Withaferin A Promotes White Adipose Browning and Prevents Obesity Through Sympathetic Nerve-Activated Prdm16-FATP1 Axis

Revisiting the Multifaceted Therapeutic Potential of Withaferin A (WA), a Novel Steroidal Lactone, W-ferinAmax Ashwagandha, from Withania Somnifera (L) Dunal

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, abundant in the Indian subcontinent as Ashwagandha or winter cherry, is a herb of unprecedented therapeutic value. The number of ailments for which crude Ashwagandha extract can be used as a preventive or curative is practically limitless; and this explains why its use has been in vogue in ancient Ayurveda since at-least about four thousand years. The therapeutic potential of Ashwagandha mainly owes from its reservoir of alkaloids (isopelletierine, anaferine), steroidal lactones (withanolides) and saponins with an extra acyl group (sitoindoside VII and VIII). Withaferin A is an exceptionally potent withanolide which is found in high concentrations in W. somnifera plant extracts. The high reactivity of Withaferin A owes to the presence of a C-28 ergostane network with multiple sites of unsaturation and differential oxygenation. It interacts with the effectors of multiple signaling pathways involved in inflammatory response, oxidative stress response, cell cycle regulation and synaptic transmission and has been found to be significantly effective in inducing programmed cell death in cancer cells, restoring cognitive health, managing diabetes, alleviating metabolic disorders, and rejuvenating the overall body homeostasis. Additionally, recent studies suggest that Withaferin A (WA) has the potential to prevent viral endocytosis by sequestering TMPRSS2, the host transmembrane protease, without altering ACE-2 expression. The scope of performing subtle structural modifications in this multi-ring compound is believed to further expand its pharmacotherapeutic horizon. Very recently, a novel, heavy metal and pesticide free formulation of Ashwagandha whole herb extract, with a significant amount of WA, termed W-ferinAmax Ashwagandha, has been developed. The present review attempts to fathom the present and future of this wonder molecule with comprehensive discussion on its therapeutic potential, safety and toxicity.Key teaching pointsWithania somnifera (L.) Dunal is a medicinal plant with versatile therapeutic values.The therapeutic potential of the plant owes to the presence of withanolides such as Withaferin A.Withaferin A is a C-28 ergostane based triterpenoid with multiple reactive sites of therapeutic potential.It is effective against a broad spectrum of ailments including neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, inflammatory and oxidative stress disorders and it also promotes cardiovascular and sexual health.W-ferinAmax Ashwagandha, is a heavy metal and pesticide free Ashwagandha whole herb extract based formulation with significant amount of Withaferin A.

Natural compounds as obesity pharmacotherapies

Obesity has become a serious global public health problem, affecting over 988 million people worldwide. Nevertheless, current pharmacotherapies have proven inadequate. Natural compounds have garnered significant attention due to their potential antiobesity effects. Over the past three decades, ca. 50 natural compounds have been evaluated for the preventive and/or therapeutic effects on obesity in animals and humans. However, variations in the antiobesity efficacies among these natural compounds have been substantial, owing to differences in experimental designs, including variations in animal models, dosages, treatment durations, and administration methods. The feasibility of employing these natural compounds as pharmacotherapies for obesity remained uncertain. In this review, we systematically summarized the antiobesity efficacy and mechanisms of action of each natural compound in animal models. This comprehensive review furnishes valuable insights for the development of antiobesity medications based on natural compounds.

Targeting Metabolic Syndrome in Hidradenitis Suppurativa by Phytochemicals as a Potential Complementary Therapeutic Strategy

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the appearance of painful inflamed nodules, abscesses, and pus-draining sinus tracts in the intertriginous skin of the groins, buttocks, and perianal and axillary regions. Despite its high prevalence of ~0.4-1%, therapeutic options for HS are still limited. Over the past 10 years, it has become clear that HS is a systemic disease, associated with various comorbidities, including metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its sequelae. Accordingly, the life expectancy of HS patients is significantly reduced. MetS, in particular, obesity, can support sustained inflammation and thereby exacerbate skin manifestations and the chronification of HS. However, MetS actually lacks necessary attention in HS therapy, underlining the high medical need for novel therapeutic options. This review directs attention towards the relevance of MetS in HS and evaluates the potential of phytomedical drug candidates to alleviate its components. It starts by describing key facts about HS, the specifics of metabolic alterations in HS patients, and mechanisms by which obesity may exacerbate HS skin alterations. Then, the results from the preclinical studies with phytochemicals on MetS parameters are evaluated and the outcomes of respective randomized controlled clinical trials in healthy people and patients without HS are presented.

Physiological and Environmental Factors Affecting Cancer Risk and Prognosis in Obesity

Obesity results from a chronic excessive accumulation of adipose tissue due to a long-term imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. Available epidemiological and clinical data strongly support the links between obesity and certain cancers. Emerging clinical and experimental findings have improved our understanding of the roles of key players in obesity-associated carcinogenesis such as age, sex (menopause), genetic and epigenetic factors, gut microbiota and metabolic factors, body shape trajectory over life, dietary habits, and general lifestyle. It is now widely accepted that the cancer-obesity relationship depends on the site of cancer, the systemic inflammatory status, and microenvironmental parameters such as levels of inflammation and oxidative stress in transforming tissues. We hereby review recent advances in our understanding of cancer risk and prognosis in obesity with respect to these players. We highlight how the lack of their consideration contributed to the controversy over the link between obesity and cancer in early epidemiological studies. Finally, the lessons and challenges of interventions for weight loss and better cancer prognosis, and the mechanisms of weight gain in survivors are also discussed.

