scholarly journals Isoliquiritigenin Inhibits Atherosclerosis by Blocking TRPC5 Channel Expression

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Qi ◽  
Jianguo Cui ◽  
Baobin Mi ◽  
Xiaohong Yan ◽  
Wenwen Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Herb ◽  
Atherosclerotic Lesion ◽  
Ang Ii ◽  
Knockout Mouse Model ◽  
Pharmacological Mechanism ◽  
Traditional Chinese Herb ◽  
Channel Expression ◽  
Dose Dependent Fashion ◽  
Apoe Knockout Mouse

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is a flavonoid isolated mainly from the licorice plant, a traditional Chinese herb. ISL has shown anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities. However, the pharmaceutical effects of ISL on atherosclerosis are seldom explored. In this study, we used apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knockout mouse model and angiotensin II- (Ang II-) stimulated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to elucidate the pharmacological mechanism of ISL to inhibit atherosclerosis. We found that in ApoE−/− mice ISL could attenuate atherosclerotic lesion, reduce serum lipid levels, and inhibit TRPC5 expression. In vitro, ISL inhibited Ang II-stimulated proliferation of VSMCs and suppressed Ang II-induced TRPC5 and PCNA expressions in a dose-dependent fashion. In conclusion, our findings provide novel insight into the pharmacological effects of ISL on atherosclerosis and suggest that ISL is beneficial for cardiovascular protection.

scholarly journals A Microbial Transformation Model for Simulating Mammal Metabolism of Artemisinin

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Ma ◽  
Peng Sun ◽  
Yifan Zhao ◽  
Kun Wang ◽  
Xiaoqiang Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Herb ◽  
Microbial Transformation ◽  
Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography ◽  
The Body ◽  
Transformation Model ◽  
Cunninghamella Elegans ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Traditional Chinese Herb

Artemisinin (ART) is a highly effective antimalarial agent isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Qinghao. Metabolism of ART and its derivatives in the body is one of the most pressing issues for pharmaceutical scientists. Herein, an efficient in vitro microorganism model for simulation of metabolism of ART in vivo was developed employing Cunninghamella elegans. Metabolites in the microbial transformation system and plasma of mice pre-administrated ART orally were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF)-mass spectrometry (MSE) combined with UNIFI software. Thirty-two metabolites were identified in vitro and 23 were identified in vivo. After comparison, 16 products were found to be common to both models including monohydroxylated ART, dihydroxylated ART, deoxyartemisinin, hydroxylated deoxyartemisinin, hydroxylated dihydroartemisinin (DHA), and hydroxylated deoxy-DHA. These results revealed that C. elegans CICC 40250 functioned as an appropriate model to mimic ART metabolism in vivo. Moreover, an overall description of metabolites of ART from C. elegans CICC 40250 has been provided. Notably, DHA was detected and identified as a metabolite of ART in mouse plasma for the first time.

FRP inhibits ox-LDL-induced endothelial cell apoptosis through an Akt-NF-κB-Bcl-2 pathway and inhibits endothelial cell apoptosis in an apoE-knockout mouse model

2010 ◽  
Vol 299 (3) ◽  
pp. E351-E363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu Liu ◽  
Hua Shen ◽  
Ming Xu ◽  
Ou Liu ◽  
Limin Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Cell Apoptosis ◽  
Umbilical Vein ◽  
Low Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Endothelial Damage ◽  
Endothelial Cell Apoptosis ◽  
Knockout Mouse Model ◽  
Apoe Knockout Mouse

Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of cardiovascular diseases in the world. Although the development of atherosclerosis appears to be the result of multiple maladaptive pathways, a particularly important factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), which contributes to endothelial damage. Data from our laboratory and others show that follistatin-related protein (FRP), which is expressed in the vasculature, has cardioprotective effects, suggesting that loss of FRP protection might play a role in the development of atherosclerosis. In the present study, we determined whether FRP overexpression protects against endothelial cell (EC) damage, an intermediate end point for atherosclerosis. We bred apoE-knockout (apoE−/−) mice that were FRP+ transgenic (they overexpressed FRP). We compared them with control mice (their littermates). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were isolated and treated with ox-LDL and recombinant FRP. FRP-induced signal transduction and Bcl-2 mRNA and protein stability were analyzed. After 16 wk, apoE−/− FRP+ mice had significantly fewer apoptotic ECs than controls. In vitro experiments showed that the effect of FRP on EC apoptosis was mediated by upregulation of expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. In HUVECs, FRP upregulated Bcl-2 transcription via a PI3K-Akt-NF-κB pathway. We conclude that FRP overexpression maintains EC viability by preventing apoptosis via Bcl-2 upregulation. FRP may be a novel therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of vascular EC injury and of atherosclerosis.

scholarly journals Acanthopanax henryi: Review of Botany, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 2215
Author(s):  
Xiao-Jun Li ◽  
Si-Qi Tang ◽  
Hao Huang ◽  
Jiao Luo ◽  
Xiao-Dan Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Circulation ◽  
Chinese Herb ◽  
Quinic Acid ◽  
Chemical Compositions ◽  
Active Components ◽  
Triterpenoid Saponins ◽  
Traditional Chinese Herb ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Pharmacological Studies

Acanthopanax henryi (Oliv.) Harms (Araliaceae), also known as Eleutherococcus henryi and Caoyewujia (Hengliwujia) in Chinese, is a widely used traditional Chinese herb with the effects of expelling wind and removing dampness, relaxing the muscles and stimulating the blood circulation, and regulating the flow of qi to alleviate pain in the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acanthopanax henryi (AH, thereafter) possesses ginseng-like activities and is known as ginseng-like herb. In the past decade, a great number of phytochemical and pharmacological studies on AH have been carried out. Several kinds of chemical compositions have been reported, including terpenoids (monoterpenoids, diterpenoids, and triterpenoid saponins), phenylpropanoids, caffeoyl quinic acid derivatives, flavonoids, lignans, sterols, fatty acids, etc., among which, triterpenoid saponins were considered to be the most active components. Considerable pharmacological experiments in vitro have demonstrated that AH possessed anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-adipogenic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-cancer, anti-oxidation, anti-AChE, anti-BuChE, and antihyaluronidase activities. The present review is an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the botany, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of AH.

scholarly journals Preparation and Antibacterial Activity of Thermo-Responsive Nanohydrogels from Qiai Essential Oil and Pluronic F108

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (19) ◽  
pp. 5771
Author(s):  
Jianfeng Zhan ◽  
Feng He ◽  
Shuxian Chen ◽  
Abishek Jung Poudel ◽  
Ying Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Activity ◽  
Chinese Herb ◽  
Aqueous Solubility ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Pluronic F108 ◽  
Artemisia Argyi ◽  
Traditional Chinese Herb ◽  
High Volatility ◽  
Good Potential

Essential oils (EOs) have been used in cosmetics and food due to their antimicrobial and antiviral effects. However, the applications of EOs are compromised because of their poor aqueous solubility and high volatility. Qiai (Artemisia argyi Levl. et Van. var. argyi cv. Qiai) is a traditional Chinese herb and possesses strong antibacterial activity. Herein, we report an innovative formulation of EO as nanohydrogels, which were prepared through co-assembly of Qiai EO (QEO) and Pluronic F108 (PEG-b-PPG-b-PEG, or PF108) in aqueous solution. QEO was efficiently loaded in the PF108 micelles and formed nanohydrogels by heating the QEO/PF108 mixture solution to 37 °C, by the innate thermo-responsive property of PF108. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of QEO reached 80.2% and 6.8%, respectively. QEO nanohydrogels were more stable than the free QEO with respect to volatilization. Sustained QEO release was achieved at body temperature using the QEO nanohydrogels, with the cumulative release rate reaching 95% in 35 h. In vitro antibacterial test indicated that the QEO nanohydrogels showed stronger antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli than the free QEO due to the enhanced stability and sustained-release characteristics. It has been attested that thermo-responsive QEO nanohydrogels have good potential as antibacterial cosmetics.

