Calycosin Orchestrates Osteogenesis of Danggui Buxue Tang in Cultured Osteoblasts: Evaluating the Mechanism of Action by Omics and Chemical Knock-out Methodologies

Danggui Buxue Tang improves therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin in triple negative breast cancer via ferroptosis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) has been used for over 800 years to enhance Qi and nourish Blood, and it is particularly beneficial for cancer patients. Recent research has shown that combining DBT with chemotherapy agents leads to superior anti-cancer effects, thereby enhancing therapeutic efficacy.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination therapy involving doxorubicin (DOX) and Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In vitro experiments were performed using MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells, while in vivo experiments were carried out using MDA-MB-231 xenograft mice. The therapeutic effects of the combination therapy were evaluated using various techniques, including MTT assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, transwell assay, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), histological analysis, western blotting, and bioluminescence assay.

RESULTS

DBT was found to enhance DOX's anti-TNBC activity in vitro by promoting ferroptosis, as evidenced by the observed mitochondrial morphological changes using TEM. The combination therapy was also found to reduce the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and GPX4, which are all targets for ferroptosis induction, while simultaneously increasing ROS production. Additionally, the combination therapy reduced nuclear accumulation and constitutive activation of Nrf2, which is a significant cause of chemotherapy resistance and promotes cancer growth. In vivo experiments using an MDA-MB-231 xenograft animal model revealed that the combination therapy significantly reduced tumor cell proliferation and accelerated TNBC deaths by modulating the Nrf2/HO-1/GPX4 axis, with no evidence of tissue abnormalities. Moreover, the combination therapy exhibited a liver protective effect, and administration of Fer-1 was able to reduce the ROS formation produced by the DBT + DOX combination therapy.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence that the combination therapy of DOX and DBT has the potential to treat TNBC by promoting ferroptosis through the Nrf2/HO-1/GPX4 axis.

Efficacy and Possible Mechanisms of Astragali Radix and its Ingredients in Animal Models of Osteoporosis: A Preclinical Review and Metaanalysis

BACKGROUND

Astragali Radix (AR) has a long history as a traditional Chinese medicine for anti-osteoporosis (OP) treatment. The aim of the study was to explore the effect and optimal regimens of AR and its main ingredients (IAR) in OP treatment.

METHODS

Eligible animal studies were searched in seven databases (PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, SciELO Citation Index, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang). The primary outcomes were bone metabolic indices. The secondary outcome measure was the anti-OP mechanism of IAR.

RESULTS

21 studies were enrolled in the study. The primary findings of the present article illustrated that IAR could significantly increase the bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume over the total volume, trabecular number, trabecular thickness, bone maximum load and serum calcium, while trabecular separation and serum C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen were remarkably decreased (P < 0.05). In subgroup analysis, the BMD in the long treatment group (≥ 10 weeks) showed better effect size than the short treatment group (< 10 weeks) (P < 0.05). Modeling methods and animal sex were factors affecting serum alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin levels.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest the possibility of developing IAR as a drug for the treatment of OP. IAR with longer treatment time may achieve better effects regardless of animal strain and age.

Role of Danggui Buxue Decoction for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases

Cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases have become the major disease endangering people's physical and mental health because of its high morbidity and mortality. Danggui Buxue Decoction, a noteworthy classical prescription, is composed of astragali radix and angelicae sinensis radix at a ratio of 5꞉1. It is a prescription for tonifying both vital energy and blood and has the effect of dredging collaterals. Its main active components, such as polysaccharides, saponins, flavonoids and volatile oils, have good effects on antioxidation, inflammation regulation, immune regulation and promotion of blood circulation. Danggui Buxue Decoction can improve myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and heart failure, relieve the symptoms of diabetic cardiomyopathy, inhibit pulmonary fibrosis, protect lung injury and fight against lung cancer and other cardiopulmonary diseases. Preclinical studies have showed that this prescription can inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress, regulate autophagy and enhance immune function through multi-target pathways. Reviewing the main effective components, pharmacological action and mechanism, and clinical application of Danggui Buxue Decoction are helpful to provide comprehensive information for the clinical application of Danggui Buxue Decoction in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.

