Formononetin Alleviates Ischemic Acute Kidney Injury by Regulating Macrophage Polarization through KLF6/STAT3 Pathway.

Recent research has indicated that formononetin demonstrates a potent anti-inflammatory effect in various diseases. However, its impact on sterile inflammation kidney injury, specifically acute kidney injury (AKI), remains unclear. In this study, we utilized an ischemia/reperfusion-induced AKI (IRI-AKI) mouse model and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) to investigate the effects of formononetin on sterile inflammation of AKI and to explore the underlying mechanism. The administration of formononetin significantly preserved kidney function from injury, as evidenced by lower serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels compared to IRI-AKI mice without treatment. This was further confirmed by less pathological changes in renal tubules and low expression of tubular injury markers such as KIM-1 and NGAL in the formononetin-treated IRI-AKI group. Furthermore, formononetin effectively suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (MCP-1, TNF-[Formula: see text], and IL-1[Formula: see text]) and macrophage infiltration into the kidneys of AKI mice. In vitro studies showed that formononetin led to less macrophage polarization towards a pro-inflammatory phenotype in BMDMs stimulated by LPS and IFN-[Formula: see text]. The mechanism involved the KLF6 and p-STAT3 pathway, as overexpression of KLF6 restored pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and pro-inflammatory polarization. Our findings demonstrate that formononetin can significantly improve renal function and reduce inflammation in IRI-AKI, which may be attributed to the inhibition of KLF6/STAT3-mediated macrophage pro-inflammatory polarization. This discovery presents a new promising therapeutic option for the treatment of IRI-AKI.

Prolonging effects of Valeriana fauriei root extract on pentobarbital-induced sleep in caffeine-induced insomnia model mice and the pharmacokinetics of its active ingredients under conditions of glycerol fatty acid ester as emulsifiers.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Valeriana plant roots have traditionally been used to treat central nervous system-related disorders in European countries. Among this genus, the Japanese Pharmacopoeia registers the dried roots of V. fauriei Briq. (VF). However, insufficient pharmacological data are available for this species. AIM OF THE STUDY: We investigated the sedative effects of VF extract in a murine caffeine-induced insomnia model as well as the active ingredients and their pharmacokinetics to determine its basic pharmacological action mechanisms under conditions glycerol fatty acid ester is used as emulsifiers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A murine insomnia model was created by caffeine. Samples derived from the ethanol extract of VF were administered per oral (p.o.), and caffeine was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.). Pentobarbital was injected i.p. and the sleep latency and duration were measured. To confirm the mechanism of action of VF, flumazenil, a specific γ-aminobutyric acid receptor type A (GABAA receptor) antagonist, was administered (i.p.) immediately prior to the sample administration. We examined the pharmacokinetic profiles of the active ingredients in the plasma, brain, urine, and feces of mice after the administration (p.o and intravenous (i.v.)) of VF samples. RESULTS: VF extract (5 g as VF/kg, p.o.) significantly shorten sleep latency and prolonged pentobarbital-induced sleep in caffeine-induced insomnia mice, partially mediated via the GABAergic nervous system, although a higher dose (10 g as VF/kg, p.o.) was required to exhibit the significant effects in normal mice. Kessyl glycol diacetate (KGD), the main constitutive compound in VF, did not shorten sleep latency but exhibited the same sleep prolonged effect at a dose related to VF extract. The concentration of kessyl glycol 8-acetate (KG8) in the plasma was higher than that of KGD in mice treated (p.o.) with VF extract. The profiles of brain concentrations of KGD and KG8 were similar to those in the plasma, and approximately 20% of those in the plasma were distributed throughout the brain. The excretions of KGD and KG8 in urine and feces was slightly detected, and an unknown large peak related to KG8 was detected in the urine of mice administered with VF extract by HPLC-MS/MS analysis. CONCLUSIONS: VF exhibits more sedative effects under stressed conditions, such as insomnia, and the major active ingredients are KGD and its metabolite KG8, which are distributed from the blood circulation into the brain by simple diffusion. KG8 is further metabolized into other metabolites that are easily excreted in the urine.

Anti-diabetic Role of Adropin in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats via Alteration of PI3K/Akt and Insulin Signaling Pathway.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a hyperglycemia-related multifactorial condition with an elevated risk of microvascular and microvascular complications associated with this disease. The current experimental study was to examine the antidiabetic activity of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced adropin against diabetic rats by altering the PI3K/Akt and insulin signaling pathways. STZ (60 mg/kg) was used for the induction of DM and rats were divided into different groups and received the adropin (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg) and glibenclamide (10 mg/kg) till 28 days. Body weight, plasma insulin, blood glucose and food intake were estimated, respectively. Biochemical enzymes, carbohydrate enzymes, lipid parameters, AMPK and insulin signalling pathway parameters were estimated. GLUT4 and PPARγ expression were also estimated. Oral administration of adropin significantly (p < 0.001) increased the glycogen, glucose-6-phosphatase dehydrogenase, insulin, hexokinase and belittled the blood glucose level, fructose 1-6-biphosphatase, glucose-6-phosphatase at dose dependent manner. Adropin significantly (p < 0.001) reduced the level of triglyceride, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein and increased the level of high density lipoprotein at dose dependent manner. Adropin significantly (p < 0.001) activated the Akt, IRS-2, IRS-1, IR, p-AKT and PI3k, which are the key modulator molecules of PI3K/Akt, AMPK and insulin signalling pathway in DM rats. The current experimental study confirms the anti-diabetic effect of adropin on DM rats induced by AMPK and insulin signalling pathway against STZ.