The American journal of Chinese medicine
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Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) is a disease caused by prolonged exposure of the peritoneum to high levels of dialysis fluid. Astragalus total saponins (ATS) is a phytochemical naturally occurring in Radix Astragali that has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. In this study, we constructed an in vivo model of PF using 4.25% glucose-containing administered intraperitoneally to rats and incubated peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs) with 4.25% glucose-containing peritoneal dialysis fluid to construct an in vitro model of PF. ⋯ ATS treatment also reduced the expressions of peritoneal fibrosis markers (Smad2, p-Smad2 and [Formula: see text]-SMA) and apoptosis markers (Caspase3, cleaved-Caspase3 and Bax) and restored the expressions of mitochondrial synthesis proteins (PGC-1[Formula: see text], NRF1 and TFAM) in ATS-treated peritoneal tissues or PMCs. Furthermore, in the presence of PGC-1[Formula: see text] inhibition, the protective effect of ATS on PF was blocked. In conclusion, ATS treatment may be an effective therapeutic agent to inhibit high glucose-induced in peritoneal fibrosis through PGC-1[Formula: see text]-mediated apoptosis.
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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become a universal and chronic global public health concern and causes multiple complex complications. In order to meet the rapidly growing demand for T2DM treatment, increased research has been focused on hypoglycemic drugs. ⋯ Multiple in vitro and in vivo studies have also shown that the extracts of C. paliurus leaves are innocuous and safe. This study aims to provide an up-to-date review of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects against diabetes, toxicology, and clinical studies of C. paliurus leaves, in hopes of promoting a better understanding of their role in the prevention and treatment of T2DM.
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Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a serious public problem threatening global health. At present, although "cocktail therapy" has achieved significant clinical effects, HIV still cannot be completely eradicated. Furthermore, long-term antiviral treatment has caused problems such as toxic side effects, the emergence of drug-resistant viruses, and poor patient compliance. ⋯ Thus, finding lead compounds from natural products followed by structure optimization has become one of the important ways of modern drug discovery. Nowadays, many natural products have been found, such as berberine, gnidimacrin, betulone, and kuwanon-L, which exert effective anti-HIV activity through immune regulation, inhibition of related functional enzymes in HIV replication, and anti-oxidation. This paper reviewed these natural products, their related chemical structure optimization, and their anti-HIV mechanisms.
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While a number of coding genes have explained the anticancer activity of ginsenoside Rh2, little is known about noncoding RNAs. This study was performed to elucidate the regulatory activity of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) CFAP20DC-AS1, which is known to be downregulated by Rh2. MiR-3614-3p, which potentially binds CFAP20DC-AS1, was screened using the LncBase Predicted program, and the binding was verified by assaying the luciferase activity of a luciferase/lncRNA recombinant plasmid construct. ⋯ Target genes of miR-3614-3p, BBX and TNFAIP3, were downregulated by Rh2 and the miRNA but upregulated by the lncRNA. Rh2 inhibits CFAP20DC-AS1, which obscures the association of the lncRNA with miR-3614-3p, resulting in the suppression of oncogenic BBX and TNFAIP3. Taken together, the Rh2/CFAP20DC-AS1/miR-3614-3p/target gene axis contributes to the antiproliferation activity of Rh2 in cancer cells.
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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes joint deformity and disability. Deer velvet antler (DA), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to treat various types of arthritis for several thousands of years, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Herein, we investigated the anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory effects of DA in vitro and in vivo. ⋯ We also identified several potential components, such as hexadecanamide, oleamide, erucamide, and lysophosphatidylcholines, that might contribute to the anti-inflammatory effects of DA-EE-EA. In conclusion, DA-EE-EA has the potential to treat RA by regulating inflammatory responses. However, the individual components of DA-EE-EA and the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanisms need further investigation in future studies.