Danggui Buxue Tang potentiates the cytotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil on colorectal adenocarcinoma cells: A signaling mediated by c-Jun N-terminal kinase

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) is a well-known Chinese herbal recipe often prescribed in clinical treatment for menopausal and cardiovascular symptoms. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a chemotherapy drug that treats several cancers; however, it causes severe adverse effects and multidrug resistance. Combining natural medications can reduce the side effects of 5-FU use. Hence, we aimed to determine the role of DBT in strengthening the anticancer capabilities of 5-FU in a cultured colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29 cell) and xenograft nude mice. HT-29 cells cultured with DBT did not exhibit cytotoxicity. However, co-administration of DBT with 5-FU significantly increased apoptosis and the expression of apoptotic markers. The inhibition of proliferation induced by DBT and 5-FU was shown to be mediated by c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling. In addition, the potentiation effect of 5-FU and DBT was demonstrated in reducing tumor size, expressions of Ki67 and CD34 in HT-29 xenograft mice. This finding suggests that DBT can work with 5-FU as a novel chemotherapeutic strategy for treating colon cancer.

The Latest Research Advances of Danggui Buxue Tang as an Effective Prescription for Various Diseases: A Comprehensive Review

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) is composed of Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix in a weight ratio of 5:1. The recipe of the decoction is simple, and DBT has been widely used in the treatment of blood deficiency syndrome for more than 800 years in China. Studies on its chemical constituents show that saponins, flavonoids, volatile oils, organic acids, and polysaccharides are the main components of DBT. Many techniques such as third-generation sequencing, PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and HPLC-MS have been used for the quality control of DBT. DBT has a wide range of biological activities, including blood enhancement, antagonizing diabetic nephropathy, cardiovascular protection, immunity stimulation, estrogen-like effect, and antifibrosis, among others. In this paper, we summarize the recent research advances of DBT in terms of its components, pharmacological activities, and possible mechanisms of action as well as provide suggestions for further research.

ARMC5-CUL3 E3 ligase targets full-length SREBF in adrenocortical tumor

Inactivating mutations of ARMC5 are responsible for the development of bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (BMAH). Although ARMC5 inhibits adrenocortical tumor growth and is considered a tumor-suppressor gene, its molecular function is poorly understood. In this study, through biochemical purification using SREBF (SREBP) as bait, we identified the interaction between SREBF and ARMC5 through its Armadillo repeat. We also found that ARMC5 interacted with CUL3 through its BTB domain and underwent self-ubiquitination. ARMC5 colocalized with SREBF1 in the cytosol and induced proteasome-dependent degradation of full-length SREBF through ubiquitination. Introduction of missense mutations in Armadillo repeat of ARMC5 attenuated the interaction between SREBF, and introduction of mutations found in BMAH completely abolished its ability to degrade full-length SREBF. In H295R adrenocortical cells, silencing of ARMC5 increased full-length SREBFs and upregulated SREBF2 target genes. siARMC5-mediated cell growth was abrogated by simultaneous knockdown of SREBF2 in H295R cells. Our results demonstrate that ARMC5 was a substrate adaptor protein between full-length SREBF and CUL3-based E3 ligase, and they suggest the involvement of the SREBF pathway in the development of BMAH.

Danggui Buxue Tang, a Chinese herbal decoction containing Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix, improves mitochrondial bioenergetics in osteoblast

