Withaferin A alleviates ethanol-induced liver injury by inhibiting hepatic lipogenesis.

Withaferin A (WA) is a natural steroidal compound with reported hepatoprotective activities against various liver diseases. Whether WA has therapeutic effects on alcoholic liver disease has not been explored. A binge alcoholic liver injury model was employed by feeding C57BL/6J mice an ethanol (EtOH) diet for 10 days followed by an acute dose of EtOH to mimic clinical acute-upon-chronic liver injury. In this binge model, WA significantly reduced the binge EtOH-induced increase of serum aminotransaminase levels and decreased hepatic lipid accumulation. Mechanistically, WA decreased levels of hepatic lipogenesis gene mRNAs in vivo, including Srebp1c, Fasn, Acc1 and Fabp1. In EtOH-treated primary hepatocytes in vitro, WA decreased lipid accumulation by lowering the expression of the lipogenesis gene mRNAs Fasn and Acc1 as well as decreasing hepatocyte death. In the established binge alcoholic liver injury model, WA therapeutically reduced the EtOH-induced increase of serum aminotransaminase levels as well as hepatic lipid accumulation. These results demonstrate that WA reduces EtOH-induced liver injury by inhibiting hepatic lipogenesis, suggesting a potential therapeutic option for treating alcoholic liver injury.

Targeting TDP-43 Pathology Alleviates Cognitive and Motor Deficits Caused by Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion.

Vascular dementia is one of the most common forms of dementia in aging population. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in development of disease and the link between the cerebrovascular pathology and the cognitive impairments remain elusive. Currently, one common and/or converging neuropathological pathway leading to dementia is the mislocalization and altered functionality of the TDP-43. We recently demonstrated that brain ischemia triggers an age-dependent deregulation of TDP-43 that was associated with exacerbated neurodegeneration. Here, we report that chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in mice (CCH) produced by unilateral common carotid artery occlusion induces cytoplasmic mislocalization of TDP-43 and formation of insoluble phosho-TDP-43 aggregates reminiscent of pathological changes detected in cortical neurons of human brain samples from patients suffering from vascular dementia. Moreover, the CCH in mice caused chronic activation of microglia and innate immune response, development of cognitive deficits, and motor impairments. Oral administration of a novel analog (IMS-088) of withaferin A, an antagonist of nuclear factor-κB essential modulator (NEMO), led to mitigation of TDP-43 pathology, enhancement of autophagy, and amelioration of cognitive/motor deficits in CCH mice. Taken together, our results suggest that targeting TDP-43 pathogenic inclusions may have a disease-modifying effect in dementia caused by chronic brain hypoperfusion.

Synthesis, Characterization and Anti-Cancer Therapeutic Potential of Withanolide-A with 20nm sAuNPs Conjugates Against SKBR3 Breast Cancer Cell Line.

BACKGROUND: Nanotechnology is gaining emerging interest in advanced drug discovery therapeutics due to their tremendous properties including enhanced delivery of therapeutic payload, extensive surface to volume ratio, high permeability, retention behaviors, etc. The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are favored due to their advanced features, such as biogenic, tunable physiochemical response, ease in synthesis, and wide range of biomedical applications. The phytochemicals have been focused to design Au nano-carrier-based conjugation for active-targeting drug delivery due to their nano conjugation ability. AIM: The present study describes the facile synthesis of 20nm spherical AuNPs and their conjugation with reported anti-cancer phytocompound Withanolide-A (1). METHODS: The 20nm sAuNPs were synthesized chemically and characterized their phytochemical gold nanoconjugates through UV-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging techniques. The anti-cancer therapeutic potentials were tested with both nanoconjugates and pure WithanolideA (1) by using SKBR3 breast cancer cells line. RESULTS: The synthesized sAuNPs showed significant conjugation with Withanolide-A and showed stability. Furthermore, these Au nanoconjugates with Withanolide-A (1) significantly induce blockage of SKBR3 cell growth at half maximal active concentration that compared to pure Withanolide-A (1). CONCLUSION: Our findings provide a foundation to further progress how they can overcome cancer drug resistance by conjugating active drugs in combination with AuNPs through optimizing the effective drug concentration and removing the surface barrier.

