Preventive Effect of Anemarrhenae rhizome and Phellodendri cortex on Danazol-Induced in Precocious Puberty in Female Rats and Network Pharmacological Analysis of Active Compounds

Anemarrhenae rhizome and Phellodendri cortex have historically been used for the treatment of precocious puberty (PP) in oriental medicine. Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of APE, a mixture of the extracts from these herbs, against danazol-induced PP in female rats. The offspring were injected danazol to establish the PP model, and then treated with APE daily, and observed for vaginal opening. At the end of the study, the levels of gonadotropic hormones, such as estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone, were determined by ELISA. Moreover, the mRNA expression of GnRH, netrin-1, and UNC5C in hypothalamic tissues was determined by real-time PCR. Network pharmacological analysis was performed to predict the active compounds of APE and their potential actions. APE treatment delayed vaginal opening in rats with PP. In addition, APE treatment reduced LH levels and suppressed UNC5C expression. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that the targets of APE were significantly associated with GnRH signaling and ovarian steroidogenesis pathways. In conclusion, APE may be used as a therapeutic remedy to inhibit the activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis.

The Immunomodulatory Effects of Phellodendri Cortex Polysaccharides on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression in Mice

Cyclophosphamide is a commonly used anticancer drug, and immunosuppression is one of the most common side effects. How to recover the immunological function is important for cyclophosphamide-treated patients. In the present study, Phellodendri Cortex polysaccharides (CPP) could enhance the proliferation of mouse spleen lymphocytes in vitro. The immunoregulatory function of CPP was then investigated in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice. In CPP-treated groups, mice were orally treated with CPP at doses of 1, 0.5, and 0.25 g/kg bodyweight from 1 to 11 d, respectively. The cyclophosphamide was administrated in CPP and cyclophosphamide groups from 12 to 14 d. In the cyclophosphamide and normal control groups, the mice received equal volume of saline from 1 to 14 d. The results showed that CPP (1 g/kg) could significantly increase the bodyweight of mice, even during cyclophosphamide treatment. The organ coefficients of the spleen and thymus were recovered by CPP treatment. CPP upregulated the contents of cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) in serum, which were downregulated by cyclophosphamide. The mRNA levels of these cytokines were also elevated by CPP treatment in the spleen. Cyclophosphamide upregulated the expressions of NF-κB p65, TLR4, and MyD88, suggesting that the NF-κB signaling pathway was activated by cyclophosphamide. After CPP treatment, it was recovered to normal level. These results indicated that CPP alleviated the cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression.

Phellodendri Cortex: A Phytochemical, Pharmacological, and Pharmacokinetic Review

Background. Phellodendri Cortex (PC) or Huang Bai. According to the scientific database of China Plant Species and Chinese pharmacopeia 2015 edition, PC has two main species which are Phellodendron amurense Rupr (PAR) or “Guan Huang bai” in Chinese and Phellodendron chinense Schneid (PCS) or “Chuan Huang bai” in Chinese. The crude drugs of PAR and PCS are also called Phellodendri amurensis cortex (PAC) and Phellodendri chinense cortex (PCC), respectively. The medicinal part of the plant is the dried trunk bark. PC has comprehensive therapeutic effects which include anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, hypotensive, antiarrhythmic, antioxidant, and antipyretic agents. The exact ingredients in PC and its species are not fully summarised. Aim of the Study. This study was designed to review and evaluate the pharmacological actions of compounds and to explore the pharmacokinetic knowledge of PC and its species and to also identify the chemical compound(s) with a potential therapeutic effect on atopic dermatitis. Methods. “Huang Bai” and its English, botanical, and pharmaceutical names were used as keywords to perform database search in Encyclopaedia of traditional Chinese Medicines, PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and China Network Knowledge Infrastructure. The data selection criteria included all the studies that were related to the phytochemical, pharmacological, and pharmacokinetic perspectives of PC and its species or their active constituents. More importantly, the voucher number has been provided to ensure the genuine bark of PC used as the medicinal part in the studies. Results. 140 compounds were summarized from PC and its species: specifically, 18 compounds from PCC, 44 compounds from PCS, 34 compounds from PAC, and 84 compounds from PAR. Obacunone and obaculactone are probably responsible for antiatopic dermatitis effect. PC and its species possess a broad spectrum of pharmacological actions including anti-inflammatory effect, antibacterial effect, antiviral effect, antitumor effect, antigout effect, antiulcer effect, neuroprotective effect, and antiatopic dermatitis effect. PC could widely distribute in plasma, liver, spleen, kidney, and brain. Berberine may be responsible for the toxic effect on the susceptible users with hemolytic disease or in the peripartum and neonatal period. Conclusions. The compounds of the crude bark of PC and its subspecies have showcased a wide range of pharmacological effects. Pharmacological efficacies of PC are supported by its diverse class of alkaloid, limonoid, phenolic acid, quinic acid, lignan, and flavonoid. Obacunone and obaculactone could be the bioactive compounds for atopic dermatitis management. PC and its subspecies are generally safe to use but extra care is required for certain conditions and group of people.