Osteoporosis is the process of bone loss, particular after menopause, when the production of estrogen in women is decreaing. Bioenergetic function is one of the critical roles in bone remodeling. Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) is an herbal mixture containing Astragali Radix (AR) and Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR), and which is consumed for "Qi-invigorating", i.e., stimulating energy metabolism, as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, the role of DBT in metabolism of osteoblast has not been examined. Here, we employed a metabolic flux to examine the mitochondrial functions of cultured osteoblast in the presence of herbal extracts, including DBT, ASR, AR, AR + ASR (single mixing of two herbal extracts), as well as DBT_∆cal (a DBT extract depeleting calycosin), to examine their roles in osteoblastic metabolism, e.g. glycolysis and energy kinetics. By revealing the rates of oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification of mitochrondia, the DBT-treated osteoblasts were markedly strengthened with increases of maximal respiration, spare capacity, glycolysis capacity and glycolysis reserve, in comparing to other herbal extracts. In addition, the bioenergetic metabolism was modulated by DBT via the signaling of cellular Ca²⁺ and reactive oxgen species (ROS). Furthermore, DBT affected the morphology of mitochondria, as well as mitochondrial dynamic. Here, we propose that DBT can be regarded as benefit herbal extract in improving osteoblastic metabolism for bone disorders via central energy metabolism and mitochondrial bioenergetics.

Integrated Omics Reveals the Orchestrating Role of Calycosin in Danggui Buxue Tang, a Herbal Formula Containing Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Astragali Radix, in Inducing Osteoblastic Differentiation and Proliferation

Systems biology unravels the black box of signaling pathway of cells; but which has not been extensively applied to reveal the mechanistic synergy of a herbal formula. The therapeutic efficacies of a herbal formula having multi-target, multi-function and multi-pathway are the niches of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Here, we reported an integrated omics approach, coupled with the knockout of an active compound, to measure the regulation of cellular signaling, as to reveal the landscape in cultured rat osteoblasts having synergistic pharmacological efficacy of Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), a Chinese herbal formula containing Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Astragali Radix. The changes in signaling pathways responsible for energy metabolism, RNA metabolism and protein metabolism showed distinct features between DBT and calycosin-depleted DBT. Here, our results show that calycosin within DBT can orchestrate the osteoblastic functions and signaling pathways of the entire herbal formula. This finding reveals the harmony of herbal medicine in pharmacological functions, as well as the design of drug/herbal medicine formulation. The integration of systems biology can provide novel and essential insights into the synergistic property of a herbal formula, which is a key in modernizing TCM.

Analysis of Molecular Mechanism of Erxian Decoction in Treating Osteoporosis Based on Formula Optimization Model

Osteoporosis (OP) is a highly prevalent orthopedic condition in postmenopausal women and the elderly. Currently, OP treatments mainly include bisphosphonates, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) antibody therapy, selective estrogen receptor modulators, teriparatide (PTH1-34), and menopausal hormone therapy. However, increasing evidence has indicated these treatments may exert serious side effects. In recent years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has become popular for treating orthopedic disorders. Erxian Decoction (EXD) is widely used for the clinical treatment of OP, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear thanks to its multiple components and multiple target features. In this research, we designed a network pharmacology method, which used a novel node importance calculation model to identify critical response networks (CRNs) and effective proteins. Based on these proteins, a target coverage contribution (TCC) model was designed to infer a core active component group (CACG). This approach decoded the mechanisms underpinning EXD's role in OP therapy. Our data indicated that the drug response network mediated by the CACG effectively retained information of the component-target (C-T) network of pathogenic genes. Functional pathway enrichment analysis showed that EXD exerted therapeutic effects toward OP by targeting PI3K-Akt signaling (hsa04151), calcium signaling (hsa04020), apoptosis (hsa04210), estrogen signaling (hsa04915), and osteoclast differentiation (hsa04380) via JNK, AKT, and ERK. Our method furnishes a feasible methodological strategy for formula optimization and mechanism analysis and also supplies a reference scheme for the secondary development of the TCM formula.

Pharmaceutical Values of Calycosin: One Type of Flavonoid Isolated from Astragalus

Astragalus is a popular Materia Medica in China, and it could be applied in the treatment of various diseases. It contains a variety of chemically active ingredients, such as saponins, flavonoids, and polysaccharides. Plant-derived bioactive chemicals are considered natural, safe, and beneficial. Among the infinite plant-identified and isolated molecules, flavonoids have been reported to have positive effects on human health. Calycosin is the most important active flavonoid substance identified predominantly within this medicinal plant. In recent years, calycosin has been reported to have anticancer, antioxidative, immune-modulatory, and estrogenic-like properties. This review collected recent relevant literatures on calycosin and summarized its potential pharmaceutical properties and working mechanism involved, which provided solid basis for future clinical research.