Withania somnifera Extract Enhances Energy Expenditure via Improving Mitochondrial Function in Adipose Tissue and Skeletal Muscle.

 Withania somnifera (WS), commonly known as ashwagandha, possesses diverse biological functions. WS root has mainly been used as an herbal medicine to treat anxiety and was recently reported to have an anti-obesity effect, however, the mechanisms underlying its action remain to be explored. We hypothesized that WS exerts its anti-obesity effect by enhancing energy expenditure through improving the mitochondrial function of brown/beige adipocytes and skeletal muscle. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) containing 0.25% or 0.5% WS 70% ethanol extract (WSE) for 10 weeks. WSE (0.5%) supplementation significantly suppressed the increases in body weight and serum lipids, and lipid accumulation in the liver and adipose tissue induced by HFD. WSE supplementation increased oxygen consumption and enhanced mitochondrial activity in brown fat and skeletal muscle in the HFD-fed mice. In addition, it promoted browning of subcutaneous fat by increasing mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression. Withaferin A (WFA), a major compound of WS, enhanced the differentiation of pre-adipocytes into beige adipocytes and oxygen consumption in C2C12 murine myoblasts. These results suggest that WSE ameliorates diet-induced obesity by enhancing energy expenditure via promoting mitochondrial function in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, and WFA is a key regulator in this function.

Withanolide a penetrates brain via intra-nasal administration and exerts neuroprotection in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in mice.

1. Withanolide A (WA), a major constituent phytochemical of the Ayurvedic herb Withania somnifera reportedly combats neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. But no study has yet reported the ability of WA in crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The present study analyses the brain penetration ability of WA after intra-nasal administration and assesses its neuroprotective ability in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in adult mice model.2. Brain penetration of WA after intranasal administration in cortex and cerebellum was assessed using HPLC-UV. Three different doses (1 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg) of the phytochemical were used to study the neuroprotective ability of WA by evaluating the brain damage, changes in cerebral neurotransmitter levels and brain tissue morphology.3. Intranasal administration of the phytochemical facilitates its penetration in the cortex and cerebellum. Post-treatment with WA significantly reduced cerebral infarction, restored BBB disruption and cerebral oedema. The WA post-treatment also lowered the ischemia-induced elevated neurotransmitter and biochemical levels in brain compartments. The highest dose (10 mg/kg) of WA also markedly reduced the morphological damages, apoptotic and necrotic cell death in brain tissue occurring due to cerebral ischemia pathophysiology.4. Intra-nasal administration enables brain penetration of WA and allows the phytochemical to exert neuroprotective ability in the global cerebral ischemia model.

Mimetic sHDL nanoparticles: A novel drug-delivery strategy to target triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Withanolides are naturally derived heat shock protein 90 inhibitors that are potent in preclinical models of triple negative breast cancers. Conjugation to synthetic high-density lipoprotein nanoparticles improves solubility and targets delivery to the scavenger receptor B1. Triple negative breast cancers highly overexpress the scavenger receptor B1, and we hypothesize that encapsulation of the novel withalongolide A 4,19,27-triacetate by synthetic high-density lipoprotein will have enhanced efficacy against triple negative breast cancers in vivo. METHODS: Validated human triple negative breast cancer cell lines were evaluated for the scavenger receptor B1 expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Withalongolide A 4,19,27-triacetate inhibitory concentration50 values were obtained using CellTiter-Glo assays (Promega, Madison, WI, USA). The scavenger receptor B1-mediated drug uptake was evaluated in vitro under fluorescence microscopy and in vivo with IVIS imaging of mouse xenografts (MD-MBA-468LN). To evaluate drug efficacy, mice were treated with synthetic high-density lipoprotein alone, withalongolide A 4,19,27-triacetate alone, withalongolide A 4,19,27-triacetate synthetic high-density lipoprotein, and chemotherapy or Prussian blue stain (control). RESULTS: Triple negative breast cancer cell lines had greater scavenger receptor B1 expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot versus controls. Fluorescent-labeled synthetic high-density lipoprotein uptake was scavenger receptor B1-mediated in vitro, and in vivo tumor uptake using IVIS imaging demonstrated significantly increased tumor radiant efficiency versus control. Inhibitory concentration50 for withalongolide A 4,19,27-triacetate-treated cells with or without synthetic high-density lipoprotein encapsulation were 70-fold to 200-fold more potent than synthetic high-density lipoprotein alone. In triple negative breast cancer mouse xenografts, treatment with synthetic high-density lipoprotein withalongolide A 4,19,27-triacetate resulted in a 54% decrease in tumor volume compared with the control or with synthetic high-density lipoprotein alone. CONCLUSION: The synthetic high-density lipoprotein withalongolide A 4,19,27-triacetate nanoconjugates are potent against triple negative breast cancers and show improved scavenger receptor B1-mediated targeting. Treatment with synthetic high-density lipoprotein-encapsulated withalongolide A 4,19,27-triacetate is able to significantly decrease the growth of tumor in mice compared with the control and has better efficacy than the current standard of care, warranting further evaluation as a novel therapeutic agent.

