Anti-hyperlipidemic effects of the compound Danshen tablet: roles of antioxidation, anti-inflammation, anticoagulation, and anti-apoptosis

Combined bisoprolol and trimetazidine ameliorate arsenic trioxide -induced acute myocardial injury in rats: targeting PI3K/GSK-3β/Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB/iNOS signaling pathways, inflammatory mediators and apoptosis

BACKGROUND

Arsenic-trioxide (ATO) is an effective therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia. Unfortunately, its utility is hindered by the risk of myocardial injury. Both bisoprolol (BIS) and trimetazidine (TMZ) have various pharmacological features, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties.

AIM

The cardioprotective effects of BIS and TMZ were studied, and their mechanistic role in ameliorating ATO-induced myocardial injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty male Wistar rats were randomly allotted into five groups as follows: normal control group (received normal saline, orally), ATO group (7.5 mg/kg, orally), BIS (8 mg/kg, orally), TMZ (60 mg/kg, orally), and finally combination group (BIS+TMZ+ATO). Following 21 days, samples of serum and cardiac tissues were obtained to perform biochemical, molecular, and histopathological investigations.

RESULTS

The present study showed that ATO caused myocardial injury evidenced by changes in serum biomarkers (Aspatate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase-MB, and cardiac troponin-1), electrolyte imbalance, and lipid profiles alongside histopathologic changes. In addition, ATO administration significantly elevated malondialdehyde, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen oxidase, myloperoxidase, total nitrite, inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, nuclear factor NF-kappa-B p65 subunit, glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta, and caspase-3 expression contemporaneously with down-regulation of reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, heme oxygenase 1, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase, p-PI3K, and Bcl-2 expression. Interestingly, pretreatment with BIS and TMZ significantly reversed the detrimental effects of ATO-induced myocardial injury at both cellular and molecular levels. Otherwise, combining the two drugs displayed more enhancement than each drug alone.

CONCLUSION

The present research depicted that BIS and TMZ have the potential to protect the heart and provide therapeutic benefits by preventing acute heart injury induced by ATO. This is achieved by reversing the redox-sensitive pathway, reducing inflammation, and inhibiting apoptosis.

Exploring the Mechanism of Fufang Danshen Tablet against Atherosclerosis by Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation

Atherosclerosis is the main pathological basis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Fufang Danshen Tablet (FDT) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been clinically used to treat CVDs for more than 40 years. Nevertheless, owing to the complexity of the ingredients, the pharmacological mechanism of FDT in the treatment of CVDs has not been fully elucidated. In this study, an integrated strategy of UFLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, network pharmacology, molecular biology, and transcriptomics was used to elucidate the mechanisms of action of FDT in the treatment of atherosclerosis. In total, 22 absorbed constituents were identified in rat serum after oral administration of FDT. In silico, network pharmacology studies have shown that FDT regulates four key biological functional modules for the treatment of atherosclerosis: oxidative stress, cell apoptosis, energy metabolism, and immune/inflammation. In animal experiments, FDT exerted protective effects against atherosclerosis by reducing the plaque area and lipid levels in ApoE-/- mice. Furthermore, we found that FDT inhibited inflammatory macrophage accumulation by regulating the expression of Selp and Ccl2, which are both involved in monocyte adhesion and migration. The inhibition of monocyte recruitment by FDT is a new perspective to elucidate the anti-atherosclerotic mechanism of FDT, which has not been adopted in previous studies on FDT. Our results may help to elucidate the therapeutic mechanism of FDT against CVDs and provide potential therapeutic targets.

Protective Effects and Potential Mechanism of Tongxinluo on Mice with Thromboangiitis Obliterans Induced by Sodium Laurate

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of Tongxinluo (TXL) on thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) and the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Ninety male C57/BL6J mice were randomly divided into 6 groups according to a random number table: the sham group, TAO model group, Compound Danshen Tablet (CDT) group, and the high-, medium-, and low-dose TXL groups. All mice except the sham group were injected with sodium laurate (0.1 mL, 5 mg/mL) in the femoral artery to establish TAO mouse model. After modeling, mice in the sham and TAO model groups were intragastrically administered 0.5% (w/v) sodium carboxymethylcellulose, mice in the CDT group were intragastrically administered 0.52 g/kg CDT, and mice in the TXL-H, TXL-M, and TXL-L groups were intragastrically administered 1.5, 0.75, and 0.38 g/kg TXL, respectively. After 4 weeks of gavage, the recovery of blood flow in the lower limbs of mice was detected by Laser Doppler Imaging. The pathological changes and thrombosis of the femoral artery were observed by morphological examination. The expressions of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the femoral artery wall were detected by HE staining. Levels of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α (6-keto-PGF1α), endothelin-1 (ET-1), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Levels of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT) and fibrinogen (FIB) were detected by a fully automated biochemical analyzer.

RESULTS

TXL promoted the restoration of blood flow in the lower limbs, reduced the area of thrombosis in the femoral artery, and alleviated the pathological changes in the femoral artery wall. Moreover, the levels of TXB2, ET-1, IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α and iNOS were significantly lower in the TXL groups compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the level of 6-keto-PGF1α was significantly higher (P<0.01). In addition, APTT, PT, and TT were significantly prolonged in TXL groups compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and FIB levels were significantly decreased compared with the model group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

TXL had a protective effect on TAO mice, and the mechanism may involve inhibition of thrombosis and inflammatory responses. TXL may be a potential drug for the treatment of TAO.

Efficacy and safety of Shenkang injection in the treatment of chronic renal failure: A protocol of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is the final outcome of the development of multiple kidney diseases, and there is no effective method at home and abroad. Traditional Chinese medicine is found to play a major role in the treatment of the non-replacement stage of CRF. Shenkang injection can not only nourish the kidney, but also promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, which is suitable for the treatment of CRF. This study aims to explore the efficacy and safety of Shenkang injection for CRF and provide evidence for clinical practice.

METHODS

This was a prospective randomized controlled trial. One hundred four patients with CRF were randomly divided into treatment groups and control groups according to 1:1, with 52 patients in each group. The control group received basic treatment of western medicine and the treatment group was given Shenkang injection intravenously on the basis of control group. Both groups were given standard treatment for 4 weeks with concurrent follow-up for 1 month. The outcome indicators included: total efficiency, symptom scores, creatinine clearance rate, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, CystatinC, liver function, blood routine, urine routine, incidence of adverse reactions, etc. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0 software.

DISCUSSION

This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shenkang injection for CRF, and the results of this trial will provide clinical evidence for the treatment of CRF.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

OSF Registration number: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/K9C5T.

Dihydrotanshinone I Specifically Inhibits NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Protects Against Septic Shock In Vivo

The abnormal activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is closely related to the occurrence and development of many inflammatory diseases. Targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome has been considered an efficient therapy to treat infections. We found that dihydrotanshinone I (DHT) specifically blocked the canonical and non-canonical activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Nevertheless, DHT had no relation with the activation of AIM2 or the NLRC4 inflammasome. Further study demonstrated that DHT had no influences on potassium efflux, calcium flux, or the production of mitochondrial ROS. We also discovered that DHT suppressed ASC oligomerization induced by NLRP3 agonists, suggesting that DHT inhibited the assembly of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Importantly, DHT possessed a significant therapeutic effect on NLRP3 inflammasome–mediated sepsis in mice. Therefore, our results aimed to clarify DHT as a specific small-molecule inhibitor for the NLRP3 inflammasome and suggested that DHT can be used as a potential drug against NLRP3-mediated diseases.