The American journal of Chinese medicine
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Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is characterized by myofibroblast activation, which can be triggered by oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the antifibrotic effect of the ethyl acetate extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza (EASM) on PF and examined the underlying molecular mechanism. EASM suppressed myofibroblast activation with reduced extracellular matrix deposition in the lungs of mice subjected to bleomycin (BLM) challenge, demonstrating the inhibitory effects on PF. ⋯ Additionally, EASM inhibited TGF- β 1/Smad3 signaling by downregulating protein kinase C delta (PKC- δ ) and Smad3 phosphorylation (p-Smad3), which led to suppression of the TGF- β 1-induced fibrogenic response. These results indicate that EASM exhibits potent antifibrotic activity in vitro and in vivo, which might be associated with activation of Nrf2 pathway and inhibition of TGF- β 1/Smad3 pathway. Our findings support that EASM may act as an effective antifibrotic remedy for PF.
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Sageretia thea (S. thea) commonly known as Chinese sweet plum or Chinese bird plum has been used for treating hepatitis and fevers in Korea and China. S. thea has been reported to exert anti-oxidant, anticancer and anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity. However, there is little study on the anti-inflammatory activity of S. thea. ⋯ ST-L and ST-B dramatically induced nuclear accumulation of Nrf2, but this was significantly reversed by the inhibition of p38 activation and ROS elimination. Collectively, our results suggest that ST-L and ST-B exerts potential anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing NF- κ B and MAPK signaling activation, and activating HO-1 expression through the nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 via ROS-dependent p38 activation. These findings suggest that ST-L and ST-B may have great potential for the development of anti-inflammatory drug to treat acute and chronic inflammatory disorders.
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Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) cause systemic inflammatory responses, which are characterized by high mortality and multiple signs, including metabolic disturbances, respiratory acidosis, hypotension, and vital organs disorder. Cytokines secretion and oxidative stress are the main features of the disease. Diagnosis and treatment of systemic inflammation (SI) remain a challenge. ⋯ In conclusion, RG reduced the rates of mortality and morbidity of treated rats - liver, kidney, and lung injuries were protected in the treated groups through the potentiation of anti-oxidant defense. RG was able to conserve mitochondrial function, inhibiting the activation of MAPK/p38 signaling and suppressing NF- κ B p65 cytoplasm-nucleus transport. Further studies are needed to examine the effects on chronic conditions in animal models and human.
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Pancreatic cancer cells overexpress the insulin receptor (IR) and the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1R). Activating these receptors, insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 increase the growth and glycolysis of pancreatic cancer cells. The high glycolysis in pancreatic cancer cells increases whole-body energy expenditure and is therefore involved in the pathogenesis of cancer cachexia. ⋯ When MiaPaCa2 cells were transplanted in athymic mice, their growth was inhibited by β -PGG or by a HIF-1 α inhibitor, rhein. β -PGG and rhein also decreased glycolytic enzymes in the tumor grafts and reduced liver gluconeogenesis, skeletal-muscle proteolysis and fat lipolysis in the tumor carriers. Cancer-induced body-weight loss, however, was prevented by β -PGG but not rhein. In conclusion, β -PGG combats pancreatic cancer cells and cures cancer cachexia.
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Adenostemma lavenia is a perennial herb belonging to the Compositae family and is widely distributed in the tropical parts of Asia. It has been widely used as medicine in Taiwan with the whole plant used to treat pulmonary congestion, pneumonia, bacterial infections of the respiratory tract, edema, and inflammation. This study sought to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of A. lavenia in vitro and in animal models. ⋯ EAAL prevented protein expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2); phosphorylation of I κ B- α , MAPKs, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK); and activated anti-oxidant enzymes (catalase, SOD, and GPx), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in LPS-stimulated cells and lung tissues. Fingerprinting of EAAL was performed with HPLC to control its quality, and p -coumaric acid was found to be a major constituent. This study suggests that EAAL is a potential therapeutic agent to treat inflammatory disorders.