Six-compound combo remedy ameliorates corticosterone-induced depressive behaviors in mice via targeting HTR1A signaling.

Dysregulation of brain innate immunity involving microglia is implicated in the pathology of neurological disorders including depression. Depression is a prominent medical challenge to global public health systems. Synthetic antidepressant drugs are limited by severe side-effects. The present study aimed to identify the active compounds from the well-documented herbal medicine formula Banxia-Houpo decoction (BHD) and discover the underlying mechanisms for tuning microglia. We initially employed LC-MS profiling and network pharmacology analysis to predict the active compound-target interaction networks. We subsequently validated the potential active compounds and targets in a mouse model of corticosterone (CORT)-induced depression and post-synaptic microglia BV2 cells. As results, 64 compounds were identified in the ethanolic BHD extract and predicted to target 25 depression-related genes. Interestingly, the serotonergic synapse pathway received the highest enrichment score while 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1A (HTR1A) was targeted by six compounds (i.e., baicalein, luteolin, N-nornuciferine, roemerine, scutellarin, 6-shogaol). In parallel assays, a six-compound combo (SCC) and BHD markedly ameliorated the depressive-like behaviors in CORT-lesioned mice and well protected highly differentiated (HD) PC12 cells against CORT challenge. Moreover, SCC and BHD effectively induced HTR1A expression in mice and post-synaptic microglia BV2 cells. HTR1A antagonist WAY-100635 at 1mg/kg/d via intraperitoneal injection attenuated the effects of SCC and BHD on the depressive behaviors in mice. These results suggest that SCC might be a potential remedy against depression and other neurological disorders via targeting HTR1A in microglia.

Natural products reverse cancer multidrug resistance.

Cancer stands as a prominent global cause of death. One of the key reasons why clinical tumor chemotherapy fails is multidrug resistance (MDR). In recent decades, accumulated studies have shown how Natural Product-Derived Compounds can reverse tumor MDR. Discovering novel potential modulators to reduce tumor MDR by Natural Product-Derived Compounds has become a popular research area across the globe. Numerous studies mainly focus on natural products including flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, polyphenols and coumarins for their MDR modulatory activity. Natural products reverse MDR by regulating signaling pathways or the relevant expressed protein or gene. Here we perform a deep review of the previous achievements, recent advances in the development of natural products as a treatment for MDR. This review aims to provide some insights for the study of multidrug resistance of natural products.

Morphological and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses reveal five new hyphomycetes from freshwater habitats.

During the survey on freshwater hyphomycetes in Guangxi, Guizhou and Hainan Provinces, China, five fresh collections were encountered. Based on their morphology, these five isolates were identified as belonging to Hermatomyces, Kirschsteiniothelia, Paramonodictys, Pleopunctum and Sparticola. Multi-gene phylogenetic analyses were performed for each genus, which resulted in the identification of five new species, namely Hermatomyces hainanensis, Kirschsteiniothelia ramus, Paramonodictys globosa, Pleopunctum guizhouense, and Sparticola irregularis. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the morphological characteristics of these new taxa were provided. This research enriches the biodiversity of freshwater dematiaceous hyphomycetes.