The American journal of Chinese medicine
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The medicinal plant Rhodiola crenulata grows at high altitudes in the Arctic and mountainous regions and is commonly used in phytotherapy in Eastern European and Asian countries. In the present study, we investigated the anti-apoptotic effect of Rhodiola crenulata and its neuroprotective mechanism of action in a rat model of D-galactose-induced aging. Two groups of twelve-week-old male Wistar rats received a daily injection of D-galactose (150 mg/kg/day, i.p.) and orally administered Rhodiola crenulata (0, 248 mg/kg/day) for eight weeks, while a control group received a saline injection (1 ml/kg/day, i.p.). ⋯ In addition, D-galactose impaired the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt, an important survival signaling event in neurons. Rhodiola crenulata, however, protected against all these neurotoxicities in aging brains. The present study suggests that neuronal survival promoted by Rhodiola crenulata may be a potentially effective method to enhance the resistance of neurons to age-related disorders.
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Olea europaea is a beneficial edible plant with a number of biological activities like anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antithrombic, antihyperglycemic, and anti-ischemic activities. The mechanisms behind the antiphotoaging and anti-inflammatory effects of Olea europaea are not fully understood. To investigate how an ethanol extract of Olea europaea (Oe-EE) exerts these effects, we explored its activities in human keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts. ⋯ Oe-EE treatment decreased the mRNA expression level of MMPs, cyclooxygenase-2, IL-6, and TNF-[Formula: see text] and restored type I collagen, filaggrin, and sirtuin 1 expression in UVB-irradiated cells. Furthermore, Oe-EE inhibited the activities of several activator protein 1 regulatory enzymes, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and inhibited nuclear factor (NF)-[Formula: see text]B pathway signaling proteins. Therefore, our results indicate that Oe-EE has photoaging-protective and anti-inflammatory effects.
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Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) plays a main role in pancreatic [Formula: see text]-cell dysfunction and death because of intracellular Ca[Formula: see text] turbulence and inflammation activation. Although several drugs are targeting pancreatic [Formula: see text]-cell to improve [Formula: see text]-cell function, there still lacks agents to alleviate [Formula: see text]-cell ER stress conditions. Therefore we used thapsigargin (THAP) or high glucose (HG) to induce ER stress in [Formula: see text]-cell and aimed to screen natural molecules against ER stress-induced [Formula: see text]-cell dysfunction. ⋯ Conversely HNF4[Formula: see text] knockdown abolished the effect of luteolin on [Formula: see text]-cell using siRNA. These results suggested the protective effect of luteolin on [Formula: see text]-cell was through HNF4[Formula: see text]/Asnk4b pathway. In conclusion, our study discovered that luteolin improved [Formula: see text]-cell function and disclosed the underlying mechanism of luteolin on [Formula: see text]-cell, suggesting luteolin is a promising agent against pancreatic dysfunction.
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Oxidative stress (OS) is the common mechanism for age-related diseases. The co-occurrence of osteoporosis (OP) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in postmenopausal women makes it warranted to find a holistic approach for treatment of multiple diseases or conditions. The rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (CX), which has high anti-oxidant properties and is widely used for CVD treatment in China, might be the potential candidate. ⋯ CXE significantly improved bone properties as revealed by the increase in trabecular bone mineral density and decrease in trabecular separation at proximal metaphysis of the tibia (PT) in HFS-fed OVX rats but not in LFS-fed OVX rats. CXE ameliorated dyslipidemia, greatly reduced lipid deposition and malondialdehyde levels, improved activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in the livers of HFS-fed OVX rats. In conclusion, CXE could favor osteoblastogenesis against OS. The ability of CXE to reduce bone loss in HFS-fed OVX rats was associated with its abilities to correct dyslipidemia, and reduce lipid deposition and OS levels.
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Codonopsis lanceolata roots have been widely used in Korean cuisine and traditional medicine. This study aimed to investigate the antimetastatic effects of lancemaside A, a major triterpenoid saponin, isolated from the roots of C. lanceolata, in human ovarian cancer cells. Lancemaside A significantly suppressed the migration and invasion and the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-2 and -9 in ovarian cancer A2780 and SKOV3 cells. ⋯ However, treatment with anti-oxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) significantly negated the anti-invasive activity of lancemaside A. Additionally, lancemaside A activated p38 MAP kinase, which is mediated by ROS generation. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to reveal that lancemaside A isolated from the roots of C. lanceolata exerts antimetastatic activity through inhibition of MMP expression and cancer cell invasion via activation of the ROS-mediated p38 pathway.