PTPN2 targets TAK1 for dephosphorylation to improve cellular senescence and promote adipose tissue browning in T2DM

Introduction: The energy imbalance when energy intake exceeds expenditure acts as an essential factor in the development of insulin resistance (IR). The activity of brown adipose tissue, which is involved in the dissipation of energy via heat expenditure decreases under type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) state when the number of pathological aging adipocytes increases. Protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) regulates several biological processes by dephosphorylating several cellular substrates; however, whether PTPN2 regulates cellular senescence in adipocytes and the underlying mechanism has not been reported. Methods: We constructed a model of type 2 diabetic mice with PTPN2 overexpression to explore the role of PTPN2 in T2DM. Results: We revealed that PTPN2 facilitated adipose tissue browning by alleviating pathological senescence, thus improving glucose tolerance and IR in T2DM. Mechanistically, we are the first to report that PTPN2 could bind with transforming growth factor-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) directly for dephosphorylation to inhibit the downstream MAPK/NF-κB pathway in adipocytes and regulate cellular senescence and the browning process subsequently. Discussion: Our study revealed a critical mechanism of adipocytes browning progression and provided a potential target for the treatment of related diseases.

Dietary Supplementation of Methyl Cedryl Ether Ameliorates Adiposity in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice

Methyl cedryl ether (MCE) is a derivative of cedrol and is widely used as a fragrance compound. The aim of this study was to evaluate the preventative effects of MCE on obesity and related metabolic syndromes and to delineate the mechanisms from the perspective of gut microbiota and white adipose tissues (WAT) transcriptomic profiles. Five-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned into 3 groups and fed with chow diet, high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD supplemented with 0.2% (w/w) MCE for 13 weeks. We found that MCE significantly reduced body weight, inhibited adipocyte hypertrophy, and ameliorated hepatic steatosis under HFD conditions. MCE dietary supplementation downregulated the expression of adipogenesis genes (FAS and C/EBPα) and upregulated the mRNA levels of thermogenesis genes (PGC-1α, PRDM16, UCP1, Cidea, Cytc, and COX4) in epididymal WAT. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that MCE improved gut microbiota dysbiosis in HFD-fed mice, as manifested by the alteration of strains associated with obesity. Further transcriptome analysis of WAT indicated that MCE dramatically changed the gene expression profiles. Our results demonstrate the anti-obesity effect of MCE under HFD conditions, highlighting the nutraceutical potential of MCE for preventing obesity.

Recent advances in natural anti-obesity compounds and derivatives based on in vivo evidence: A mini-review

Obesity is not only viewed as a chronic aggressive disorder but is also associated with an increased risk for various diseases. Nonetheless, new anti-obesity drugs are an urgent need since few pharmacological choices are available on the market. Natural compounds have served as templates for drug discovery, whereas modified molecules from the leads identified based on in vitro models often reveal noncorresponding bioactivity between in vitro and in vivo studies. Therefore, to provide inspiration for the exploration of innovative anti-obesity agents, recent discoveries of natural anti-obesity compounds with in vivo evidence have been summarized according to their chemical structures, and the comparable efficacy of these compounds is categorized using animal models. In addition, several synthetic derivatives optimized from the phytochemicals are also provided to discuss medicinal chemistry achievements guided by natural sources.

Phosphocatalytic Kinome Activity Profiling of Apoptotic and Ferroptotic Agents in Multiple Myeloma Cells

Through phosphorylation of their substrate proteins, protein kinases are crucial for transducing cellular signals and orchestrating biological processes, including cell death and survival. Recent studies have revealed that kinases are involved in ferroptosis, an iron-dependent mode of cell death associated with toxic lipid peroxidation. Given that ferroptosis is being explored as an alternative strategy to eliminate apoptosis-resistant tumor cells, further characterization of ferroptosis-dependent kinase changes might aid in identifying novel druggable targets for protein kinase inhibitors in the context of cancer treatment. To this end, we performed a phosphopeptidome based kinase activity profiling of glucocorticoid-resistant multiple myeloma cells treated with either the apoptosis inducer staurosporine (STS) or ferroptosis inducer RSL3 and compared their kinome activity signatures. Our data demonstrate that both cell death mechanisms inhibit the activity of kinases classified into the CMGC and AGC families, with STS showing a broader spectrum of serine/threonine kinase inhibition. In contrast, RSL3 targets a significant number of tyrosine kinases, including key players of the B-cell receptor signaling pathway. Remarkably, additional kinase profiling of the anti-cancer agent withaferin A revealed considerable overlap with ferroptosis and apoptosis kinome activity, explaining why withaferin A can induce mixed ferroptotic and apoptotic cell death features. Altogether, we show that apoptotic and ferroptotic cell death induce different kinase signaling changes and that kinome profiling might become a valid approach to identify cell death chemosensitization modalities of novel anti-cancer agents.