Natural product Kaji-ichigoside F1 exhibits rapid antidepression via activating the AMPA-BDNF-mTOR pathway and inhibiting the NMDAR-CaMKIIα pathway.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common and recurrent neuropsychiatric disorder. Recent studies have shown that the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NMDAR) is involved in the pathophysiology of depression. Previous studies have found that Kaji-ichigoside F1 (KF1) has a protective effect against NMDA-induced neurotoxicity. However, the antidepressant mechanism of KF1 has not been confirmed yet. PURPOSE: In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the rapid antidepressant activity of KF1 and explore the underlying mechanism. STUDY DESIGN: First, we explored the effect of KF1 on NMDA-induced hippocampal neurons and the underlying mechanism. Second, depression was induced in C57BL/6 mice via chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and the immediate and persistent depression-like behavior was evaluated using the forced swimming test (FST) after a single administration of KF1. Third, the contributions of NMDA signaling to the antidepressant effect of KF1 were investigated using pharmacological interventions. Fourth, CUMS mice were treated with KF1 for 21 days, and then their depression-like behaviors and the underlying mechanism were further explored. METHODS: The FST was used to evaluate immediate and persistent depression-like behavior after a single administration of KF1 with or without NMDA pretreatment. The effect of KF1 on depressive-like behavior was investigated in CUMS mice by treating them with KF1 once daily for 21 days through the sucrose preference test, FST, open field test, and tail suspension test. Then, the effects of KF1 on the morphology and molecular and functional phenotypes of primary neuronal cells and hippocampus of mice were investigated by hematoxylin-eosin staining, Nissl staining, propidium iodide staining, TUNEL staining, Ca2+ imaging, JC-1 staining, ELISA, immunofluorescence analysis, RT-PCR, and Western blot. RESULTS: KF1 could effectively improve cellular viability, reduce apoptosis, inhibit the release of LDH and Ca2+, and increase the mitochondrial membrane potential and the number of dendritic spines numbers in hippocampal neurons. Moreover, behavioral tests showed that KF1 exerted acute and sustained antidepressant-like effects by reducing Glu-levels and ameliorating neuronal damage in the hippocampus. Additionally, in vivo and in vitro experiments revealed that PSD95, Syn1, α-amino-3­hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were upregulated at the protein level, and BDNF and AMPA were upregulated at the mRNA level. NR1 and NR2A showed the opposite trend. CONCLUSION: These results confirm that KF1 exerts rapid antidepressant effects mainly by activating the AMPA-BDNF-mTOR pathway and inhibiting the NMDAR-CaMKIIα pathway. This study serves as a new reference for discovering rapid antidepressants.

Neuroprotection of Kaji-Ichigoside F1 via the BDNF/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathways against NMDA-Induced Neurotoxicity.

Kaji-ichigoside F1 (KF1), a natural oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin, is the main active constituent from Rosa roxburghii. In the southwest regions of China, particularly in Guizhou Province, this plant was used as a Miao ethnic medicine to prevent and treat dyspepsia, dysentery, hypoimmunity, and neurasthenia. In the present study, the neuroprotective effect of KF1 was evaluated against N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced neurotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. An NMDA-induced PC12 cell neurotoxicity assay showed that KF1 effectively improved cellular viability, inhibited the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and reduced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, KF1-treated NMDA-induced excitotoxicity mice displayed a remarkable capacity for improving spatial learning memory in the Y-maze and Morris water maze tests. In addition, KF1 increased the levels of the neurotransmitters 5-hydroxytryptamine, dopamine, and monoamine oxidase and reduced the calcium ion concentration in the hippocampus of mice. Hematoxylin and eosin and Nissl staining indicated that KF1 effectively reduced the impairment of neurons. Furthermore, Western blot assays showed that KF1 decreased NMDAR1 expression. In contrast, the NMDAR2B (NR2B), glutamate receptor (AMPA), TrkB, protein kinase B (AKT), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), PSD95, and synapsin 1 were upregulated in NMDA-induced PC12 cells and an animal model. These results suggest that KF1 has a remarkable protective effect against NMDA-induced neurotoxicity, which is directly related to the regulation of the NMDA receptor and the activation of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) and BDNF/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways.

Wacker-Type Oxidation Using an Iron Catalyst and Ambient Air: Application to Late-Stage Oxidation of Complex Molecules.

