Embelin Alleviates Severe Airway Inflammation in OVA-LPS-Induced Rat Model of Allergic Asthma

Embelin attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute kidney injury through the inhibition of M1 macrophage activation and NF-κB signaling in mice

Septic acute kidney injury (AKI) is commonly associated with renal dysfunction and high mortality in patients. Owing to the rapid and violent occurrence of septic AKI with inflammation, there are no effective therapies to clinically treat it. Embelin, a natural product, has a potential regulatory role in immunocytes. However, the role and mechanism of embelin in septic AKI remains unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the role of embelin in macrophage regulation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic AKI. Embelin was intraperitoneally administered to mice after LPS injection. And bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were subsequently isolated from the mice to explore the immunomodulatory role of embelin in macrophages. We found that embelin attenuated renal dysfunction and pathological renal damage in the LPS-induced sepsis mouse model. Molecular docking predicted that embelin could bind to phosphorylated NF-κB p65 at the ser536 site. Embelin inhibited the translocation of NF-κB p65 via phosphorylation at ser536 in LPS-induced AKI. It also reduced the secretion of IL-1β and IL-6 and increased the secretion of IL-10 and Arg-1 of BMDMs and mice after LPS stimulation, indicating that embelin suppressed macrophage M1 activation in LPS-induced AKI. Therefore, embelin attenuated LPS-induced septic AKI by suppressing NF-κB p65 at ser536 in activated macrophages. This study preclinically suggests a therapeutic role of embelin in septic AKI.

Mechanistic study of salidroside on ovalbumin-induced asthmatic model mice based on untargeted metabolomics analysis

Salidroside (SAL) is a natural component derived from Rhodiola rosea and is well known for its wide range of biological activities such as its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. However, its effects and mechanisms of action related to asthma have not been well explored yet. Recent studies have found that changes in host metabolism are closely related to the progression of asthma. Many natural components can ameliorate asthma by affecting host metabolism. The use of untargeted metabolomics can allow for a better understanding of the metabolic regulatory mechanisms of herbs on asthma. This study aimed to demonstrate the anti-asthmatic effects and metabolic regulatory mechanisms of SAL. In this study, the therapeutic effects of SAL on asthmatic mice were tested at first. Secondly, the effects of SAL on the airway inflammatory reaction, oxidative stress, and airway remodeling were investigated. Finally, untargeted metabolomics analysis was used to explore the influence of SAL on lung metabolites. The results showed that SAL had a significant therapeutic effect on asthmatic model mice. Moreover, SAL treatment lowered interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13 levels but elevated interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and IL-10 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Additionally, it also increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and decreased methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) levels in the lungs. Besides, SAL-treated mice showed decreased expression of smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) in the lung. Untargeted metabolomics analysis showed 31 metabolites in the lungs that were influenced by SAL. These metabolites were related to pyrimidine metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. In conclusion, SAL treatment can reduce the inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and airway remodeling in asthmatic model mice. The mechanism of SAL in the treatment of asthma may be related to the regulation of pyrimidine metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and the TCA cycle. Further studies can be carried out using targeted metabolomics and in vitro models to deeply elucidate the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative mechanisms of SAL on asthma based on regulating metabolism.

The Promising Mechanisms of Low Molecular Weight Compounds of Panax Ginseng C.A. Meyer in Alleviating COVID-19: A Network Pharmacology Analysis

Panax Ginseng C.A. Meyer (PGCAM) is a well-known phytomedicine, but most of its compounds, such as ginsenoside derivatives, have poor absorption and bioavailability profile due to high molecular weight (≥500 Daltons), which is the major hurdle for their clinical application. Hence, this research explored the efficiency of low molecular weight compounds (LMWCs) (<500 Daltons) screened from PGCAM and their anti-COVID-19 mechanisms through network pharmacology. Molecular compounds from PGCAM were identified using public databases and filtered out by the drug-likeness evaluation. Genes interacted with these filtered compounds, and COVID-19-related genes were extracted from public databases. In addition, overlapping genes between compounds and interactive genes were identified using the Venn diagram. In parallel, the networking between compounds and overlapping genes was analyzed by RStudio. The pathway enrichment analysis of overlapping genes was determined by STRING. Finally, the key bioactive compounds were documented through virtual screening. The bubble chart suggested that the mechanisms of PGCAM against COVID-19 were related to 28 signaling pathways. The key molecular anti-COVID-19 mechanisms might be the anti-inflammation, anti-permeability, and pro-apoptosis by inactivating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. The six key genes and the five compounds related to the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway were RELA-paeonol, NFKB1-frutinone A, IL6-nepetin, MCL1-ramalic acid, VEGFA-trifolirhizin, and IL2-trifolirhizin. The docking between these key genes and compounds demonstrated promising binding affinity with a good binding score. Overall, our proposed LMWCs from PGCAM provide a fundamental basis with noteworthy pharmacological evidence to support the therapeutic efficacy of PGCAM in relieving the main symptoms of COVID-19.