The changes of intestinal microbiota and metabolomics during the inhibition of bladder cancer by liquiritigenin.

Liquiritigenin is a natural medicine. However, its inhibitory effect and its potential mechanism on bladder cancer (BCa) remain to be explored. It was found that it could be visualized that the transplanted tumours in the low-dose liquiritigenin -treated group and the high-dose liquiritigenin -treated group were smaller than those in the model group. Liquiritigenin treatment led to alterations in Lachnoclostridium, Escherichia-Shigella, Alistipes and Akkermansia. Non-targeted metabolomics analysis showed that a total of multiple differential metabolites were identified between the model group and the high-dose liquiritigenin-treated group. This provides a new direction and rationale for the antitumour effects of liquiritigenin.

Renal Health Through Medicine-Food Homology: A Comprehensive Review of Botanical Micronutrients and Their Mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: As an ancient concept and practice, "food as medicine" or "medicine-food homology" is receiving more and more attention these days. It is a tradition in many regions to intake medicinal herbal food for potential health benefits to various organs and systems including the kidney. Kidney diseases usually lack targeted therapy and face irreversible loss of function, leading to dialysis dependence. As the most important organ for endogenous metabolite and exogenous nutrient excretion, the status of the kidney could be closely related to daily diet. Therefore, medicinal herbal food rich in antioxidative, anti-inflammation micronutrients are ideal supplements for kidney protection. Recent studies have also discovered its impact on the "gut-kidney" axis. METHODS: Here, we review and highlight the kidney-protective effects of botanicals with medicine-food homology including the most frequently used Astragalus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, concerning their micronutrients and mechanism, offering a basis and perspective for utilizing and exploring the key substances in medicinal herbal food to protect the kidney. RESULTS: The index for medicine-food homology in China contains mostly botanicals while many of them are also consumed by people in other regions. Micronutrients including flavonoids, polysaccharides and others present powerful activities towards renal diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Botanicals with medicine-food homology are widely speeded over multiple regions and incorporating these natural compounds into dietary habits or as supplements shows promising future for renal health.

Berberine promotes the degradation of phenylacetic acid to prevent thrombosis by modulating gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Berberine is the main bioactive constituent of Coptis chinensis, a quaternary ammonium alkaloid. While berberine's cardiovascular benefits are well-documented, its impact on thrombosis remains not fully understood. PURPOSE: This study investigates the potential of intestinal microbiota as a novel target for preventing thrombosis, with a focus on berberine, a natural compound known for its effectiveness in managing cardiovascular conditions. METHODS: Intraperitoneal injection of carrageenan induces the secretion of chemical mediators such as histamine and serotonin from mast cells to promote thrombosis. This model can directly and visually observe the progression of thrombosis in a time-dependent manner. Thrombosis was induced by intravenous injection of 1 % carrageenan solution (20 mg/kg) to all mice except the vehicle control group. Quantitative analysis of gut microbiota metabolites through LC/MS. Then, the gut microbiota of mice was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing to assess the changes. Finally, the effects of gut microbiota on thrombosis were explored by fecal microbiota transplantation. RESULTS: Our research shows that berberine inhibits thrombosis by altering intestinal microbiota composition and related metabolites. Notably, berberine curtails the biosynthesis of phenylacetylglycine, a thrombosis-promoting coproduct of the host-intestinal microbiota, by promoting phenylacetic acid degradation. This research underscores the significance of phenylacetylglycine as a thrombosis-promoting risk factor, as evidenced by the ability of intraperitoneal phenylacetylglycine injection to reverse berberine's efficacy. Fecal microbiota transplantation experiment confirms the crucial role of intestinal microbiota in thrombus formation. CONCLUSION: Initiating our investigation from the perspective of the gut microbiota, we have, for the first time, unveiled that berberine inhibits thrombus formation by promoting the degradation of phenylacetic acid, consequently suppressing the biosynthesis of PAG. This discovery further substantiates the intricate interplay between the gut microbiota and thrombosis. Our study advances the understanding that intestinal microbiota plays a crucial role in thrombosis development and highlights berberine-mediated intestinal microbiota modulation as a promising therapeutic approach for thrombosis prevention.

[Expression and localization of hnRNP A2/B1 during differentiation of human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells induced by HMBA].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The differentially expressed nuclear matrix proteins have great effects on canceration and regulation of cell differentiation. This study was to explore the existence and distribution of ribonucleoprotein hnRNP A2/B1 in nuclear matrix and its co-localization with Actin and Prohibitin in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells before and after hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) treatment. METHODS: The nuclear matrix of MG-63 cells before and after treatment of HMBA were selectively extracted. The expression and localization of hnRNP A2/B1 in nuclear matrix were detected by 2-D PAGE, MALDI-TOF-MS, Western blot, and immunofluorescent staining. The co-localization of hnRNP A2/B1 with Actin and Prohibitin was observed under laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM). RESULTS: hnRNP A2/B1 was detected in the component of nuclear matrix proteins of MG-63 cells by Western blot and immunogold staining and its expression was decreased after treatment of HMBA. hnRNP A2/B1 was located in the nuclear matrix, and its expression was weakened after HMBA treatment. hnRNP A2/B1 was co-localized with Actin or Prohibitin in MG-63 cells, while the co-localization relationship was weakened during differentiation of MG-63 cells. CONCLUSIONS: hnRNP A2/B1 is a kind of nuclear matrix protein, and localizes in the nuclear matrix. The distribution and expression of hnRNP A2/B1 and its co-localization with Actin and Prohibitin play important roles during the differentiation of MG-63 cells.