A practical and general iron-catalyzed Wacker-type oxidation of olefins to ketones is presented, and it uses ambient air as the sole oxidant. The mild oxidation conditions enable exceptional functional-group tolerance, which has not been demonstrated for any other Wacker-type reaction to date. The inexpensive and nontoxic reagents [iron(II) chloride, polymethylhydrosiloxane, and air] can, therefore, also be employed to oxidize complex natural-product-derived and polyfunctionalized molecules.

Transition-metal-free, ambient-pressure carbonylative cross-coupling reactions of aryl halides with potassium aryltrifluoroborates.

We disclose an unprecedented transition-metal-free carbonylative cross coupling of aryl halides with potassium aryl trifluoroborates even at atmospheric pressure of carbon monoxide. This protocol is efficient, operationally simple, and shows wide scope with regard to both aryl halides and potassium aryl trifluoroborates containing a series of active functional groups.

[Diversity of antagonistic bacteria isolated from rhizosphere of several cash crops].

By adopting antimicrobial spectrum test, BOXAIR-PCR, physiological and biochemical, and 16S rDNA sequencing analysis, this paper analyzed the diversity of 55 antagonistic bacterial strains isolated from the rhizosphere of 10 cash crops. There was a high diversity of the antagonism of the strains. Based on BOXAIR-PCR, all the strains were clustered into 7 groups at the similarity level of 72.1%, and divided into 25 groups at the similarity level of 85.0%. All the strains belonged to Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Brevibacillus, Pseudomonas and Alcaligenes, respectively. The antagonistic bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere had high genetic diversity and high diversity in antagonistic activity.

Genetic diversity and phylogeny of antagonistic bacteria against Phytophthora nicotianae isolated from tobacco rhizosphere.

The genetic diversity of antagonistic bacteria from the tobacco rhizosphere was examined by BOXAIR-PCR, 16S-RFLP, 16S rRNA sequence homology and phylogenetic analysis methods. These studies revealed that 4.01% of the 6652 tested had some inhibitory activity against Phytophthora nicotianae. BOXAIR-PCR analysis revealed 35 distinct amplimers aligning at a 91% similarity level, reflecting a high degree of genotypic diversity among the antagonistic bacteria. A total of 25 16S-RFLP patterns were identified representing over 33 species from 17 different genera. Our results also found a significant amount of bacterial diversity among the antagonistic bacteria compared to other published reports. For the first time; Delftia tsuruhatensis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Advenella incenata, Bacillus altitudinis, Kocuria palustris, Bacillus licheniformis, Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Myroides odoratimimus are reported to display antagonistic activity towards Phytophthora nicotianae. Furthermore, the majority (75%) of the isolates assayed for antagonistic activity were Gram-positives compared to only 25% that were Gram-negative bacteria.

[Screening, identification and antagonistic activity of a siderophore-producing bacteria G-229-21T from rhizosphere of tobacco].

OBJECTIVE: To screen antagonistic bacteria from rhizosphere of tobacco against Phytophthora parasitica var. nicotianae (Breda de Hann) Tucker and to analyze its antagonistic activity. METHODS: The antagonistic bacteria were screened by dual culture with P. parasitica var. nicotianae (Breda de Hann) Tucker on low iron (2 micromol/L FeCl3) Sucrose-L-Asparagine (SA) plate. The chrome azurol S (CAS) assay was used to detect the siderophore production and its affinity to ferric ion. The strain was identified by using morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics, 16S rRNA sequence homology, phylogenetics and specific species molecular analysis. The siderophore was isolated by column chromatography on Amberlite XAD-2 and analyzed by spectrophotometer. Antagonistic activity of the siderophore was confirmed by incubation of P. parasitica var. nicotianae (Breda de Hann) Tucker in liquid SA medium with different concentration of siderophore and FeCl3. RESULTS: We obtained an antagonistic bacterium G-229-21T against P. parasitica var. nicotianae (Breda de Hann) Tucker. The strain produced high-affinity siderophore under low iron conditions and was identified as Pseudomonas mediterranea. This strain produced carboxylate-type siderophore against P. parasitica var. nicotianae (Breda de Hann) Tucker. The suppression ratio was up to 92.3% under low iron conditions (0.16 micromol/L-10 micromol/L FeCl3). However, it was only 2.0% under Fe-replete conditions (100 micromol/L FeCl3). CONCLUSION: P. mediterranea G-229-21T could produce high-affinity carboxylate-type siderophore against P. parasitica var. nicotianae (Breda de Hann) Tucker under low iron conditions.