Gut microbiota affects the efficacy of Danggui Buxue Tang by affecting plasma concentration of active ingredients

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) is a traditional Chinese medicine, which has the function of supporting Qi and enriching blood. Antibiotics can cause Gut microbiota disorder and affect efficacy of DBT.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Explore the manner in which Gut microbiota affects the efficacy of Danggui Buxue Tang.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, antibiotics were used to destroy gut microbiota. The changes of DBT efficacy were detected to verify the effect of gut microbiota on DBT efficacy. The changes of gut microbiota was detected using 16S rRNA sequencing, and UPLC-MS/MS was used to analyze the plasma concentration of active ingredients. Correlation analysis was used to establish the relationship between gut microbiota, blood components and drug efficacy, and to explore the role of gut microbiota in the efficacy of DBT.

RESULTS

The results showed that the efficacy in the DBT group was significantly improved compared with the control group (p<0.05). Compared with DBT group, the efficacy in antibiotic DBT treatment (ABXDBT) group was significantly reduced, 194 plasma metabolites and 18 DBT blood components were significantly altered in ABXDBT group, and 11 DBT blood components such as caffeic acid and formononetin were significantly decreased. Correlation analysis showed that 6 DBT blood components were related with the decrease of efficacy. Network pharmacology analysis showed that the above 6 DBT blood components participated in the hematopoietic regulation through PI3K-Akt and HIF-1 signaling pathways. Correlation analysis showed that Bacteroides and other intestinal bacteria were related to the absorption of DBT active ingredients. The drug metabolic pathway of gut microbiota was significantly decreased after antibiotic treatment (p = 0.033).

CONCLUSIONS

Gut microbiota such as Bacteroides affects the efficacy of DBT by affecting the metabolism and absorption of DBT active ingredients such as caffeic acid and formononetin.

Calycosin: a Review of its Pharmacological Effects and Application Prospects

Introduction: Calycosin (CA), a typical phytoestrogen extracted from root of Astragalus membranaceus. On the basis of summarizing the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic studies of CA in recent years, we hope to provide useful information for CA about treating different diseases and to make suggestions for future research.Areas covered: We collected relevant information (January 2014 to March 2020) on CA via the Internet database. Keywords searched includ pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and toxicology, and the number of effective references was 118. CA is a phytoestrogen with wide range of pharmacological activities. By affecting PI3K/Akt/mTOR, WDR7-7-GPR30, Rab27B-β-catenin-VEGF, etc. signaling pathway, CA showed the effect of anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporosis, neuroprotection, hepatoprotection, etc. Therefore, CA is prospective to be used in the treatment of many diseases.Expert opinion: Research shows that CA has a therapeutic effect on a variety of diseases. We think CA is a promising natural medicine. Therefore, we propose that the research directions of CA in the future include the following. Carrying out clinical research trials in order to find the most suitable medicinal concentration for different diseases; Exploring the synergistic mechanism of CA in combination with other drugs; Exploring ways to increase the blood circulation concentration of CA.

Danggui Buxue Tang restores antibiotic-induced metabolic disorders by remodeling the gut microbiota

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) has been used to promote hematopoiesis and relieve myelosuppression in China. Antibiotics can cause myelosuppression through gut microbiota disorders.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to explore the way of DBT to alleviate the metabolic disorder caused by antibiotics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, 16S rRNA sequencing was used to detect the change of gut microbiota, metabolomics to analyze the change of metabolites. Correlation analysis was used to establishment the correlation between gut microbiota and metabolites. PICRUST 2 was used to predict the function of gut microbiota.