Studies on oral bioavailability and first-pass metabolism of withaferin A in rats using LC-MS/MS and Q-TRAP.

Withaferin A (WA) is one of the major bioactive steroidal lactones with extensive pharmacological activities present in the plant Withania somnifera. The absolute oral bioavailability of WA remains unknown and human-related in vitro data are not available. Therefore, in the present study, the absolute oral bioavailability of WA in male rats and the in vitro screening of absorption factors by Q-trap and LC-MS/MS analysis were conducted to explore possible clinical properties of WA. The developed and validated analytical methods were successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies and in vitro measurement of WA. The oral bioavailability was determined to be 32.4 ± 4.8% based on intravenous (5 mg/kg) and oral (10 mg/kg) administrations of WA in male rats. The in vitro results showed that WA could be easily transported across Caco-2 cells and WA did not show as a substrate for P-glycoprotein. Moreover, the stability of WA was similar between male rat and human in simulated gastric fluid (stable), in intestinal microflora solution (slow decrease) and in liver microsomes (rapid depletion, with a half-life of 5.6 min). As such, the first-pass metabolism of WA was further verified by rat intestine-liver in situ perfusion, revealing that WA rapidly decreased and 27.1% remained within 1 h, while the content of three major metabolites (M1, M4, M5) identified by Q-trap increased. This perfusion result is consistent with the oral bioavailability results in vivo. The first-pass metabolism of WA might be the main barrier in achieving good oral bioavailability in male rats and it is predicted to be similar in humans. This study may hold clinical significance.

Vimentin intermediate filament assembly regulates fibroblast invasion in fibrogenic lung injury.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease, with a median survival of 3-5 years following diagnosis. Lung remodeling by invasive fibroblasts is a hallmark of IPF. In this study, we demonstrate that inhibition of vimentin intermediate filaments (VimIFs) decreases the invasiveness of IPF fibroblasts and confers protection against fibrosis in a murine model of experimental lung injury. Increased expression and organization of VimIFs contribute to the invasive property of IPF fibroblasts in connection with deficient cellular autophagy. Blocking VimIF assembly by pharmacologic and genetic means also increases autophagic clearance of collagen type I. Furthermore, inhibition of expression of collagen type I by siRNA decreased invasiveness of fibroblasts. In a bleomycin injury model, enhancing autophagy in fibroblasts by an inhibitor of VimIF assembly, withaferin A (WFA), protected from fibrotic lung injury. Additionally, in 3D lung organoids, or pulmospheres, from patients with IPF, WFA reduced the invasiveness of lung fibroblasts in the majority of subjects tested. These studies provide insights into the functional role of vimentin, which regulates autophagy and restricts the invasiveness of lung fibroblasts.

Prevention of articular cartilage degeneration in a rat model of monosodium iodoacetate induced osteoarthritis by oral treatment with Withaferin A.

