/min, respectively, for the HLMs and 7.5 ± 1.4 µM and 6.8 ± 0.3 nmol/nmol P450/min, respectively, for CYP3A4. CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2C9, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and CYP2C19 showed minimal or no effects on the metabolism of STS.

Conclusion

This in vitro study showed that STS mainly inhibited the activities of CYP3A4.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13020-016-0083-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Determination of Sodium Tanshinone IIA Sulfonate in human plasma by LC-MS/MS and its application to a clinical pharmacokinetic study

An assay based on protein precipitation and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been developed and validated for the quantitative analysis of Sodium Tanshinone IIA Sulfonate (STS) in human plasma. After the addition of dehydroepiandrosterone-D5-3-sulfate sodium salt (DHEAS-D5) as internal standard (IS) and formic acid, plasma samples were prepared by one-step protein precipitation with a mixture of acetonitrile and methanol. Isocratic mobile phase consisted of 0.4 mmol/L ammonium formate buffer (16 ppm formic acid)/acetonitrile (40/60, v/v) on a XSELECT™ HSS T3 column. Detection was performed on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer utilizing an electrospray ionization (ESI) interface operating in positive ion and selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode with the precursor to product ion transitions m/z 373.3→357.1 for STS and m/z 373.0→97.8 for the IS. Calibration curves of STS in human plasma were linear (r=0.9957-0.9998) over the concentration range of 2-1000 ng/mL with acceptable accuracy and precision. The lower limit of quantification in human plasma was 2 ng/mL. The validated LC-MS/MS method has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of STS in Chinese healthy male volunteers.

A minimally cytotoxic CD4 mimic as an HIV entry inhibitor

Several CD4 mimics have been reported as HIV-1 entry inhibitors which can block the interaction between the viral envelope glycoprotein gp120 and the cell surface protein CD4. We previously found a lead compound 2 (YYA-021) with high anti-HIV activity and low cytotoxicity. Pharmacokinetic analysis however showed compound 2 to have wide tissue distribution and relatively high distribution volumes in rats and rhesus macaques. In the present study we searched for more hydrophilic CD4 mimics with a view to reducing tissue distribution. A new compound (5) with a 1,3-benzodioxolyl moiety was found to have relatively high anti-HIV activity and no significant cytotoxicity. Compound 5 is more hydrophilic than compound 2 and the pharmacokinetics of the intravenous administration of compound 5 in a rhesus macaque showed that compound 5 has lower tissue distribution than compound 2, suggesting that compound 5 possesses a better profile.

Metabolism of tanshinone IIA, cryptotanshinone and tanshinone I from Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza in zebrafish

The study aimed to investigate the potential of zebrafish in imitating mammal phase I metabolism of natural compounds. Three diterpenoid quinones from Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza, namely tanshinone IIA (TIIA), cryptotanshinone (Cry) and tanshinone I (TI) were selected as model compounds, and their metabolites mediated by zebrafish were characterized using a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled ion-trap mass spectrometry (HPLC/IT-MSn) method with electrospray ionization in positive mode. The separation was performed with a Zorbax C-18 column using a binary gradient elution of 0.05% formic acid acetonitrile/0.05% formic acid water. According to the MS spectra and after comparison with reference standards and literature reports, hydroxylation, dehydrogenation or D-ring hydrolysis metabolites of TIIA and Cry but not of TI were characterized, which coincided with those reported using regular in vivo or in vitro metabolic analysis methods, thus verifying that zebrafish can successfully imitate mammalian phase I metabolism which instills further confidence in using zebrafish as a novel and prospective metabolism model.