scholarly journals In VivoandIn VitroMetabolites from the Main Diester and Monoester Diterpenoid Alkaloids in a Traditional Chinese Herb, theAconitumSpecies

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Zhang ◽  
Chong-sheng Peng ◽  
Xiao-bo Li
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Herb ◽  
Intestinal Bacteria ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cytochrome P450 Enzymes ◽  
Diterpenoid Alkaloids ◽  
Traditional Chinese Herb ◽  
Pharmacologically Active ◽  
Pharmacologically Active Compounds

Diester diterpenoid alkaloids (DDAs), such as aconitine (AC), mesaconitine (MA), and hypaconitine (HA), are both pharmacologically active compounds and toxic ingredients in a traditional Chinese herb, theAconitumspecies. Many DDA metabolism studies have been performed to explore mechanisms for reducing toxicity in these compounds and inAconitumspecies extracts for safe clinical administration. In this review, we summarize recent progress on the metabolism of toxic AC, MA, and HA and corresponding monoester diterpenoid alkaloids (MDAs) in the gastrointestinal tract and liver in different animal species and humansin vivoand/orin vitro, where these alkaloids are primarily metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes, carboxylesterases, and intestinal bacteria, which produces phase I metabolites, ester hydrolysed products, and lipoalkaloids. Furthermore, we classify metabolites detected in the blood and urine, where the aforementioned metabolites are absorbed and excreted. Less toxic MDAs and nontoxic alcohol amines are the primary DDA metabolites detected in the blood. Most other DDAs metabolites produced in the intestine and liver detected in the urine have not been reported in the blood. We propose an explanation for this nonconformity. Finally, taking AC, for instance, we generalize a process of toxicity reduction in the body after oral AC administration for the first time.

Soluble Thrombomodulin Purified from Human Urine Exhibits a Potent Anticoagulant Effect In Vitro and In Vivo

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (05) ◽  
pp. 805-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuo Takahashi ◽  
Yoshitaka Hosaka ◽  
Hiromi Niina ◽  
Katsuaki Nagasawa ◽  
Masaaki Naotsuka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Urine ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Anticoagulant Activity ◽  
Rabbit Lung ◽  
Soluble Thrombomodulin ◽  
Molecular Weights ◽  
Dose Dependent Fashion ◽  
Dose Dependent

SummaryWe examined the anticoagulant activity of two major molecules of soluble thrombomodulin purified from human urine. The apparent molecular weights of these urinary thrombomodulins (UTMs) were 72,000 and 79,000, respectively. Both UTMs showed more potent cofactor activity for protein C activation [specific activity >5,000 thrombomodulin units (TMU)/mg] than human placental thrombomodulin (2,180 TMU/mg) and rabbit lung thrombomodulin (1,980 TMU/mg). The UTMs prolonged thrombin-induced fibrinogen clotting time (>1 TMU/ml), APTT (>5 TMU/ml), TT (>5 TMU/ml) and PT (>40 TMU/ml) in a dose-dependent fashion. These effects appeared in the concentration range of soluble thrombomodulins present in human plasma and urine. In the rat DIC model induced by thromboplastin, administration of UTMs by infusion (300-3,000 TMU/kg) restored the hematological abnormalities derived from DIC in a dose-dependent fashion. These results demonstrate that UTMs exhibit potent anticoagulant and antithrombotic activities, and could play a physiologically important role in microcirculation.

scholarly journals Substrate Stiffness and Stretch Regulate Profibrotic Mechanosignaling in Pulmonary Arterial Adventitial Fibroblasts

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1000
Author(s):  
Ariel Wang ◽  
Shulin Cao ◽  
Jennifer C. Stowe ◽  
Daniela Valdez-Jasso
Keyword(s):  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Substrate Stiffness ◽  
Messenger Rnas ◽  
Ang Ii ◽  
Integrin Β3 ◽  
Custom Made ◽  
Adventitial Fibroblasts ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial ◽  
Six Genes

