Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids from Melodinus axillaris W.T.Wang exhibit anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathways

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Melodinus axillaris W.T.Wang has been widely used as an important medicine in China. In the folk of China, its whole plant has been used for fractures, rheumatic heart disease, testitis, hernia, abdominal pain, and dyspepsia, etc. Despite its extensive use, there is a shortage of literature investigating the specific bioactive compounds and underlying mechanisms responsible for their anti-inflammatory effects. This knowledge gap serves as the primary impetus for conducting this study, which aims to shed light on the previously unexplored therapeutic potential of M. axillaris.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to investigate the material basis and potential mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity of M. axillaris.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Compounds were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of M. axillaris using a systematic phytochemical method. The structures were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, ECD calculation, and DP4+ analysis. The anti-inflammatory activities of ethanol extract and compounds from M. axillaris were tested by an inflammation model of LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells in vitro. Western blot analysis was employed to evaluate the expressions of COX-2, iNOS, and NF-κB signaling pathways, aiming to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

Eleven undescribed monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs), axillines A-K (1-11), along with thirteen known analogs were isolated from M. axillaris. Compound 1 was the first representative of vincadine alkaloid with unprecedented 6/5/9/6/6 skeletons. Compounds 1-11 and ethanol extract showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. Among them, compound 2 had the best activity of inhibiting NO release (IC50 = 3.7 ± 0.9 μM). Additionally, subsequent Western blot analysis revealed that 2 could significantly inhibit the up-regulation of NF-κB signaling pathways, iNOS, and COX-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, thereby demonstrating its anti-inflammatory activity.

CONCLUSION

This study provides support for the traditional use of M. axillaris in terms of its anti-inflammatory properties and highlights the potential of MIAs as promising candidates for further development as anti-inflammatory drugs.

Derivation and validation of a novel preoperative risk prediction model for surgical site infection in pancreaticoduodenectomy and comparison of preoperative antibiotics with different risk stratifications in retrospective cohort

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common postoperative complications of pancreaticoduodenectomy.

AIM

To develop a model for preoperative identification of the risk of SSI that may improve outcomes and guide preoperative antibiotics.

METHODS

The prediction model was built by meta-analysis. After literature search and inclusion, data extraction, and quantitative synthesis, the prediction model was established based on the pooled odds ratio of predictors. A single-centre retrospective cohort was the validation cohort. Receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curve were used to assess the model's ability. We also created a decision curve and a calibration plot to assess the nomogram. The effects of prophylactic antibiotics on SSI were compared between groups by multivariable logistic regression with different risk stratifications.

FINDINGS

Twenty-eight studies were included in the meta-analysis, 17 studies in the derivation cohort. Age, male gender, body mass index, pancreatic duct diameter, high-risk diagnosis, and preoperative biliary drainage were selected to build the prediction model. The model was validated in an external cohort. The cut-off value was 3.5 and area under the curve (AUC) was 0.76 in open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD). In laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy, the cut-off value was 4.5 and AUC was 0.69. Decision curve and calibration plot showed good usability of the model, especially in OPD. Multivariable logistic regression did not indicate differences between broad- and narrow-spectrum antibiotics for SSI in different risk stratifications.

CONCLUSION

The model can identify patients with a high risk of SSI preoperatively. The choice of prophylactic antibiotics under different risk stratifications should be investigated further.

Clinopodium chinense Kuntze ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis in mice by reducing systematic inflammation and regulating metabolism

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Clinopodium chinense Kuntze (CC), traditional Chinese medicine with anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, and hemostatic activities, has been used to treat dysentery and bleeding diseases for thousands of years, which are similar to the symptoms of ulcerative colitis (UC).

AIM OF THE STUDY

To obtain a novel treatment for UC, an integrated strategy was developed in this study to investigate the effect and mechanism of CC against UC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The chemical characterization of CC was scanned by UPLC-MS/MS. Network pharmacology analysis was performed to predict the active ingredients and pharmacological mechanisms of CC against UC. Further, the results of network pharmacology were validated using LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells and DSS-induced UC mice. The production of pro-inflammatory mediators and biochemical parameters was tested using the ELISA kits. The expression of NF-κB, COX-2, and iNOS proteins was evaluated using Western blot analysis. Body weight, disease activity index, colon length, histopathological examination, and metabolomics analysis in colon tissues were carried out to confirm the effect and mechanism of CC.

