Biochanin A Ameliorates Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-Like Skin Inflammation in Mice by Modulating the NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin inflammatory disorder characterized by the hyper-activation of the immune system and the over-proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes. This study aimed to investigate the anti-psoriatic activity of Biochanin A (BCA), a phytomolecule with known anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, using the IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Network pharmacology analysis was performed to investigate the targetability of Biochanin A (BCA) against psoriasis. Psoriasis-like skin inflammation was established using BALB/c mice by topical application of IMQ (5%). BCA cream (0.3%, 1%, 3%) was applied on the skin regions every day for 6 days. The skin phenotypes-erythema and scaling were scored every day. On the 7th day, skin tissues were collected for gene expression analysis, histopathological analysis, cytokine levels determination, and western blot analysis for signaling mechanisms. The network pharmacology analysis has identified 57 common targets between psoriasis and BCA. The topical application of IMQ induced a typical psoriasis-like skin phenotype including redness, skin thickening, and plaque formation. Upon BCA treatment, the psoriasis-like symptoms were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner. The targets identified by the network pharmacology (MMP9, EGFR, and PTGS2) and the pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression were found to be significantly elevated in IMQ controls, and upon BCA treatment they were found significantly reduced. The release of cytokines linked to psoriasis (IL-17A and IL-23) were significantly reduced upon BCA treatment. Furthermore, our findings demonstrated that BCA treatment alleviated the psoriasis-like symptoms via modulating NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Our results demonstrate the therapeutic potential of BCA against IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation.

Protective effect of ß-glucan on Poly(I:C)-induced acute lung injury/inflammation: Therapeutic implications of viral infections in the respiratory system.

AIMS: Acute lung inflammation, particularly acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is caused by a variety of pathogens including bacteria and viruses. ß-Glucans have been reported to possess both anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. The current study evaluated the therapeutic effect of ß-glucans on polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly(I:C)) induced lung inflammation in both hamster and mice models. MAIN METHODS: Poly(I:C)-induced ALI/inflammation models were developed in hamsters (2.5 mg/kg) and mice (2 mg/kg) by delivering the Poly(I:C) intratracheally, and followed with and without ß-glucan administration. After treatment, lung mechanics were assessed and lung tissues were isolated and analyzed for mRNA/protein expression, and histopathological examinations. KEY FINDINGS: Poly(I:C) administration, caused a significant elevation of inflammatory marker's expression in lung tissues and showed abnormal lung mechanics in mice and hamsters. Interestingly, treatment with ß-glucan significantly (p < 0.001) reversed the Poly(I:C)-induced inflammatory events and inflammatory markers expression in both mRNA (IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α, CCL2 and CCL7) and protein levels (TNF-α, CD68, myeloperoxidase, neutrophil elastase, MUC-5Ac and iNOS). Lung functional assays revealed that ß-glucan treatment significantly improved lung mechanics. Histopathological analysis showed that ß-glucan treatment significantly attenuated the Poly(I:C) induced inflammatory cell infiltration, injury and goblet cell population in lung tissues. Consistent with these findings, ß-glucan treatment markedly reduced the number of neutrophils and macrophages in lung tissues. Our findings further demonstrated that ß-glucan could reduce inflammation by suppressing the MAPK pathway. SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggested that ß-glucan may attenuate the pathogenic effects of Poly(I:C)-induced ALI/ARDS via modulating the MAPK pathway, indicating ß-glucan as a possible therapeutic agent for the treatment of viral-pulmonary inflammation/injury.

Molecular docking analysis of an isoflavone derivative with the protein phosphatase 1 from Leishmania donovani.

Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected diseases with high morbidity and mortality rate. Severe side effects with existing drug and lack of proper vaccine encouraged us to design alternative models to combat the disease. We showed that PP1 of Leishmania donovani mediates immunomodulation in host macrophages needed for parasite survival. Therefore, it is of interest to report the molecular docking analysis of 512 isoflavone derivatives with the phosphatase 1 protein from Leishmania donovani to highlight compound 362 (5-hydroxy-5-{9-[2-methoxy-2-(2-methylfuran-3-yl) ethyl]-1H, 3H, 4H, 10bH-pyrano[4,3-c]chromen-3-yl}pentanoic acid) having good binding features and acceptable ADMET properties for further consideration.