Pulmonary arterial adventitial fibroblasts (PAAFs) are important regulators of fibrotic vascular remodeling during the progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a disease that currently has no effective anti-fibrotic treatments. We conducted in-vitro experiments in PAAFs cultured on hydrogels attached to custom-made equibiaxial stretchers at 10% stretch and substrate stiffnesses representing the mechanical conditions of mild and severe stages of PAH. The expression of collagens α(1)I and α(1)III and elastin messenger RNAs (Col1a1, Col3a1, Eln) were upregulated by increased stretch and substrate stiffness, while lysyl oxidase-like 1 and α-smooth muscle actin messenger RNAs (Loxl1, Acta2) were only significantly upregulated when the cells were grown on matrices with an elevated stiffness representative of mild PAH but not on a stiffness representative of severe PAH. Fibronectin messenger RNA (Fn1) levels were significantly induced by increased substrate stiffness and transiently upregulated by stretch at 4 h, but was not significantly altered by stretch at 24 h. We modified our published computational network model of the signaling pathways that regulate profibrotic gene expression in PAAFs to allow for differential regulation of mechanically-sensitive nodes by stretch and stiffness. When the model was modified so that stiffness activated integrin β3, the Macrophage Stimulating 1 or 2 (MST1\2) kinases, angiotensin II (Ang II), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and syndecan-4, and stretch-regulated integrin β3, MST1\2, Ang II, and the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel, the model correctly predicted the upregulation of all six genes by increased stiffness and the observed responses to stretch in five out of six genes, although it could not replicate the non-monotonic effects of stiffness on Loxl1 and Acta2 expression. Blocking Ang II Receptor Type 1 (AT1R) with losartan in-vitro uncovered an interaction between the effects of stretch and stiffness and angiotensin-independent activation of Fn1 expression by stretch in PAAFs grown on 3-kPa matrices. This novel combination of in-vitro and in-silico models of PAAF profibrotic cell signaling in response to altered mechanical conditions may help identify regulators of vascular adventitial remodeling due to changes in stretch and matrix stiffness that occur during the progression of PAH in-vivo.

scholarly journals Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of traditional Chinese herb, Solanum japonense Nakai. (Solanaceae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-213
Author(s):  
Xiaoxia Zhang ◽  
Xiaofeng Zhang ◽  
Huan Wang ◽  
Shilong Chen ◽  
Tingfeng Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chloroplast Genome ◽  
Chinese Herb ◽  
Complete Chloroplast Genome ◽  
Traditional Chinese Herb

scholarly journals The complete chloroplast genome of Isodon rubescens, a traditional Chinese herb

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-338
Author(s):  
Zhiyong Yue ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Baozhen Zhou ◽  
Hanping Wang
Keyword(s):  
Chloroplast Genome ◽  
Chinese Herb ◽  
Complete Chloroplast Genome ◽  
Traditional Chinese Herb

scholarly journals Traditional Chinese Herb Combined with Surgery versus Surgery for Varicocele Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong-liang Dun ◽  
Min Yao ◽  
Long Yang ◽  
Xue-jun Cui ◽  
Jian-min Mao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Chinese Herb ◽  
Chinese Herbs ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Dichotomous Data ◽  
Surgery Group ◽  
Traditional Chinese Herb ◽  
The Cochrane Library

Objective. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to assess the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese herb combined with surgery for male varicocele infertility compared to surgery.Methods. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) data of traditional Chinese herbs combined with surgery for male varicocele fertility versus surgery were collected by searching the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, and Chinese databases. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane Handbook. Study outcomes were presented as risk ratios (RRs) for dichotomous data.Results. Seventeen of 72 potentially relevant trials met the inclusion criteria. The methodological qualities of the RCTs were low. Compared with the surgery group, the traditional Chinese herb combined with surgery group had superiority in pregnancy rate at 3-month (RR=1.76, andP=0.008), 6-month (RR=1.58, andP=0.0005), and 2-year (RR=1.58, andP=0.0005) follow-ups. No RCT was found to describe the side effects.Conclusion. On considering the low methodological quality of RCTs, there was no enough evidence on traditional Chinese herb with surgery for male varicocele infertility, and more high-quality RCTs of large sample sizes are required.

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