RESULTS

Results showed that eighty-two genera of gut microbiota were affected by antibiotic, while twelve were significantly restored after DBT. Seventy-four potential metabolites were significantly different from the antibiotics and DBT. We found significant recovery by the Bacteroides and Rikenellaceae RC9 after DBT. The metabolic pathways influenced by the antibiotic treatment included primary and secondary bile biosynthesis, etc. The metabolic pathways that could be restored after DBT included the primary and secondary bile acid biosynthesis pathway, etc. Through correlation analysis, we found a correlation between the Bacteroides, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and other potential differential metabolisms such as those of taurodeoxycholic acid, N-phenylacetyl glycine, etc. The functional prediction showed that the biosynthesis of primary bile acid, secondary bile acid was significantly affected.

CONCLUSIONS

DBT can restore the gut and reverse the metabolic disorder caused by antibiotics through Bacteroides, and it provides a new medical idea regarding the gut microbiota balance.

Complete digestion of edible bird's nest releases free N-acetylneuraminic acid and small peptides: an efficient method to improve functional properties

Edible bird's nest (EBN), an Asian health food, contains insoluble proteins and conjugated N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) that are difficult to be absorbed by humans. In order to increase the nutritional value of EBN, we developed methods to digest EBN targeting the release of proteins and NANA. By using simulated gastric fluid under acidic conditions, the complex proteins were fully digested into smaller peptides, and in parallel, NANA was fully released from the conjugated form. The completely digested EBN showed better nutraceutical properties. In a skin whitening test, the EBN digest showed stronger inhibition of melanogenesis of cultured B16 cells and enzymatic activity of tyrosinase, as compared to that of undigested EBN. In addition, the EBN digest exhibited stronger osteogenic activity in cultured osteoblasts. Thus, the complete digestion of EBN could be applied to the development of a new generation of EBN health food products, including EBN drinks and skincare products.

Systems biology approaches in the study of Chinese herbal formulae

Systems biology is an academic field that attempts to integrate different levels of information to understand how biological systems function. It is the study of the composition of all components of a biological system and their interactions under specific conditions. The core of systems biology is holistic and systematic research, which is different from the manner of thinking and research of all other branches of biology to date. Chinese herbal formulae (CHF) are the main form of Chinese medicine and are composed of single Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) with pharmacological and pharmacodynamic compatibility. When single CHMs are combined into CHF, the result is different from the original effect of a single drug and can be better adapted to more diseases with complex symptoms. CHF represent a complex system with multiple components, targets and effects. Therefore, the use of systems biology is conducive to revealing the complex characteristics of CHF. With the rapid development of omics technologies, systems biology has been widely and increasingly applied to the study of the basis of the pharmacological substances, action targets and mechanisms of CHF. To meet the challenges of multiomics synthesis-intensive studies and system dynamics research in CHF, this paper reviews the common techniques of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and metagenomics and their applications in research on CHF.

Calycosin alleviates cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis by inhibiting the inflammatory response and oxidative stress via the p38 MAPK and NF-κB signal pathways in mice

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common acute abdominal disease accompanied by systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and could even be complicated by multiple-organ damage. This study aimed to examine whether calycosin, an isoflavone isolated from Radix astragali with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, could protect against AP induced by cerulein. To this end, Balb/C mice were injected with cerulein (50 μg/kg) to establish the animal model of AP. Calycosin (25 and 50 mg/kg, p.o.) was administered 1 h prior to the first cerulein injection. After the last injection of cerulein, the mice were sacrificed and blood was obtained for cytokine analysis. The pancreas was removed for morphological examination, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) analyses, immunohistochemistry, and western blot analysis. Calycosin treatment reversed the increased serum levels of amylase and lipase, alleviated the pathological damage in the pancreas, and decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β in mice with AP. Additionally, calycosin significantly reduced cerulein-induced pancreatic edema, inhibited MPO activity and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and inhibited the expression of NF-κB/p65 and phosphorylation of the inhibitor of NF-κB (IκBα) and p38 MAPK. These results suggested that calycosin protects against AP by exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects via the p38 MAPK and NF-κB signal pathways. Calycosin's benefits for AP patients need to be explored further.