Withaferin A (WFA), a highly oxygenated withanolide is used for anti-osteoporotic, fracture healing, obesity control as medicine and dietary supplement in Ayurveda and Unani medicine but its potential remains to be investigate for the osteoarthritis studies. In the present study, chondro-protective effects of WFA, under in vitro and in vivo conditions were evaluated. In-vitro pharmacological activity of WFA was tested on rat articular chondrocytes through MTT, DPPH, different staining, FACS and translation studies. In-vivo studies of WFA were evaluated through monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) induced osteoarthritis studies. DPPH assay, alcian blue and toluidine blue staining indicated the chondrogenic potential of WFA. Similarly, WFA enhance chondrogenesis through up-regulation of SOX9 protein. In addition, WFA reduced the ROS generation, mitochondrial depolarization and apoptosis induced by inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß and TNF-α. Furthermore, WFA treatment in MIA treated rats alleviated cartilage erosion and improvement in sub-chondral bone micro-architecture by decrease in Tissue volume (∼32%), and trabecular bone pattern factor (∼28%). Taken together, our study provides convincing evidence for the candidature of WFA (10 mg kg-1 day-1) as a potential agent for the treatment of cartilage degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis.

Development of a goat model for evaluation of withaferin A: Cervical implants for the treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The disease develops over many years through a series of precancerous lesions. Cervical cancer can be prevented by HPV-vaccination, screening and treatment of precancer before development of cervical cancer. The treatment of high-grade cervical dysplasia (CIN 2+) has traditionally been by cervical conization. Surgical procedures are associated with increased risk of undesirable side effects including bleeding, infection, scarring (stenosis), infertility and complications in later pregnancies. An inexpensive, non-invasive method of delivering therapeutics locally will be favorable to treat precancerous cervical lesions without damaging healthy tissue. The feasibility and safety of a sustained, continuous drug-releasing cervical polymeric implant for use in clinical trials was studied using a large animal model. The goat (Capra hircus), non-pregnant adult female Boer goats, was chosen due to similarities in cervical dimensions to the human. Estrus was induced with progesterone CIDR® vaginal implants for 14days followed by the administration of chorionic gonadotropins 48h prior to removal of the progesterone implants to relax the cervix to allow for the placement of the cervical implant. Cervical implants, containing 2% and 4% withaferin A (WFA), with 8 coats of blank polymer, provided sustained release for a long duration and were used for the animal study. The 'mushroom'-shaped cervical polymeric implant, originally designed for women required redesigning to be accommodated within the goat cervix. The cervical implants were well tolerated by the animals with no obvious evidence of discomfort, systemic or local inflammation or toxicity. In addition, we developed a new method to analyze tissue WFA levels by solvent extractions and LS/MS-MS. WFA was found to be localized to the target and adjacent tissues with 12-16ng WFA/g tissue, with essentially no detectable WFA in distant tissues. This study suggests that the goat is a good large animal model for the future development and evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of continuous local drug delivery by cervical polymeric implants to treat precancerous cervical lesions.

Synthetic high-density lipoprotein nanodisks for targeted withalongolide delivery to adrenocortical carcinoma.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare endocrine malignancy and has a 5-year survival rate of <35%. ACC cells require cholesterol for steroid hormone production, and this requirement is met via expression on the cell surface of a high level of SRB1, responsible for the uptake of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), which carry and transport cholesterol in vivo. Here, we describe how this natural lipid carrier function of SRB1 can be utilized to improve the tumor-targeted delivery of a novel natural product derivative - withalongolide A 4,19,27-triacetate (WGA-TA) - which has shown potent antitumor efficacy, but poor aqueous solubility. Our strategy was to use synthetic HDL (sHDL) nanodisks, which are effective in tumor-targeted delivery due to their smallness, long circulation half-life, documented safety, and ability to bind to SRB1. In this study, we prepared sHDL nanodisks using an optimized phospholipid composition combined with ApoA1 mimetic peptide (22A), which has previously been tested in clinical trials, to load WGA-TA. Following optimization, WGA-TA nanodisks showed drug encapsulation efficiency of 78%, a narrow particle size distribution (9.81±0.41 nm), discoid shape, and sustained drug release in phosphate buffered saline. WGA-TA-sHDL nanodisks exhibited higher cytotoxicity in the ACC cell line H295R half maximal inhibitory concentration ([IC50] 0.26±0.045 µM) than free WGA-TA (IC50 0.492±0.115 µM, P<0.05). Fluorescent dye-loaded sHDL nanodisks efficiently accumulated in H295R adrenal carcinoma xenografts 24 hours following dosing. Moreover, daily intraperitoneal administration of 7 mg/kg WGA-TA-loaded sHDL nanodisks significantly inhibited tumor growth during 21-day administration to H295R xenograft-bearing mice compared to placebo (P<0.01). Collectively, these results suggest that WGA-TA-loaded nanodisks may represent a novel and beneficial therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ACC.