RESULTS

Based on the chemical characterization and literature collection, a rich database of ingredients in CC was constructed. Network pharmacology analysis provided five core components as well as revealed that the mechanism of CC against UC was highly related to inflammation, especially the NF-κB signaling pathway. In vitro experiments showed CC could inhibit inflammation by LPS-TLR4-NF-κB-iNOS/COX-2 signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells. Meanwhile, in vivo experimental results proved that CC significantly alleviated pathological features with increased body weight and colonic length, decreased DAI and oxidative damage, as well as mediated inflammatory factors like NO, PGE2, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-ɑ. In addition, colon metabolomics analysis revealed CC could restore the abnormal endogenous metabolite levels in UC. 18 screened biomarkers were further enriched in four pathways including Arachidonic acid metabolism, Histidine metabolism, Alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism as well as the Pentose phosphate pathway.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that CC could alleviate UC by reducing systematic inflammation and regulating metabolism, which is beneficial for providing scientific data for the development of UC treatment.

Hepatoprotective Effect Associated with Alkaloids from Corydalis tomentella Franch. based on Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking and in Vitro Experiment

Liver is an important metabolic organ with numerous functions in human body. Hepatitis is defined as the inflammation of the liver tissue, which could lead to acute liver failure, liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Corydalis tomentella Franch., a precious herb in China, is often used in the treatment of hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. In this study, 41 isoquinoline alkaloids and derivatives isolated by our lab from C. tomentella and 61 related targets were analyzed by network pharmacology. Their activities were further verified by cell assay evaluated for antitumor activity against HepG2 cells and molecular docking. The results confirmed that the alkaloids from C.tomentella had extensive hepatoprotective effects, and TNF-α was the key target of hendersinate B methyl ester against acute liver damage by viral hepatitis and HCC, which provided a foundation for further in vivo studies.

Isoquinoline alkaloids from the Corydalis tomentella with potential anti-hepatoma and antibacterial activities

Six undescribed isoquinolines, including one rarely reported N-benzyl isoquinoline together with sixteen known ones were isolated from C. tomentella. Their planar structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive analyses of UV, IR, NMR, HRESIMS, DP4+ probability analysis as well as ECD calculations. Biological evaluations revealed that 3,4-2H-tomentelline C (6) showed significant cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ = 7.42 μM) against the HepG2 cell line while (1'R, 2'S)-coptichine B (3) exhibited stronger antibacterial activities.

[Clinical study of S-1 single agent adjuvant chemotherapy in the radical resection of extrahepatic biliary carcinoma]

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of S-1 single agent adjuvant chemotherapy for the patients undergoing radical resection of extrahepatic biliary carcinoma. Methods: The clinical data of 108 patients with extrahepatic biliary carcinoma receiving radical resection who were admitted from January 2014 to June 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 62 males(57.4%)and 46 females(42.6%),with a median age of 59 years (range:26 to 79 years),10 cases(9.3%) in stage Ⅱ,85 cases(78.7%) in stage Ⅲ, and 13 cases (12.0%) in stage Ⅳ, 40 cases(37.0%) of hilar cholangiocarcinoma, 8 cases(7.4%) of middle cholangiocarcinoma, 25 cases (23.2%) of distal cholangiocarcinoma, 35 cases(32.4%) of gallbladder carcinoma.After radical resection of extrahepatic biliary carcinoma, 49 patients receiving S-1 single agent chemotherapy and 59 patients receiving non-special treatment were divided into the chemotherapy group and the operation group,respectively. All the dates of the patients were followed up and collected with the overall survival time,tumor-free survival time,1,2 and 3-year survival rate after operation,and the rate of major toxic reaction during chemotherapy of the chemotherapy group. Survival curve was drawn by the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival analysis was done using the Log-rank test. Results: There were no significant differences in the general date of two groups(sex, age, tumor size, tumor site, TNM stages, degree of differentiation). The median overall survival time and the median tumor-free survival time in the chemotherapy group were 27 months and 21 months,respectively,and in the operation group were 21 months and 17 months,respectively. There were differences between the two groups in the overall survival rates(χ(2)=3.967,P<0.05) and the 2 and 3-year survival rate(63.3%,36.6%;41.6%,20.4%;χ(2)=4.510,P<0.05;χ(2)=6.143,P<0.05),but the 1-year overall survival rate (83.4%,79.7%)was not statistically significant(χ(2)=0.286,P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the tumor-free survival time,1,2 and 3-year tumor-free survival rate(77.6%,41.4%,33.1%;62.7%,30.9%,21.2%)between the two groups(χ(2)=0.876,P>0.05;χ(2)=0.252,P>0.05;χ(2)=1.571,P>0.05;χ(2)=3.323,P>0.05,respectively). The main toxic reaction during chemotherapy were dyspepsia(28.6%, 14/49), anemia(26.5%, 13/49), and leukopenia(22.5%, 11/49), all of which were mild. Conclusion: S-1 single agent chemotherapy after radical reseetion of extrahepatic biliary carcinoma could effectly improve the survival of patients and all of the main toxic reaction during chemotherapy were mild.

