The American journal of Chinese medicine
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Angiogenic Actions of Paeoniflorin on Endothelial Progenitor Cells and in Ischemic Stroke Rat Model.
Ischemic stroke is one of the major diseases with high morbidity, mortality, and disability rate all over the world. Chinese herb-derived active components would provide valuable candidate compounds for ischemic stroke therapy. Paeoniflorin (PF) is an active ingredient from Paeoniae Radix which possesses neurovascular effect after ischemia. ⋯ Furthermore, to investigate the angiogenic effects of PF in vivo, we constructed an ischemic stroke model in rats and found that PF could reduce cerebral infarction, alleviate pathological injury, and increase the secretion of pro-angiogenic factors and cerebral vascular density after intraperitonially administration of 40 mg ⋅ kg[Formula: see text] ⋅ day[Formula: see text] for 14 days. Up-regulating the expression of VEGF/VEGF-R2 might be the mechanism of PF's angiogenic action. In conclusion, the present study provides evidence that PF is an active monomer of Traditional Chinese Medicine which shows angiogenic actions on endothelial progenitor cells and in ischemic stroke rat model.
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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer death in the world, and metastatic CRC is a major cause of cancer death. Gallotannin (GT), a polyphenolic compound, has shown various biological effects such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antitumor effects. However, the effects of GT on metastatic CRC cells are not completely understood. ⋯ GT regulated PI3K/AKT/mTOR and AMPK signaling pathways, which are critical for the development and maintenance of cancer. Additionally, non-cytotoxic concentrations of GT can suppress migration and invasion of CRC cells by inhibiting the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by downregulating the expression of mesenchymal markers including snail, twist, and vimentin. In conclusion, GT prevented colorectal lung metastasis by reducing survival and inhibiting the metastatic phenotypes of CRC cells.
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Schisandrin B Attenuates Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer through SIRT1 Linked SMURF2 Signaling.
Colon cancer, a common type of malignant tumor, seriously endangers human health. However, due to the relatively slow progress in diagnosis and treatment, the clinical therapeutic technology of colon cancer has not been substantially improved in the past three decades. The present study was designed to investigate the effects and involved mechanisms of schisandrin B in cell growth and metastasis of colon cancer. ⋯ The regulation of SMURF2 was involved in the anticancer effects of schisandrin B in both in vitro and in vivo models. In conclusion, the present study revealed that schisandrin B suppressed SIRT1 protein expression, and SIRT1 is negatively correlated with the induction of SMURF2, which inhibited cell growth and metastasis of colon cancer. Schisandrin B could be a leading compound, which will contribute to finding novel potential agents and therapeutic targets for colon cancer.
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Chronic pain is one of the highest costs in clinical therapy, often appearing comorbid with depression. They present with overlapping clinical conditions and common pathological pathways especially in neuroinflammation, both of which can be reversed by electroacupuncture (EA). Transient receptor potential V1 receptor (TRPV1) is a Ca[Formula: see text] permeable ion channel that responds to brain inflammation and has a known role in the development of chronic pain and depression. ⋯ Inflammatory mediators induced by CFA injection were attenuated by EA and Trpv1 deletion. TRPV1 and downstream molecules were significantly decreased in the mPFC, hypothalamus, and PAG of mice, effects which were reversed by EA and Trpv1 knockout. We provide novel evidence that these inflammatory mediators modulate the TRPV1 signaling pathway and suggest new potential therapeutic targets for chronic pain and depression.
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Ginsenosides of orally administered red ginseng (RG) extracts are metabolized and absorbed into blood. Here, we examined the pharmacokinetic profiles of ginsenosides Rd and Rg3 in mice orally gavaged with RG, then investigated the correlations between these and gut microbiota composition. RG water extract (RGw), RG ethanol extract (RGe), or fermented RGe (fRGe) was orally gavaged in mice. ⋯ RGe and fRGe-treated mice showed higher plasma concentration levels of ginsenoside Rd compared with RGw-treated mice; particularly, ginsenoside Rd absorbed was substantially high in fRGe-treated mice. Oral administration of RG extracts modified the gut microbiota composition; the modified gut microbiota, such as Peptococcaceae, Rikenellaceae, and Hungateiclostridiaceae, were closely correlated with the absorption of ginsenosides, such as Rd and Rg3. These results suggest that oral administration of RG extracts can modify gut microbiome, which may consequently affect the bioavailability of RG ginsenosides.