Withaferin A Inhibits Prostate Carcinogenesis in a PTEN-deficient Mouse Model of Prostate Cancer.

We recently demonstrated that AKT activation plays a role in prostate cancer progression and inhibits the pro-apoptotic function of FOXO3a and Par-4. AKT inhibition and Par-4 induction suppressed prostate cancer progression in preclinical models. Here, we investigate the chemopreventive effect of the phytonutrient Withaferin A (WA) on AKT-driven prostate tumorigenesis in a Pten conditional knockout (Pten-KO) mouse model of prostate cancer. Oral WA treatment was carried out at two different doses (3 and 5 mg/kg) and compared to vehicle over 45 weeks. Oral administration of WA for 45 weeks effectively inhibited primary tumor growth in comparison to vehicle controls. Pathological analysis showed the complete absence of metastatic lesions in organs from WA-treated mice, whereas discrete metastasis to the lungs was observed in control tumors. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed the down-regulation of pAKT expression and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers, such as ß-catenin and N-cadherin, in WA-treated tumors in comparison to controls. This result corroborates our previous findings from both cell culture and xenograft models of prostate cancer. Our findings demonstrate that the daily administration of a phytonutrient that targets AKT activation provides a safe and effective treatment for prostate cancer in a mouse model with strong potential for translation to human disease.

Treatment of adult and pediatric high-grade gliomas with Withaferin A: antitumor mechanisms and future perspectives.

Resistance mechanisms employed by high-grade gliomas allow them to successfully evade current standard treatment of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Withaferin A (WA), utilized in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, is attracting attention for its antitumor capabilities. Here we review pertinent literature on WA as a high-grade glioma treatment, and discuss the cancerous mechanisms it affects. WA is relatively nontoxic and has shown potential in crossing the blood-brain barrier. WA prevents p53 alterations and inactivates overexpressed MDM2 through ARF and ROS production. Furthermore, WA upregulates Bax, inducing mitochondrial death cascades, inhibits mutated Akt, mTOR, and NF-κB pathways, and inhibits angiogenesis in tumors. Therapy with WA for high-grade gliomas is supported through the literature. Further investigation is warranted and encouraged to fully unearth its abilities against malignant gliomas.

Withaferin A protects against palmitic acid-induced endothelial insulin resistance and dysfunction through suppression of oxidative stress and inflammation.

Activation of inflammatory pathways via reactive oxygen species (ROS) by free fatty acids (FFA) in obesity gives rise to insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. Withaferin A (WA), possesses both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and therefore would be a good strategy to suppress palmitic acid (PA)-induced oxidative stress and inflammation and hence, insulin resistance and dysfunction in the endothelium. Effect of WA on PA-induced insulin resistance in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was determined by evaluating insulin signaling mechanisms whilst effect of this drug on PA-induced endothelial dysfunction was determined in acetylcholine-mediated relaxation in isolated rat aortic preparations. WA significantly inhibited ROS production and inflammation induced by PA. Furthermore, WA significantly decreased TNF-α and IL-6 production in endothelial cells by specifically suppressing IKKß/NF-κß phosphorylation. WA inhibited inflammation-stimulated IRS-1 serine phosphorylation and improved the impaired insulin PI3-K signaling, and restored the decreased nitric oxide (NO) production triggered by PA. WA also decreased endothelin-1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 levels, and restored the impaired endothelium-mediated vasodilation in isolated aortic preparations. These findings suggest that WA inhibited both ROS production and inflammation to restore impaired insulin resistance in cultured endothelial cells and improve endothelial dysfunction in rat aortic rings.

Withaferin A inhibits in vivo growth of breast cancer cells accelerated by Notch2 knockdown.