Acoustic directional source based on Penrose quasi-crystal arrangements of metallic rods embedded in a fluid

The directional emission properties of a circular device formed of a small number of metallic rods placed at the nodes of Penrose's tiling are investigated. At the center of the device a non-directional primary source emits monochromatic acoustic waves. In a wide frequency range, the beams come out of the device along preferential directions related to the symmetry of order 5 of the tiling and the non-periodicity in the radial direction. There are some frequencies for which the waves are completely trapped by the device. The shape, the distribution and the intensity of the emitted beams outside are closely dependent on the frequency. A comparison between numerical results and experiments is presented.

Effects of periodicity perturbations on the transmission by underwater phononic crystals

The effects of periodicity perturbations in underwater phononic crystal layers composed of noninterpenetrating rows of identical shells are investigated. The results for one row are obtained by using a multiple scattering method between shells. Then, taking into account the multiple reflections and transmissions between two adjacent rows, a Debye series method is used to calculate the reflection and transmission coefficients by a finite number of rows. The paper focuses on three kinds of perturbations: (i) variation of the inner radius of shells from row to row, (ii) increase in the spacing from row to row and of the number of rows, and (iii) substitution of simple steel rows by steel-polyethylene bilayers. It is shown by studying the transmission coefficient that the case (i) permits the insertion of narrow pass bands in the stop band while the two other cases (ii) and (iii) widen the stop band. The study intends to model simple underwater acoustic filters.

3,4-Alkylenedioxypyrroles: functionalized derivatives as monomers for new electron-rich conducting and electroactive polymers

New functionalized derivatives of 3,4-ethylenedioxypyrrole (EDOP, 5a) and 3,4-(1,3-propylenedioxy)pyrrole (ProDOP, 5b) as especially electron-rich monomers which yield highly electroactive and stable conducting polymers useful for a diverse set of applications have been synthesized. N-Alkylations of ProDOP were carried out to yield a variety of ProDOP derivatives having alkyl, sulfonatoalkoxy, glyme, and glyme alcohol pendant chains. Iodization of EDOP and ProDOP via iodo-decarboxylation afforded iodo-functionalized derivatives useful for subsequent aryl coupling chemistry. N-Protection and formylation of EDOP, followed by Knoevenagel condensation of the resultant 2-formyl-EDOP with aryl acetonitrile derivatives, led to 1-cyano-2-(2-(3,4-ethylenedioxypyrryl))-1-(2-thienyl)vinylene (23) (Th-CNV-EDOP) and 1-cyano-2-(2-(3,4-ethylenedioxypyrryl))-1-(2-(3,4-ethylenedioxythienyl)vinylene (26) (EDOT-CNV-EDOP). A 14-crown-4-ether 34 based dioxypyrrole was synthesized with a cavity potentially useful for lithium ion coordination and sensing in the resultant electroactive polymer. C-Alkylated ProDOPs (43a, 43b, and 43c) containing octyl, ethylhexyl, and dioctyl substituents appended to the central methylene of the propylene bridge, were prepared as monomers for potentially soluble pi-conjugated polymers.