The present study offers novel insights into the molecular circuitry of accelerated in vivo tumor growth by Notch2 knockdown in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Therapeutic vulnerability of Notch2-altered growth to a small molecule (withaferin A, WA) is also demonstrated. MDA-MB-231 and SUM159 cells were used for the xenograft studies. A variety of technologies were deployed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying tumor growth augmentation by Notch2 knockdown and its reversal by WA, including Fluorescence Molecular Tomography for measurement of tumor angiogenesis in live mice, Seahorse Flux analyzer for ex vivo measurement of tumor metabolism, proteomics, and Luminex-based cytokine profiling. Stable knockdown of Notch2 resulted in accelerated in vivo tumor growth in both cells reflected by tumor volume and/or latency. For example, the wet tumor weight from mice bearing Notch2 knockdown MDA-MB-231 cells was about 7.1-fold higher compared with control (P < 0.0001). Accelerated tumor growth by Notch2 knockdown was highly sensitive to inhibition by a promising steroidal lactone (WA) derived from a medicinal plant. Molecular underpinnings for tumor growth intensification by Notch2 knockdown included compensatory increase in Notch1 activation, increased cellular proliferation and/or angiogenesis, and increased plasma or tumor levels of growth stimulatory cytokines. WA administration reversed many of these effects providing explanation for its remarkable anti-cancer efficacy. Notch2 functions as a tumor growth suppressor in TNBC and WA offers a novel therapeutic strategy for restoring this function.

Withaferin A suppresses the up-regulation of acetyl-coA carboxylase 1 and skin tumor formation in a skin carcinogenesis mouse model.

Withaferin A (WA), a natural product derived from Withania somnifera, has been used in traditional oriental medicines to treat neurological disorders. Recent studies have demonstrated that this compound may have a potential for cancer treatment and a clinical trial has been launched to test WA in treating melanoma. Herein, WA's chemopreventive potential was tested in a chemically-induced skin carcinogenesis mouse model. Pathological examinations revealed that WA significantly suppressed skin tumor formation. Morphological observations of the skin tissues suggest that WA suppressed cell proliferation rather than inducing apoptosis during skin carcinogenesis. Antibody Micro array analysis demonstrated that WA blocked carcinogen-induced up-regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), which was further confirmed in a skin cell transformation model. Overexpression of ACC1 promoted whereas knockdown of ACC1 suppressed anchorage-independent growth and oncogene activation of transformable skin cells. Further studies demonstrated that WA inhibited tumor promotor-induced ACC1 gene transcription by suppressing the activation of activator protein 1. In melanoma cells, WA was also able to suppress the expression levels of ACC1. Finally, results using human skin cancer tissues confirmed the up-regulation of ACC1 in tumors than adjacent normal tissues. In summary, our results suggest that withaferin A may have a potential in chemoprevention and ACC1 may serve as a critical target of WA. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Inhibitory effect of withaferin A on Helicobacter pylori­induced IL­8 production and NF­κB activation in gastric epithelial cells.

Withaferin A (WA), a withanolide purified from Withania somnifera, has been known to exert anti-inflammatory effects. The present study sought to determine the effects of WA on Helicobacter (H.) pylori-mediated inflammation in the AGS gastric epithelial cell line. Cellular production of interleukin (IL)-8 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was measured by ELISA. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) as well as hypoxia-inducible factor 1α stabilization. Bacterial growth was also examined by measuring the optical density. Pre-treatment or co-treatment with WA efficiently reduced IL-8 production by AGS cells in response to H. pylori infection. H. pylori-induced activation of NF-κB, but not MAPKs, was also inhibited by pre-treatment of WA in the cells. However, WA did not affect VEGF production and HIF-1α stabilization induced by H. pylori in AGS cells. In addition, WA did not influence the growth of H. pylori, suggesting that the anti-inflammatory effect of WA was not due to any bactericidal effect. These findings indicate that WA is a potential preventive or therapeutic agent for H. pylori-mediated gastric inflammation.

AshwaMAX and Withaferin A inhibits gliomas in cellular and murine orthotopic models.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive, malignant cancer Johnson and O'Neill (J Neurooncol 107: 359-364, 2012). An extract from the winter cherry plant (Withania somnifera ), AshwaMAX, is concentrated (4.3 %) for Withaferin A; a steroidal lactone that inhibits cancer cells Vanden Berghe et al. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 23: 1985-1996, 2014). We hypothesized that AshwaMAX could treat GBM and that bioluminescence imaging (BLI) could track oral therapy in orthotopic murine models of glioblastoma. Human parietal-cortical glioblastoma cells (GBM2, GBM39) were isolated from primary tumors while U87-MG was obtained commercially. GBM2 was transduced with lentiviral vectors that express Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)/firefly luciferase fusion proteins. Mutational, expression and proliferative status of GBMs were studied. Intracranial xenografts of glioblastomas were grown in the right frontal regions of female, nude mice (n = 3-5 per experiment). Tumor growth was followed through BLI. Neurosphere cultures (U87-MG, GBM2 and GBM39) were inhibited by AshwaMAX at IC50 of 1.4, 0.19 and 0.22 µM equivalent respectively and by Withaferin A with IC50 of 0.31, 0.28 and 0.25 µM respectively. Oral gavage, every other day, of AshwaMAX (40 mg/kg per day) significantly reduced bioluminescence signal (n = 3 mice, p < 0.02, four parameter non-linear regression analysis) in preclinical models. After 30 days of treatment, bioluminescent signal increased suggesting onset of resistance. BLI signal for control, vehicle-treated mice increased and then plateaued. Bioluminescent imaging revealed diffuse growth of GBM2 xenografts. With AshwaMAX, GBM neurospheres collapsed at nanomolar concentrations. Oral treatment studies on murine models confirmed that AshwaMAX is effective against orthotopic GBM. AshwaMAX is thus a promising candidate for future clinical translation in patients with GBM.

Withaferin A attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in neonatal rats.

Withaferin A (WFA) is an active compound from Withania somnifera and has been reported to exhibit a variety of pharmacological activities such as anti—inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti—tumor properties. In the present study, we investigated the potential protective role of WFA on acute lung injury in neonatal rats induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that WFA significantly attenuated the pathological changes of lungs induced by LPS injection. Administration with WFA obviously decreased pulmonary neutrophil infiltration accompanied with decreased MPO concentrations. WFA also reduced the expression of pro—inflammatory cytokines including MIP—2, TNF—α, IL—1β and IL—6. Meanwhile, the expression levels of anti—inflammatory mediators such as TGF—β1 and IL—10 were significantly increased following WFA administration. Moreover, WFA protected LPS—treated rats from oxidative damage via up—regulation of TBARS and H2O2 concentrations and down—regulation of ROS contents. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that WFA administration attenuated LPS—induced lung injury through inhibition of inflammatory responses and oxidative stress.

Withaferin-A Reduces Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury in Mice.

Withaferin-A (WA) has anti-oxidant activities however, its therapeutic potential in acetaminophen (APAP) hepatotoxicity is unknown. We performed a proof-of-concept study to assess the therapeutic potential of WA in a mouse model that mimics APAP-induced liver injury (AILI) in humans. Overnight fasted C57BL/6NTac (5-6 wk. old) male mice received 200 mg/kg APAP intraperitoneally (i.p.). After 1 h mice were treated with 40 mg/kg WA or vehicle i.p., and euthanized 4 and 16 h later; their livers were harvested and serum collected for analysis. At 4 h, compared to vehicle-treated mice, WA-treated mice had reduced serum ALT levels, hepatocyte necrosis and intrahepatic hemorrhage. All APAP-treated mice had reduced hepatic glutathione (GSH) levels however, reduction in GSH was lower in WA-treated when compared to vehicle-treated mice. Compared to vehicle-treated mice, livers from WA-treated mice had reduced APAP-induced JNK activation, mitochondrial Bax translocation, and nitrotyrosine generation. Compared to vehicle-treated mice, WA-treated mice had increased hepatic up-regulation of Nrf2, Gclc and Nqo1, and down-regulation of Il-6 and Il-1ß. The hepatoprotective effect of WA persisted at 16 h. Compared to vehicle-treated mice, WA-treated mice had reduced hepatocyte necrosis and hepatic expression of Il-6, Tnf-α and Il-1ß, increased hepatic Gclc and Nqo1 expression and GSH levels, and reduced lipid peroxidation. Finally, in AML12 hepatocytes, WA reduced H2O2-induced oxidative stress and necrosis by preventing GSH depletion. Collectively, these data show mechanisms whereby WA reduces necrotic hepatocyte injury, and demonstrate that WA has therapeutic potential in AILI.